The Evolution of Travel: Extended, More Significant Journeys That Enrich Local Communities

Forget about mere counting. Today's travel focuses on immersing oneself in a destination instead of skimming over it. It's about connecting with local cultures, considering your environmental footprint, and cherishing time with loved ones. This perspective is embraced by individuals, tour operators, and personalized itineraries crafted by travel advisors.

“Future journeys will be incredibly personal,” states Erika Richter, spokesperson for the American Society of Travel Advisors, whose value has increased during the pandemic as advocates for refunds and safe travel. “The emotional aspect of future trips will reflect the uniqueness of each traveler,” Richter continues.

Here are the key elements to consider for your next adventure.

Nurturing a new beginning

The pandemic has sparked a renewed commitment to the positive impact of travel. According to a spring 2022 survey by the travel advisor consortium Virtuoso, 82 percent of travelers expressed a desire to travel more responsibly post-pandemic. The industry has begun to adapt accordingly.

“Previously, the best travel philosophy was simply ‘leave only footprints,’” remarks Edward Piegza, founder of Classic Journeys, a tour company that collaborates with local guides and small businesses to keep revenue within the communities visited. “Now, that goal has evolved into ‘plant a seed.’” Regenerative tours enable travelers to improve a location by engaging in environmental initiatives or supporting local residents.

In Canada, Tundra North Tours accommodates travelers in Inuvik, close to the new Okpik Arctic Village in the Northwest Territories. This community, home to the Inuvialuit and Gwich’in peoples, features sod houses, a sawmill, a farm, and a fishery. It relies on traditional wisdom to maintain culture and create job opportunities, welcoming visitors to explore Inuit culture and the Mackenzie Delta.

The tour operator Responsible Travel brings scuba divers—and novices seeking certification—to the Belize Barrier Reef to assist in controlling the population of invasive lionfish. (One lionfish can decimate a reef's fish population by 80 percent in just five weeks.) Last year, the initiative successfully removed over 9,000 invasive fish.

New trekking adventures in Nepal from the Montana-based operator Adventure Life offer their guides above-average salaries. “It may be pricier, but it’s the ethical choice,” states Monika Sundem, CEO of Adventure Life. The company’s local partner also emphasizes hiring women and LGBTQ individuals.

Extended vacations with family and friends

The pandemic intensified the desire to bond with loved ones on longer trips, frequently involving multigenerational families. Travel advisors and operators are now catering to this group of travelers.

“We’ve noticed a surge in demand for extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” says Justin Francis, cofounder and CEO of Responsible Travel. He describes this trend as a revival of traditional vacations: lengthy getaways supplemented by shorter trips nearby.

Families are reserving private trips with Tourissimo, a cycling company in Italy, or organizing their journeys using public bike rentals. Beyond group excursions, Kensington Tours provides ancestry-based trips, including an 11-day genealogy tour to Ghana, a significant site in the history of the colonial slave trade.

Travelers are increasingly drawn to remote locations, leading to longer stays, such as the new treks by South American expedition company Explora through Chile’s Atacama Desert and Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, or the 18-day Alaskan voyages by Hurtigruten Expeditions that include stops at islands in the Aleutian chain and the Bering Sea.

Enhanced cross-cultural communication

After a prolonged period of social isolation, travelers are more eager than ever to satisfy their cultural interests. This has encouraged tour operators to incorporate educational experiences into their itineraries, as Annie Lucas, vice president and co-owner of Mir, explains: “not just to learn about a place, but to discover more about ourselves.” Mir specializes in destinations from the Balkans to Russia, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

In the South Caucasus, a local Georgian guide brings Mir travelers into village homes to learn how to make khinkali dumplings and observe the ancient tradition of crafting qvevri clay pots for aging wine, a practice that dates back 8,000 years. This summer, a private group on a custom tour in Poland met with Ukrainian refugees to gain a personal understanding of the ongoing conflict.

Black Tomato breaks away from traditional education with its family-oriented Field Trip series, which includes tours that immerse travelers in the cowboy culture of the Llanos region in tropical Colombia. Guests can participate in herding on horseback and learn to sing traditional songs.

Abercrombie & Kent organizes immersive experiences such as bike tours in Nakatindi, a village close to Zambia’s southern border. These tours, run by the women-led Chipego Bike Shop, feature stops at a school, community garden, and clinic. “There is a strong desire for more meaningful engagement, cultural experiences, and authentic connections,” remarks Keith Sproule, executive director of the travel company’s nonprofit branch, A&K Philanthropy.