How to explore the world like a human (again)

If you, like me, travel with a mental checklist, then you’ll know what I mean.

Part of it is practical. Passport, money, cards, e-SIM, chargers. Part of it is instinct - as a luxury travel content creator, I need stories that make sense for the readers I write for. Over time, I’ve noticed what travellers respond to, what editors repeatedly ask for, and what keeps appearing in conversations with guides, hotel teams, and other writers along the way.

Food is always on the list. Sustainability too. Wellness is now almost without exception. Increasingly, I’m also looking for authenticity, ergo places outside the obvious routes, local voices worth listening to, and experiences that take the reader (whether they are in their armchair on their smartphone or in situ) into the heart of the destination.

None of these are “new trends” per se. But together, they shed light on the changing face of luxury travel communication, allowing us, and people like us to confidently say that despite the increasing cost of living, people are still travelling widely and spending confidently. 

Travellers want their trips to mean something again

For years, the industry talked about experiences over possessions. It sounded great, but let’s be honest, kind of abstract too. Realistically, how can one monetise an experience? Post-pandemic, travel, particularly luxury travel, is increasingly about quantifiable choices.

Travellers want to understand where their money goes. They ask whether a property works with its community, providing employment for locals or simply operating beside it. They want conservation efforts to be visible rather than implied. They want to know who benefits when they arrive.

Even the most indulgent trips now carry some expectation of responsibility. That doesn’t make travellers less interested in comfort - quite the opposite if the booming ultra luxury cruise yachting industry is to be believed. It makes them more selective about where comfort comes from.

Sustainability has moved from a nice-to-have as a footnote to something travellers actively look for in the destination story, meaning it is up to us to relay the message effectively.

Food still anchors the experience

Of course, food remains the easiest entry point into a destination.

Sometimes that means communicating something simple, like grilled fish eaten beside the sea in Hydra, or a chicken satay stick from a night market in Bangkok. Sometimes it means deep diving into a protected regional product with centuries of history behind it. Either way, travellers connect to a place through what they eat faster than almost anything else. Again, this is about authentic quality not quantity; the longest tasting menu in the room is no longer automatically the most desirable one. Guests increasingly want meals that are worth their time, and for this, they are willing to pay.

Guest decisions are becoming more considered

But what about the uncertain state of our world politics? While it is still true that travel has always been influenced by global events, today's travellers are mindful of that influence while planning. This means questions that once floated at the back of our minds are now among the first things that might be considered. Questions such as: "How will I be received here?", “What does my presence support?”, “Does this destination make sense right now?”, “Is it safe?” are trending, proving that mindful research is made as travellers look for context, reassurance and a clearer understanding of how their journey fits into the wider world around them.

Slower travel is no longer niche

I hesitate to use the phrase “slow travel” because it appears everywhere. But the instinct behind it is real.

Travellers, and I happily include myself in this category, are staying longer in fewer places. They (we) want time to get to know a destination rather than pass through it. Yes, we might have seen the Colosseum (tick), but how many of us have bought records in a 30-year-old record shop with a local before going to their nonnas for an aperitivo? The beauty of this example is that it is personal and cannot be recreated; however, hyperlocal, borderline mundane examples like these are everywhere. I have seen tour operators offer shopping trips, and I mean grocery shopping in the supermarket with locals as part of an authentic experience. And you know what? It’s great. 

I have found that some of the best travel writing starts by simply asking someone local where they would go on their day off, and confidence increasingly comes from local knowledge. A strong guide, advisor or host can change how a destination feels long before arrival. 

And that, as writers, is what we need to say.