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Inspire Me

2020: Where To Go & What To Expect

From Japan becoming a 2020 hotspot, to green game changers, the rise of vegan tourism to wellness reinvented, the new decade is bringing with it a new wave of travel.

Will it still be travelling for the ‘gram? This past year saw a huge shift in the way we look at travel as we try to lower our individual carbon footprints and looking for more in our getaways. Whether its booking a foodie city break or the world’s most sustainable destinations, we have asked travel, fashion and sustainable experts what to expect from travel in 2020 and where they will be heading.


Jennifer Kester, Executive Editor, Forbes Travel Guide

Where do you want to go in 2020?

Everyone will be looking at Tokyo with the upcoming Summer Olympics, but my sights are set on Okinawa. The island offers incredible beaches and is a Blue Zone, an area possessing a deep concentration of people with a high life expectancy. It’s just the place for a wellness getaway like Forbes Travel Guide Recommended The Terrace Club at Busena. The health-focused hotel’s Wellness Thalasso Spa gives you a consultation and then tailors treatments to your needs. Another spot I want to check out is Halekulani Okinawa, a new hotel offering really unusual experiences ranging from private lessons with a karate master to kayaking through Yambaru National Park at sunset to see thousands of fireflies aglow.

One travel trend do you see coming for 2020?

Hotels are creating one-of-a-kind, chef-led experiences to lure in travellers. The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai ( which has received Five Stars from Forbes Travel Guide) throws the annual Chef Fest, which brings high-profile toques to the Hawaii hotel to lead intimate cooking classes and interactive events where they mingle with guests—it’s a must for foodies. Montage Los Cabos recently launched its Culinary Discovery Weekend, a quarterly series that features top chefs at the Mexico resort for a three-day itinerary around a dedicated theme. December was Women in Gastronomy.


Divia Thani, Editor of Conde Nast Traveller India  

Where do you want to go in 2020?

On My bucket list for 2020: Japan, New Zealand, Kenya and Egypt. I’ve realised that trips to the Maldives and the Seychelles are necessary for my peace of mind, and weekends in Rajasthan during the winter and spring are mandatory for my soul!

 

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One travel trend do you see coming for 2020?

More and more, people will start discovering and travelling to places that nurture their minds, bodies and souls. It’s Wellness Tourism but with a heightened consciousness towards the wellbeing of nature, the environment, the local community and the world at large.


Georgiana Huddart, Founder of Hunza G

Where do you want to go in 2020?

I am desperate to go to Japan. I am always most excited about places that feel so different from everyday life and are a real experience. Culturally and visually it’s a very different experience to being a Londoner. As much as I love lying on a beach, I find it exciting going to new cities as you get to see how people live their everyday lives. Beaches feel more transient and holiday like for everyone involved. Another one is Mexico City.

Costa Rica

One travel trend do you see coming for 2020?

Costa Rica…. and on the other end of the spectrum I think a lot of people are going away for long weekends now more regularly rather than major long haul flight holidays. The effect of Brexit is yet to be seen!


Michaela Guzy, OhThePeopleYouMeet

Where do you want to go in 2020?

If I peer into crystal ball and request were I’ll fall in 2020, my predictions point to: The Bahamas, secluded beaches + jungles in Mexico, a film premiere in South Africa, The Maldives, Chicago, Paris, California, Ios in Greece, Italy, Sierra Leone, many conferences and trying to manifest Antarctica + Iran.

 

One travel trend do you see coming for 2020?

I think its all about life-changing transformation. With the, “Wow, I’ve waiting my whole life for this moment” type of experiences. Exactly how I felt watching the sunrise in a hot air balloon over the UNESCO World Heritage site of Cappadocia in Turkey.


Jules Pearson, London on the Inside 

Where do you want to go in 2020?

Georgia is at the top of my wish list for 2020 as I’ve heard nothing but good things, and it feels as though it’s not quite on the tourist trail yet, even though you can now (finally!) fly there direct. I’d love to explore the cobbled streets of Tbilisi, dive into Georgian cuisine (which is hard to find in London), get scrubbed in the sulphur baths and, of course, sample the natural wines – as one of the oldest natural wine producers, Georgian wines are up there with the best!

Georgia, Tbilisi

One travel trend do you see coming for 2020?

I think 2020 will be the year of the staycation with Brexit looming and people wanting to holiday in a more sustainable way – flight shaming will become the norm so make sure you offset your carbon footprint if you are going overseas. One of my fave places for a staycation is the Isles of Scilly, one of the most southerly points of the UK with their own micro-climate meaning better weather than most of the UK, beautiful beaches, and some of the freshest fish you’ll ever taste. You could almost be in another country!


Lisa Haynes, Citizen Femme’s Fashion & Beauty Editor 

Where do you want to go in 2020?

Exploring South America is on my travel bucket list for 2020. I’ve never been before so there’s a lot to tick off with such a varied landscape… I love the idea of nature-watching in the lush rainforests and misty cloud forests and then heading to the coast to surf and relax on the palm-fringed white sand beaches. I’d pack swimwear, SPF, bug spray and very little else.

One travel trend do you see coming for 2020?

The culture-cation: Experiential stays are becoming more popular as people want to check out of their hotel feeling enriched (as well as relaxed). One of my Ibiza favourites, Pikes, hold a literary festival every year as well as regular art and photographic exhibitions in the grounds of the hotel that make it feel like you’re sunbathing in the coolest al fresco gallery, ever.


Diana verde Nieto, Co-Founder & CEO of Positive Luxury

Where do you want to go in 2020?

Cambodia is at the top of my bucket list. They have the richest biodiversity, from pristine beaches to dense forests to sparkling lakes. The history is also amazing, so I’d love to visit the temples of Angkor and the little colonial villages. Since they are still recovering from their heart-breaking humanitarian crisis, I’d like to give back while I’m there, likely through Song Saa’s Boat of Hope program. It’s an initiative that brings medical supplies and other necessities to the people of the Koh Rong archipelago. When I travel, it’s important to me to leave a place better than I found it.

Song Saa Collective Boat of Hope

One travel trend do you see coming for 2020?

Consumers are activists, and that has totally changed how they shop. No matter how old they are, people are becoming more environmentally conscious, they will pay more for a sustainable product, and they trust eco-friendly labels. In 2020, I am hoping more brands will move away from trying to “win” this kind of consumer and instead work on making real, demonstrable change. I want to keep helping brands on their journey to this kind of change, and that is my plan for next year.


Misty Belles, Managing Director of Global Public Relations, Virtuoso

Where do you want to go in 2020?

I’m fresh off a family trip to South Africa, where we spent two weeks exploring the coast, winelands, and, of course, safari. It reinforced for me that seclusion is my greatest luxury and while we will still have our regular trips sprinkled throughout the year – beach, ski, city – our big family holiday will be spent someplace tucked away from the rest of the world. The shortlist for 2020 includes the Faroe Islands, Easter Island and the Maldives, specifically the more remote Crusoe Residences of Gili Lankanfushi. While these are all islands, it’s the undiscovered solitude that’s most attractive.

Wine region near Stellenbosch looking at Simonsberg in South Africa

One travel trend do you see coming for 2020?

Each of these destinations is so unique that they might be considered trips of a lifetime and that speaks to one of the trends that most excites me for 2020: Carpe Diem travel. As the key overarching theme of our Virtuoso 2020 Luxe Report, Carpe Diem travel is truly about seizing the day and embracing all the opportunities that travel affords you. More importantly, it’s about being inspired to go today rather than waiting until someday.

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