Newstalk Looks at What's New in Travel in 2020 - Holiday and Travel Expert Advice with The Novel Traveller

Newstalk 8th January What’s new in 2020?
listen back to the podcast here https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-the-hard-shoulder/travel-wednesday-travel-trends-2020

It’s a new decade and I’m keen to discuss with Ivan the emerging trends in travel for the next year and beyond.We are always influenced by what’s happening in our environment and at the moment there are several big trends such as ecotourism, slow travel and experiential travel.

I was chatting with Paul Hackett from click and go who is very excited about the upcoming new routes around the country from Dublin, Cork and Shannon.

While chatting with Paul Hackett at Click and Go he said that cruises are up 23% and Disneyland paris up 46%

An example of how reasonable cruising has become is this offer…..to the Baltic on Princess cruises running from April to August – 1299 for 11 nights and this is the perfect time of year to travel as it doesn’t get dark at all in June and July ….Clickandgo.com

Five new routes from Dublin to Rhodes, Montenegro, Menorca, Brindisi and Alghero

Shannon direct to Paris, Barcelona and Vienna

Knock serving Palma in Majorca and Cork new routes to zadar in Croatia

Ivan’s dislike of flying is actually a new trend set by Greta Thunberg and its called FLIGHT SHAME. The concept of flygskam, which translates as flight shame, will prompt responsible travellers to think more carefully about how often and where they fly to. As a consequence, the new decade will see many people turning to trains instead of planes.

So train travel definitely going to be a new trend.

New on the water?

Only this week is the launch of Stena Lines newest ship the Estrid which will serve the Dublin Holyhead route. More info….. excellent onboard facilities – including our spectacular Sky Bar with superb views, two movie lounges, two Happy World kids’ play areas, deluxe cabins with balcony access, a new Hygge reclining lounge, more spacious passenger areas, a bigger restaurant, an enhanced Stena Shopping experience, and of course our ever popular Stena Plus lounge… the list goes on! They have really upped the game with Irish Ferries after the launch of the WB Yeats last year and managed to launch on time.

Ferry route / homeports	Dublin-Holyhead
Operator	STENA LINE
Speed	22 kn / 41 kph / 25 mph
Length (LOA)	215 m / 705 ft
Beam (width)	28 m / 92 ft
Gross Tonnage	41,671 gt
Lane Metres	3,100
Passengers	1,000
Cars	120
Freight vehicles	210
Cabins	175

Stena Line is the largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, offering the biggest fleet

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Transformational travel.

Transformational travel might mean making time for unplanned exploration, restorative wellness activities, or making the effort to learn about the native flora and fauna of a national park you’re visiting – or slow travel to somewhere like Leitrim which we visited this year. It means really experiencing a place in a positive way to create change inside you.

Complete Personal Training to Lanzarote

It’s the start of a new year and lots of us are feeling the effect of an over indulgent Christmas so what about some sort of focus that will help in every facet of our lives? I caught up with Damian Hall of Complete Personal Training who offer retreats to get you into a life changing routine to improve your health in every way. He has a travel feature to his personal training business called. www.completetransformationretreats.ie

Ivan: who would go on one of these retreats?

primarily women aged 40-60 but about 20% are men – usually stressed or burnt out people wanting to set a good and new routine – Damian does retreats in Ireland too but he spoke to me specifically about one that is coming up on March 9th to Lanzarote .

Damian Hall at Complete Transformation Retreats, has brought two lovely ladies we all know, Aisling O’Loughlin and Mary Coughlan, on some of his retreats and this sounds like a wonderful way to improve the body and soul in one holistic experience. It’s the perfect gift for a stressed out family member or partner who is trying to improve how they feel and look and needs direction. I asked him to sum it up for us

They have a capacity of 10, sharing a Villa that sleeps 20. Including 4 “staff”, that leaves plenty of space for guests to disappear onto a hanging chair on a balcony, blend into a hammock in the palm tree filled garden, chill in silence on a sun bed away from it all, or have the chats over by the heated pool.
Guests stay at luxury villa and I believe the food is excellent and healthy and everything is included once you touch down in the canaries. The retreat is done in a structured way with activities such so €1899 might sound expensive but included are workshops that would cost a lot if you took them separately.

http://retreat.completepersonaltraining.ie/

Telephone : 01-5654145

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Mystery Travel.

what is mystery travel?

It means going away on an organised trip to a mystery location but only getting snippets of information about where it is to before your travel. I’m delighted to have found an irish tour company doing this because it’s a big trend in the uk at the moment and I’ve been in touch with my travel writer friends over there. Capture travel offers a range of tours that would be ideal for hen parties or birthday surprises and trips for friends to do something fun.

The beauty of leaving everything to a professional – they advise on everything that you will need for your trip – you just arrive at the airport with your passport. Katie at Capture Travel explains how she started providing mystery trips with capture Travel

what sort of hints do you get?

One example is a picture of the royals running – and that’s a hint of the royal mile in Edinburgh – you might get a poem or hint from a saying by somebody from that place….

Here are a couple of samples.

Mystery Trips in Ireland start at € 180 pp

Mystery Trips in the UK start at € 211 pp

Mystery Trips in Europe start at € 221 pp

Online Bookings

Groups of 4-15 people can be booked online with debit or credit cards. Here, customers select their destination package, their accommodation preference (hostel, 3 star hotel, 4 or 5 star hotel) and how they want their mystery trip revealed (by post or email). The starting prices for each package include hostel accommodation and destination reveal by email.

[email protected]

012549846

Capture Travel, TCube Dublin, 8, 9 Westmoreland St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 NW22

Capturetravel.ie

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Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel

Sustainable travel is another buzz word that’s been flying around for some time and that includes With every corner of the world becoming more accessible and affordable, the importance of travelling responsibly has come more into focus and is a key factor in choosing a holiday for some people. Planning a responsible trip, however, requires a lot of research – and it remains especially difficult to find information on responsible tourism in remote destinations and developing countries. So why not use a travel company who has done all the research and vetting for you? Sunway, with its 53 years’ experience, is working hard at maintaining its high ethical standards by offering holidays that provide a positive experience for local communities and economies.

G Adventures, a Sunway brand, works with social enterprises and NGOs across the globe through the Planterra Foundation. It uses locally owned and based companies and helps develop community-based rural tourism projects and has a “ripple score” for each trip, evaluating what percentage of expenditure stays in the local economy. In India it supports Women on Wheels (female-only chauffeurs) and last year partnered with Wiwa Tours in Colombia, the region’s first indigenous-run operator. Their record speaks for itself –

65% of included meals are based on local food and traditional cuisine
91% of on-tour hotels, restaurants, and tour providers are owned by legal residents
97% of on-tour suppliers employ sustainability practices in their operations
112,000 people are employed globally by G Adventures’ contracted service providers with 3 dependents for each employee.

Planeterra helps empower local people to develop their communities, conserve their cultures, and create humane and supportive systems for their endeavours. Planeterra manages over 50 social enterprises on all seven continents, that benefit women, at-risk youth, and rural and indigenous communities.

G Adventures has a disaster relief programme, child and animal welfare programme also.

My trip to Peru with my son is probably one of the most wonderful experiences in my life.

G Adventures ‘Inca Discovery. Perfect for those looking to experience the region’s archaeological and cultural treasures in a short amount of time, this adventure includes a four-day trek along the Inca Trail. This is one of the world’s best-known hikes and will reward those willing to break a sweat with a stunning combination of mountainscapes, cloud forests, and jungles. Depart 14th November 2020 from €2,295pp. Price includes flights ex Dublin, 20kg bag per person, taxes, transfer from airport to hotel, 1 pre- night hotel, 6 night’s accommodation twin share, guided trek with cooks and porters, 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners. Guided tour of Machu Picchu Subject to availability and change.

Price does include travel insurance.

For information view:

https://www.gadventures.com/trips/inca-discovery/5452/

Travel Style: Active

Hiking, trekking, biking, rafting, and kayaking adventures all over the world, made for outdoor types.

Service Level: Standard

Comfortable tourist-class accommodations with character; mix of public and private transport.

Physical Rating: 4 – Demanding

Some high-altitude hikes or more strenuous activities, but accessible to most healthy travellers.

Trip Type: Small Group

Small group experience; Max 16, avg 12

Age requirement: 12+