Say ‘Yes’ To Trips, Get The First-Time Feels And Other Travel Predictions For 2022 – Travel Redefined – Economic Times

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More so than daily exercise or mindful meditation, getting away on vacation will become the most important form of self-care in 2022, with over 84% of Indian travellers affirming that travel helps their mental and emotional wellbeing more than other forms of rest and relaxation.

After more than a year of ever-evolving travel restrictions, the important benefits that travel has on health and wellbeing are now being acknowledged. 85% of Indian travellers believe that having a vacation planned has a positive impact on their emotional wellbeing and 69% of Indian travellers say that they didn’t realize how important travel was to their wellbeing until it was no longer an option.

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When the pandemic hit, homes across the globe became our offices too, and the novelty of working remotely was realized. However, in 2022 we’ll see a significant rise in people wanting to take back control in a bid to firmly re-establish a healthy work-life balance as vacation time itself will be strictly work-free for 77% of Indian travellers in 2022, which wasn’t always the case in 2021 with home and remote work lives blurred. And with 76% of Indian travellers claiming to have worked more hours using less vacation days during the pandemic, we expect to see more people setting their well deserved out of (home) office messages in 2022.

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While many of us may have forgotten where our passport is or even just how to pack, all that out-of-practice travel awkwardness will give way to a genuine sense of delight for even the most routine aspects of our trips in 2022. After feeling ‘stuck’ for so long, rather than rushing through the journey, travellers will be relishing every moment.

Each ‘first’ of our trips in 2022 will be a moment to savor, with a majority of Indian travellers saying that simple pleasures such as feeling the sun on their skin (75%) or seeing a body of water of some kind instantly improves their mood for the better (84%).

Even the uncertainty of navigating public transportation in a new city in a foreign language is something 75% of Indian travellers say they’ll enjoy while 84% of Indian travellers say that travel is more enjoyable when the journey feels like part of the trip itself. After such a long period of limited options, recapturing that first-time feel and leaning in to every single moment will be a hallmark of trips in 2022.

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For many, the pandemic meant spending an extended and intense period with our closest friends and loved ones, but vacations in 2022 will be an opportunity to branch out and make some new connections.

As 81% of Indian travellers want to meet new people while away, we expect to see travellers using their vacations as an opportunity to expand their usual social circles, with 77% of Indian travellers looking forward to socializing while on vacation.

A resurgence of holiday romances is also predicted with 77% hoping for a holiday romance on their next trip.

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After so long of being told “no” travellers are reclaiming a more positive way of thinking for 2022. The coming year will bring the very best of improv to travel, with us responding to each unexpected twist and turn in the trip with an emphatic “yes, and…”.

To that end, nearly 83% of Indian travellers agree they will say yes to any vacation opportunity if budget allows. 79% of Indian travellers are more open to different types of vacation than before the pandemic and 65% of Indian travellers won’t mind where they go on vacation as long as it’s the type of trip they want, they’re just happy to be away from home.

Adopting a positive mentality will open up even more of the world to travellers than ever before, with many taking a more adventurous approach to their holiday choices, and maybe even their companions.

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Uncertainty will continue to be a constant in travel in 2022, and while we cannot change or predict every new surprise and challenge that fate has in store for us, we will embrace it.

Having leaned on technology in a variety of ways to stay connected and inspired over the past year and a half, our favorite apps will continue to help us navigate the unknown on our trips, with 76% of Indian travellers agreeing that technology helps alleviate the anxiety around traveling.

Technology will continue to smooth out the unforeseen bumps in the road with increasing finesse and proactivity.

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