Over the past 18 months, many of us have spent less time with our families, friends and loved ones due to travel restrictions. This time has been even more difficult for those of us with families located in different countries around the world.

In 2022, we are more likely to want to share special holiday moments with our families and friends, by including them into our plans. Grand reunions will take place in exotic locations, with generations of families meeting at a central point to enjoy milestone celebrations together in style.

From renting private chateaux or farm houses with pools in France or Tuscany, booking several oceanfront rooms in the Caribbean or retreating to a peaceful island in the Maldives, where we can dive, fish and swim, there are many options for multi-generational trips which cater to all age groups.

Even if plans change and we can’t venture too far, quaint lodges, luxury glamping trips and upscale cabins in the wilderness also offer great opportunities to increase family ties and create memorable moments surrounded by nature.

Having the freedom to travel is a fundamental part of being human, and during the last 18 months, it has become increasingly difficult for individuals and for the tourism industry as a whole.

The days of jumping on a train, flight or ferry for a seamless weekend break are long gone, and short stay holidays, unless domestic, are almost obsolete at present. Travel experts are also predicting that hotel occupancy may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023.

However, there is a silver lining. Luxury hotels around the world have attempted to counteract the lack of tourists by offering special discounted rates for stays of 30, 60 and 90 days or even longer.

This is great news for digital nomads who fancy a change of scenery. Those who work remotely, now have the opportunity to log-on from anywhere in the world with WiFi or a cellular signal! Whether you wish to write a novel, create a world-class music track or paint a masterpiece, there are hotels and design spaces to enhance your creativity.

Even if you can’t travel too far due to commitments, or don’t want to gamble on international travel at present, it’s still possible to book into a luxury hotel a few hours from where you live, gain a different perspective on life for a month or two and meet like-minded people with the same idea! 

Guided and escorted tours will become even more popular in 2022 and beyond. Travelling independently will still be prevalent, however, having an expert on the ground who speaks the local language and knows where all amenities are located, is both helpful and comforting in these times.

Fully escorted tours such as safari’s, cruises and planned self-drive tours where you have access to travel advisors throughout the trip will become increasingly popular. As will booking private guides to point out city landmarks, minus other tourists.

Language apps will be downloaded and used more frequently if travelling to foreign shores too, with communication and understanding local cultures and regulations becoming paramount.

The demand to travel to sparsely populated and lesser known tourism destinations will be on the rise too, with exciting, escorted adventure tours to Antarctica, northern Scandinavia, the Balkan states, Africa and South American countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Chile coming to the forefront. 

In the past year, we have all become more connected to nature, spending time watching birdlife in the garden, observing leaves on trees in local parks, the calming undulating movement of waves and wandering through woodlands away from crowds of people.

The trend is set to continue. As we continuously strive to take care of mind, body and spirit, we will seek out new experiences such as music healing therapy, yoga, meditation, learning about the benefits of biophilia and plant-based diets and we will want to stay in unique locations which inspire us creatively.

Forest bathing will be popular, as will photography trips, wildlife and marine conservation volunteering and retreats which utilise ancient indigenous practices to heal.

We will learn more about our planet, its natural beauty and wonders, and look to the skies, discovering new star systems through telescopes in remote deserts or on an island mountain top. And we will take care of our minds and those of others around us, as we move forward into a renaissance period - an exciting new age of enlightenment.