Travel trends in 2012
I can see it now. The travel crystal ball for 2012 shows amazing destinations, interesting price trends and, wait, is that Myanmar? Here’s a look at where travel is headed this year — what’s hot, what things will cost and must-dos for people who want to be on the cutting edge.
Hot destinations for 2012
• Uganda
• Myanmar (Burma)
• Ukraine
• Jordan
• Denmark
Cost of U.S. travel
Coach airfare: Will go up 2%-5%
Business class: Will go up 5%-7%
Car rentals: Will go down as much as 1%
Hotel rates: Will go up 1.5%-6.5%
We plan most trips
• 4 or fewer weeks ahead: 21%
• 5-7 weeks ahead: 15%
• 8 or more weeks ahead: 64%
Best deals
Costa Rica — still cheap
Japan — needs visitors
Mediterranean — ship glut
Orlando — many deals
Thailand — still cheap
Don’t go here
• Syria. Danger and conflict destroyed fragile tourism efforts
Or here, either
• Republic of South Sudan
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Afghanistan
• North Korea
• Iran
• Iraq
Trending up
• Indonesia
• Ghana
• Malaysia
• Nepal
• Romania
• Iceland
• Abu Dhabi
Lodging fads
• Women-only hotel floors
• Renting out your backyard to travelers
In-crowd hangouts
• Sri Lanka
• Toronto
• St. Vincent/Grenadines
• Guimarães, Portugal
• Abu Dhabi
• Costa Navarino, Greece
• Xishuangbanna, China
Be the first on your block
Try this tour: “Forgotten Corner of South America” — Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, 19 days, Geographic Expeditions ( http://www.geoex.com)
On the horizon
• Toronto: Construction of a rail link between Pearson International Airport and downtown’s Union Station starts in the spring and should be complete by 2015, when Toronto hosts the Pan Am Games.
• Las Vegas: Construction of an entertainment complex, Linq, featuring the High Roller (a 550-foot wheel like the London Eye) is supposed to get under way any day now on the Strip near the Flamingo. It’s expected to be finished in 2013.
Splendid but few tourists
• Russia. Despite the Hermitage, palaces, incredible history and architecture in Moscow and St. Petersburg, tourism is lackluster. Visit now before the Winter Olympics in 2014 makes it a hot destination.
Business travel spending
• Expected to rise 4.3% to $261 billion. The number of trips that corporations book abroad will rise 3.3%.
Travel trends for this year
• “Ends of the Earth” journeys to remote destinations
• Personal growth trips
• Ancestral travel — discover your heritage
Boom! In 2012
• It’s the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, plus the continuing Civil War sesquicentennial. Look for trips and commemorations galore.
Paddlewheel’s back
• Mississippi River cruises, grounded for a few years, are back in business. Sail the Queen of the Mississippi or American Queen from many ports. ( http://www.queenofthemississippi.com and http://www.greatamericansteamboatcompany.com )
Titanic 2012
• It’s the 100th anniversary of its sinking; two memorial cruises will sail in April, one from New York and one (sold-out) from Southampton, England. They will circle the spot where the ship went down. ( http://www.titanicmemorialcruise.co.uk or 866-800-0719.)
Contact Ellen Creager: 313-222-6498 or ecreager@freepress.com
Open all references in tabs: [1 – 4]