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Did you know?

In the dynamic travel and tourism industry, trends change like the weather. Here are five emerging travel trends which, according to Forbes.com, are set to “blow up”:

Mixing business with pleasure, family and friends

With shifting family dynamics combined with the desire to save a buck, business travelers are increasingly adding an element of leisure to their trips. In fact, 62% of business travelers in the U.S. said they’d add a leisure component to their next business trip. And 2/3 of that same group plan to bring along a friend or family member. To better accommodate this growing trend, many resorts and hotels now offer babysitting services, planned family outings and more.

Eco-Awareness

Eco tours and eco-adventures have been around for years, offering travelers a chance to experience the ecological diversity and natural beauty of places like Costa Rica, Peru, Kenya and a host of other countries, while minimizing the impact of their visit on the natural environment. Now business and leisure travelers alike are taking inventory of the environmental price tag of their trip and are seeking ways to go “greener.” According to the Green Hotel Association, 43 million U.S. travelers expressed concern for the environment. Now, the travel industry is making a concerted effort to promote green travel alternatives. Among a growing handful of organizations, Fairmont and Aloft have new green programs, and car rental companies Hertz, Budget and Avis are adding more fuel-efficient cars to their fleet.

Multi-generational

Just as there’s a growing trend in mixing business with pleasure, along with family and friends, more and more people are traveling with members of their extended families, from toddlers to grandparents and everyone in between. The trend is also popularly referred to as "togethering" and is generally forecast to increase in the years to come. According to Rod Cabron, spokesman for travel marketing firm Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, people simply have a better appreciation of time spent with family.

Adults-only

Kids will be kids and that can add up to a flurry of noise and activity, especially when travelling. It’s cute to some…but not everyone. Even parents need to get away from it all now and then. Many hotels are catching on, offering adults-only sections in their hotels. In fact, Emerson Resort & Spa in Mount Tremper, N.Y., now has a new 25-suite adults-only inn. And the hotel and restaurant at the Grace Bay Club in Turks and Caicos is exclusively for adults.

Face-to-face agent bookings

These days, the majority of leisure travelers book their trips over the Internet, leaving many in the travel industry offering traditional agent booking services to ponder their fate. However, industry experts say that upscale travelers are increasingly turning to luxury travel consultants who charge hefty fees to plan every step of their clients’ trips. And get this: there’s actually a wait list to join Fisher Travel, a members-only travel concierge in New York City that charges a whopping $250,000!

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