Propelled by the rise of the millennial
- soon to be the largest living
adult population in the U.S., this
growing segment of the global travel
market will heavily influence travel
trends for the next decade or two.
Millennials are leaving homogenized
locations and commoditized travel
experiences behind and seeking
more authentic travel destinations
and participatory experiences. An
ethos that corresponds well with two
of the pillars of sustainable travel -
protecting local cultures and local
economies. Research also indicates
that travelers seeking authenticity
are also willing to place a higher
premium on these new and enriching
experiences - good news for travel
brands operating in this space.
There is also growing popularity for
adventure travel amongst millennials,
defined by ATTA (Adventure Travel
Trade Association) to include at
least two of these three elements -
‘physical activity, interaction with the
environment, and cultural exchange’.
Although millennials play a role here,
it’s the baby boomers (52-73-year
olds) who are leading the pack when
it comes to this trend. Pursuing
adventure travel as a means of self-
exploration, or to embrace a more
active lifestyle, they search for lesser
known locations off the trodden path
without compromising on comfort.
ATTA estimates, that approximately
65.6% of the total trip cost from an
adventure package remains in the
destination visited.
It’s not only travelers who are
interested in sustainability. 2017
saw an increasing number of
entrepreneurial startups capitalizing
on these growing trends, their
flexibility giving rise to unlikely
ideas and partnerships. One of
these brands is Poshtel PopUp, who
are currently redefining off-grid,
adventure travel with a new business
model of scalable architecture,
with eco-friendly design and
infrastructure. These sustainable,
luxury hotels can pop up anywhere
within a short period of time. They
are boutique and stylish, while using
eco-friendly design and materials
that are local to the regions they are
placed in. Completely disconnected
from the grid. Poshtel PopUps can be
reused and moved when the moment
has passed, minimizing the impact
on the surrounding environment,
and not disturbing or displacing local
communities with long-standing
infrastructure.
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