TRAVEL TRENDS 2024

A love of travel and a sense of independence inspires many travellers to embark on a solo adventure and the trend of solo travel shows no signs of slowing down in 2024. In fact, 2023 reported a 36% increase in single-traveller flights compared to 2022 and 84% of all 2023 lonetravellers were women. Following their own travel wishes means solo travellers can have avery personal, fully guided experience and this 'no compromise' approach to how travellersspend their time is part of the reason a safari is the ultimate solo trip. With many bucket-listdestinations to choose from, an African safari by nature strikes the perfect balance betweenrecharging, meditative ‘me time’, but offers communal game drives and dining so they neverfeel isolated.

Curiosity is a part of human nature, and 2024 will see a growing appetite for travel encompassing fulfilling cultural interactions and experiences. Journeys focused on art, architecture, history, archaeology and gastronomy from beginning to end give us as travellers a deeper understanding of the destinations we visit and succeed in enhancing our appreciation for civilisations both ancient and current. Indigenous tourism is a continually growing trend with travellers increasingly seeking genuine community-based experiences, while gaining authentic insight into traditional ways of life and educating themselves in the legacy of their travel destinations. Some of our favourite places to experience true indigenous travel is Kenya with the Maasai and Samburu communities. For trips offering immersive cultural experiences, look to Sri Lanka and Egypt for ancient education and Cape Town for modern enlightenment.

Our clients are making conscious decisions to visit destinations and communities that need tourism most, choosing experiences that have a more fulfilling and positive impact long after they return. In a time where we can see many brands across all industries ‘green-washing’, luxury safari tourism has long been based on the principles of regenerative travel, conscious of the delicate ecosystem between humans and Mother Nature. A stay at any of our preferred safari lodges means your tourism directly supports the conservation of the wildlands and wildlife you encounter and enriches the lives of the locals. For hands-on conservation experiences, we recommend Desert Rhino Camp in Namibia where you can track free roaming endangered Black Rhino or Marataba in South Africa's Limpopo province.

The turn of phrase “silence is golden” is what comes to mind when we think of digital detox travel. Being purposefully present in our journey, switching off from technology, communication and the presence of social media that follows us wherever we go in the world. Wellness and spirituality have firmly established their place in trending travel, with retreats and regions promoting their off-grid locations and limited internet access as a draw card. Appealing to solo travellers seeking to reconnect with themselves, couples looking for uninterrupted romance, and families keen to embrace quality time together, we see travellers concentrating more on the experience of being in anew place rather than the technology they bring with them. Our destinations by nature are well suited to embrace ‘switching off’, from bare-foot experiences on the Seychelles’ private islands, to remote and untamed wild spaces in the heart of Southern Africa like South Luangwa National Park, Nxai Pan or even Mana Pools.

Each of us will have our own unique travel bucket-list, but with over 22 years experience in luxury, experiential travel our experts know some destinations are more wanderlust worthy than others. Africa is home to some of the most iconic and timeless bucket-list destinations, including those making ‘World Wonder’ lists from natural, to man-made and ancient. Travellers are increasingly seeking to cross off bucket-list experiences, often with their families, like basking in the history of Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle, to being drenched by the mist of Victoria Falls, to taking in the breath-taking summit views of Table Mountain. A growing influence on travel inspiration is popular culture-with TV series, movies and social media taking effect on our bucket-lists, like ‘Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby’ featured Giraffe Manor and Love Island’ fans dreaming of their own cosmopolitan Cape Town adventure.