1. The power of cleanliness
We always knew that a clean, safe environment attracts more attentions and bookings. Accommodations with the highest ratings are always the cleanest and most comfortable ones out there, so this is nothing new. What is new on the other hand is how much every single vacation space is doing in order to keep their guests and themselves safe. In order to fight off the current health situation, new measures have been born which act as safeguards and add a new layer of health and cleanliness:
- Accommodations have let go of the person to person contact idea. Most places you can book, pay, occupy and even leave without getting in contact with anyone.
- Cleaning has always been important, but holiday homes, parks and apartments have upped their germ exterminating game by opting for specific chemicals to make sure everyone is safe in the environment.
- All of these destinations adhere to the local laws such as wearing masks, curfew and closed restaurants.
- Because of the closed restaurants, more and more holiday parks for example offer home delivery options to holidaying tenants, keeping contact to a minimum in this situation as well.
- Following the rules also means not filling the accommodation to its full potential, meaning that holiday parks - even though houses in most cases are located far apart – make sure not to let in too many guests in at a time, spacing out booking options to avoid crowds and gatherings of any kind.
2. Domestic travel and family gatherings
Domestic travel has always been one of those choices people had, but when you have something at your disposal all the time, you tend to regard it as less great or don’t always see the value in it. Such was the case for domestic travel in most regions: it was there, it was easy to access so naturally we took it for granted. This has changed, and to be frank, it’s a great thing! Firstly, the owners of holiday homes, apartments and parks have all realized the potential in domestic travels and have quickly made changes where necessary in order to shift their attention to people visiting from the same country. These changes entail more comfortable accommodations, more activities and options for families and adapting a more flexible booking style with free cancellation and flexible re-booking. This way, traveling in your own country and discovering or re-discovering its treasures has become more and more appealing. If you really think about it, travelling with your entire family is easier done by car and on shorter distances so this type of vacation has really gained momentum in the past 6 months.
3. You, your car and your bubble
People who enjoy driving and taking road trips are in luck this year! First of all, it is a great way to ensure you are traveling in a pod and highly efficient for family and friend groups who are making sure their loved ones are safe. Besides this, slow travel is making a comeback, as we collectively realize the fact that we don’t always have to travel by plane, we don’t always have to travel large distances and that airplane fuel, and the fast exchange of people can sometimes be more harmful than we thought. Maybe this is a wild idea, but in an ideal world we would only use airplanes only when necessary and rather hop on train, enjoy the scenery and our time spent getting from point A to B or get in a car and have the freedom of going wherever we would like to, in relative safety and comfort. It is a fact that even your mind appreciates it when it takes some time to get to a destination. Jumping from fields to mountains is a matter of minutes and skipping thousands of kilometers might be time efficient, but people are built to enjoy the ride as well. As a conclusion, family road-trips and eco travel are making a comeback, which is a good thing!
4. Workations and digital nomads
Here are two words for you: workation and digital nomad. It’s not that these haven’t been used in a last few years, but they were more often than not associated with Instagram lifestyle and gen Z travelers. A workation is when you work away from the office and blend leisure time with work time and it is getting more and more popular. This trend comes from the idea of home offices. But while for some, working from home meant having ample space and even a garden, others had to get a bit more creative. They realized they could book long stays at holiday parks, apartments and holiday houses in the middle of nature, in a neighboring country or their own and could mix up their workdays with a splash of cultural and culinary delight every day. Destressing and being productive, all in one, now that’s a trend we can get behind! Digital nomads are a bit different, as they tend to stay even longer in places and usually don’t have and don’t need a solid workspace. This idea is nothing new, as we said before, but gained momentum when large cities became too crowded and fresh air and a nice bungalow on the edge of the forest suddenly was more appealing than ever before. If you would like to try out a workation for example, all you have to do is to make sure your destination has good internet connection before booking. Vallée Les Etoiles in Belgium, Domaine La Sapinière in Luxembourg, Grafschaft Bentheim in Germany, Bergvliet Villa’s and Waterdorp Burdaard in The Netherlands were and still are highly sought after workation spots and make a great base for such an adventure.
5. Holiday parks as safe havens
Why are holiday parks one of the top destinations out there these days? It’s easy: they are safe, have ample space and usually have a management team. It’s the perfect mix between a hotel and a cottage you might rent in the mountains. Vacation parks have just the right amount of freedom to make you feel at peace and the perfect amount of control to also keep you safe. These are safe havens in times when keeping your distance from other guests is important, they offer fresh air and a change of scenery and the option to enjoy nature right at your fingertips. The ideal destinations for family fun, these days they work perfectly for pods, safe friend groups, digital nomads and people taking workations! This year, riding the trends isn’t uncool at all, going with the flow will keep you safe, healthy and happy for a longer time.
