Hilton Finds That Travelers Want Cultural Immersion

Hilton found that modern travelers are actually, finally, looking to relax on vacations and slow down instead of making them an endless sprint to see as many hotspots as possible.

Why It Hits: The past few decades of travel have been defined by traditional tourism. But as the desire to find unique experiences and the need to recover from collective burnout ramps up, finding novel ways to recharge is about to be all the rage.

Behind the Itinerary: Hilton’s Annual Trends Report, which surveyed 13,000 adults from 13 different countries who plan to travel within the next year, reports that itineraries are getting a revamp.

Fast Company has a breakdown:

• 20% want to lounge in bed all day (in an exotic or luxurious location, no less), while 25% are focused on wellness experiences or simply disconnecting from social media.
• 70% want to get active, with 20% reporting that their adventuring will focus on exploring the great outdoors.
• 64% are picking up a good book to travel with (afternoons at coffee shops, anyone?), 25% are bringing a pet (dogs are wellness), and 30% are traveling with friends from work (taking the “work” out of “remote work”).

The Future: Hilton writes that a big focus of the slow travel trend is “immersing oneself into a destination for an extended time as a local to fully experience the culture” — so more European summer holiday break than a weeklong cruise with four different ports. In other words, it’s about stepping outside one’s routine. And if it can be done in what Hilton calls “secondary” locations like Sardinia and Bodrum, all the better.

Go Further: Airbnb is already all over these trends.