You’ve gotta get away … start planning now
The top five travel trends, as reported by Cheapflights.com, for 2015 are:
- Health and wellness move up the travel agenda
- Wearable tech and location-based services
- Greater segmentation and personalization on flights
- Increased enforcement of proper Airtiquette
- Celebrating food
1. Bali, Indonesia
The Pacific island is undergoing a boom of growth in new hotels and resorts at price points to meet every budget. Flights from the U.S. are becoming more frequent and affordable, but the eye-popping deals are out of Australia—we’re talking flights under $100.
2. Iceland
Iceland moved into a leading travel role when Ben Stiller hurled himself downhill on a skateboard past a sweeping mountainscape in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” but insiders say, however, that tourism started its recent upswing in the wake of the 2010 eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull, which made global headlines for causing the cancellation of more than 100,000 flights thanks to its ash clouds. Bonus? Icelandic budget airline Wow Air has started to offer flights from the East Coast to Reykjavik starting at $99 each way. Look for other airlines to respond to the pricing pressure.
(Pictured; image by Nick)
3. Malta
This historic island nation, part of the British Commonwealth, is a popular beach destination for Europeans—and American royalty the Jolie-Pitts. But the real royalty visit in 2015, with the Duchess of Cambridge, the Queen and her three heirs (Charles, William and George) expected.
4. The Alps
July marks 150 years since the first Matterhorn ascent and Zermatt is celebrating with open-air performances, festivals and sporting events. Add in the global “Frozen” frenzy, technically set among the Scandinavian fjords, but with the Peak Walk in its infancy intrepid travelers can feast their eyes on the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau feeling just like Anna when she conjured up her ice kingdom.
5. Lithuania
Lithuania adopts the Euro on Jan. 1, 2015. Its beer is legendary, its cuisine hearty, cheap, and local and its coast—the Curonian Spit—is UNESCO-listed and balmy in the summer time. Take note: Užupis is a bohemian, independent republic with a 12-man army and a statue of Frank Zappa—get this stamp on your passport.
6. Canada
Summer sports in Canada: the FIFA Women’s World Cup throughout June with the finals in Vancouver on July 5. Toronto hosts the Pan American Games in July and the Parapan American Games in August. Sports fans love fishing, hiking, golf and lakefront fun.