By Sadra Sumner

2020 taught us valuable life lessons.  Plans don’t always work out, flexibility in life is key, and the health, safety, and security of our loved ones is vital to our happiness.  As we carry those thoughts into a new year, our own tempered expectations of 2021 travel trends can be daunting.  Will this be the year of full recovery, or will we still be limited for the foreseeable future?  We’re looking to the five biggest travel trends in 2021 to help predict when the mundane might involve a plane so that we can keep experiencing the world in the safest way possible. 

1. Domestic travel is king in 2021

It’s no surprise that border closures have encouraged thrill seekers to look around them.  A recent 2021 travel trends study by Expedia & ARC showed that local demand grew significantly in 2020, especially those with outdoor options.  With more people exploring what’s in their own backyard, we see this trend continuing to boost local experiences and an appreciation for insider knowledge when international travel fully resumes.

2. Work from home – wherever that may be

For many of us, our 2020 daily commute was transformed into a stroll to the kitchen table. Without the need to be close to the office, many found solace in being as far away as possible, reinforcing the ability for many to work from remote locations.  We anticipate many more nomadic workers as companies adjust to virtual teams.  Do you live to work, work to live, or a bit of both?

3. Flexibility in travel from A-Z

Phocuswire coined the term ‘flexible as default’ in late 2020.  Of all the 2021 travel trends, flexibility will most certainly be the new norm for hotels, airlines, and in-destination activities. Creating a seamless and enjoyable experience for guests will be the goal of every company that has a chance to win back business once tourism springs to life.  Many companies have adjusted their cancellation policies to make vacation planning a less-stressful activity.  Fat Tire Tours has adopted a no-questions-asked, full money-back guarantee within 24-hours on most tours, making it easier than ever to get your reservation started.

4. Sustainable Travel

Lonely Planet took a different approach to their 2021 Best in Travel awards, foregoing naming specific destinations to visit in the year ahead.  Instead, they decided to focus on those positively impacting tourism through three criteria: sustainability, diversity, and community.  Some of the positive effects of covid stretch beyond Wales residents being greeted by goats in their planters; those who would normally jetset to a few different countries every summer are starting to consider the environmental impacts that their carbon emissions are causing.  Sustainable Travel seeks to protect and conserve while still allowing for the opportunity to visit beautiful parts of the world.  Guests are looking for companies whose values align with preserving local heritage.  They also want to experience new places in a sustainable way that allows others to continue to enjoy it after them.  And they want to learn about these magnificent corners of the world from all points of view.  Ethical companies who act in good faith and a genuine desire to help others experience their home will be those who come back strong. 

5. Online or bust – the biggest trend

Some tourist attractions have never needed to rely on the internet to survive.  Consider the Blarney Stone or South of the Border; these are often stops along the way to a bigger hotspot.  But with government imposed restrictions and limited operating hours, we’re going to our phones more than ever to verify that these places will be open. That’s not just a 2021 travel trend; it’s likely the beginning of a new age of reserving activities.  Amadeus, a leading travel technology company, recently published a study claiming that 4 out of 5 travelers confirmed that technology would boost their assurance in travel over the next year.  This translates to more last-minute mobile bookings and the obligation of smaller companies to get online or close up shop.  

Conclusion

All roads are still leading to Rome, but they may just be closed for maintenance right now.  We’re confident that travel will bounce back soon, and in the meantime, we’re working hard to make your future tour with us extra special.

The post 2021 Travel Trends – what you need to know appeared first on Fat Tire Tours.

The fête foraine in Paris kicked off on the 4th of July, and pubs in London reopened on the same day.  Even though Oktoberfest is cancelled this year, the capital of Bavaria responded with strict social distancing rules in order to get their famous beer-gardens up and serving.  The historic Giostra della Quintana will still take place in Foligno, Italy this August, a small province equidistant from Rome and Florence.  Music in the Parks will be restarting this August across Barcelona’s vast green spaces.  Simply put, Europe is reopening!

But it doesn’t look the same.  Masks are required in several indoor spaces, and pedestrians are either obliged to wear them outside or choose to do so.  Hand sanitizer is available at the entrance to stores, and even in public places that you wouldn’t expect.  Mediterranean beaches are reopening with scenes of bathers covering more of their face than their bodies.  

In the absence of overseas tourism and to counterbalance the last few months of lockdown, Europeans are starting to move around their respective countries and visit destinations not so far and wide from their homes.  A recent survey showed that 71% of French vacationers are choosing to stay within France, unlike most summer seasons where North Africa, Italy, and Spain are common getaway favorites.  Several European countries are also now allowing UK travelers to visit without facing quarantine.  So what’s the take-away?  Even though Europe won’t fully recover from the loss of a 2020 holiday season, locals are appreciating the wonders right at their doorsteps and enjoying the quiet and privacy relative to other summers, all while injecting a small flurry of activity into the tourism sector and allowing restaurants, hotels, and transportation companies to test out their covid safety measures on a small subsection of travelers.  It’s the calm before the storm. 

It may feel like many countries are still in the eye of the storm, but traveller’s intentions to visit Europe are at an all-time high.  A June survey shows that 80% of non-EU citizens are still looking forward to visiting Europe when they are able to do so, and the individual countries are acknowledging the importance of tourism and making plans for the future of it. 

Americans, Australians, and a handful of other countries with strict travel bans in place may feel like they’re missing out on the 2020 action.  In reality, Europe is still gearing up for travel to resume later this year or potentially in early 2021.  The safety measures that are being put in place now will have been tried and tested over the course of this holiday season so that you can travel with reassurance regarding social distancing, sanitization of high-touch areas (think payment terminals, public transportation, restrooms, etc.), and the silent, worldwide agreement that close talkers are unacceptable.

You may not know when you will be able to travel, but you can get inspired now!  We’ve redesigned all of our tours with special precautions in mind, such as:

• Sanitization of all handlebars, seats, and high touch surfaces before and after every tour
• All helmets sanitized pre and post-use
• Hand sanitizer available pre/post tour and on tour
• Government recommended social distance maintained at all times 

The majority of our tours are outside, and our skip-the-line museum tours, like our tours to Versailles in Paris, Florence Duomo tour, or Potsdam bike tour in Berlin are structured in a way to maximize safety.  Contactless check-in happens on all of our tours, and masks and gloves are available should you not have your own, or until Adam Sandler adds PPE to his list of going-out essentials.

So if you’re in the planning phase of your next European trip, even if you don’t know when that will be, here are three suggestions of some of our favorite, covid-safety approved city trips:

• Our Rome Night Bike Tour runs Sundays and Thursdays through the end of October, and gives you a chance to experience the vibrant night-life of the Trastevere neighborhood without compromising your safety.  We cruise through town just as the sun is setting and then stop along the banks of the river for a glass (or two!) of wine in an open-air setting with gorgeous views
• Our River Thames Small Group Tour in London departs at 10:30am for a day-time visit or 6:30pm for an evening of bike-riding in the open air.  We’ll stop for a pint in the evening!
• Our Barcelona City Bike Tour will kick off again at the end of July, and it includes parts of the Gothic neighborhood as well as riding along the beach-front. 

We are so excited to welcome our guests back on tour with us, and we look forward to showing you around our beautiful cities for another 21+ years. 

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