What Will 2022 Travel Be Like?

What will travel look like in the future?

Isn't that a million dollar question?

If you had asked me in October, I would have said that the world is opening up, we can't sustain any more lockdowns, and things are moving forward.

Oh my!

All I can do is laugh. You know what happened.
It has been difficult to say what to say. I have been struggling to find my voice and be of use. I don't always know what to say or how to do the right thing, so I want to stay helpful and hopeful.
I wish we could go back in time and travel back in time, when it was easier to quit a job and travel than it is today.

Everyone has been looking into a crystal ball, not just me. I think there are some travel trends that we can count on for 2022, thanks to the data from my own website and channels, as well as a lot of other predictions out there.

Domestic and nature travel are more popular.

Over the past couple of years, there has been an increase in people traveling domestically and wanting to spend time outside. Van life and RV, as well as outdoorsy destinations, have been some of the biggest areas of growth. The increase in national park visitor numbers over the past couple of summers is a sign that people prefer to be outdoors.

This is a good thing and a bad thing. Our natural resources can't handle the influx of visitors and their trash. I enjoy seeing people appreciate nature. I hope that more people will see the importance of protecting what we have.

I put together a free course on the outdoors 101 to help people get out there to enjoy it while respecting it at the same time, since I know so many people are new to the outdoors.
More time spent at work.

With so many people able to work from the road, more will take advantage of it. I have already seen this to be true when I travel domestically.

According to Kayak, there has been a 40% increase in people looking at telecommuting. Why not? We have been pushing the nomadic movement for a long time now, and many people are finally in a position to take advantage.
The credit card and airline miles will be less valuable.

The Priority Pass lounge is in Switzerland.

When you do mileage searches, airline miles are worth a lot less than they used to. Deals are harder to come by now, so you can't get them. Those free upgrades are also free.
It is due to a combination of generous bonuses offered for signing up for new credit cards, and all of the flights that we canceled, booked, and canceled again, re-depositing those miles into our accounts.
It is hard to say when this will even out, or if it will again, as people have been putting off big trips for years.

Lounges are a lot more impacted. I don't remember being turned away from a lounge because it was full. It is much harder to use lounges these days due to distance requirements and more people holding credit cards with lounge access.

It is one of the many things I have noticed about traveling in this new normal.
We will value our experiences more.

That night.

The first trip I made after the March restrictions was to Mexico.
For the first time in my life, people yelled, "We love Americans!" As I walked through the streets, I said welcome back. People would come up to my friend Alex and tell him how happy they were to see us.
I was happy to see that people were still learning foreign languages. I was so grateful to be able to have this experience again after swimming out into the ocean, laying there watching the birds as I floated, I had worried that there would be more danger. It was a trip I could not take for granted, and I am sure you will feel the same when you finally do.

We will be able to move forward with the new normal.

How often do I travel?

The past couple of years have been crazy and it has been hard for anyone.

We were let down again after feeling fear and hope. Many plans have been canceled. It is difficult to know how to move forward.

We will.

We will eventually learn how to navigate. We have to work together to live our lives, instead of being reactionary, and we will find ways to navigate this new normal. I believe that humankind can move forward and that things will be better again.

I hope this new year is filled with peace, excitement, and enjoyment, wherever you are. I know it has been difficult, but I hope there have been some silver linings for you.

Happy new year.
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