As the year comes to a close, travel industry experts are looking ahead to identify the defining trends for the year ahead. Looking at the findings reported from the recent World Travel Market in London, our NYC-based PR agency is tapping into three decades of experience to name the top five travel trends that will revolutionize the industry and define travelers’ behavior in 2015.
- Social Media Incentives from the “Braggie” to the Wedding Hashtag – The social media boom is in full swing with hotels and travel companies now incentivizing guests to post “braggies” during their stay. Promoting the hotel’s brand, these guest images taken at the property and posted to social media hold the infinite potential to increase awareness for a property and destination among an established audience.
- Cultured Caribbean – 2015 will be marked by a surge of interest in the authentic, culture that the Caribbean islands have to offer. Hotels like the seven room, Casas del XVI in Santo Domingo’s Ciudad Colonial, are popping up in historic hotspots and delivering an authentic, intimate experience to draw a new demographic of travelers to the region. Boasting a plethora of monuments dating back to the sixteenth century, museums, restaurants and chic, luxurious accommodations, Santo Domingo is the cultural epicenter of the Caribbean – offering an experience en par with some of the great cities of Europe and South America. Sublime Samana Hotel & Residences on the Dominican Republic’s northeastern Samaná Peninsula also offers guests the opportunity to venture with the Chef to visit the local beachside fish market. Travelers bask in the authenticity of the experience, returning from the market and a local organic garden to enjoy a cooking course in an outdoor kitchen just steps from the sand.
- The Mini-Trip – With Generation Y now among the workforce, the Caribbean mini-trip will become a hit for those seeking an easy escape – particularly in geographic regions offering easy access. After all, it takes just about the same amount of time to fly to the Dominican Republic as it does to drive from New York City to Vermont. Affluent professionals of all generations will take advantage of the opportunity to fully retreat on three night trips that offer both a true feeling of escape and ease of travel.
- Cheap and Chic Boutique Experiences – In 2015, travelers from all over the world will focus both on quality and value in making vacation plans. The WTM report sites a focus on “cheap and chic” hotels as popular among all generations, particularly Generation Y, born between 1981 and 1990. Properties such as The Lodge at Pico Bonito in Honduras, Sublime Samana Hotel & Residences in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic and the eco-friendly, Casa Bonita Tropical Lodge on the Dominican’s southwestern coast, offer delectable cuisine, chic, spacious accommodations and plenty of adventure opportunities for incredible value without sacrificing authenticity or intimacy.
- Ecotourism Becomes Mainstream – For years, hotels around the world have implemented initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint. Featuring its own hydroelectric plant, an extensive organic garden, eco-spa, and hiking trails, the Dominican Republic’s Casa Bonita Tropical Lodge is setting the trend for green hotels that go above and beyond. With the property’s recent Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award and its inclusion on The New York Times’ list of “52 Places to go in 2014,” Casa Bonita has taken the eco-lodge concept mainstream – elevating the eco-consciousness of travelers and bringing attention to such emerging eco-tourism hotspots as Barahona.