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“I do believe that what inspires people to explore the world stays the same forever. So we shouldn’t look for inventing something new; we should realise that the things that people travel for are what we’ve always travelled for and just do the best version of that for the audience today.”

– Pavia Rosati, Founder and CEO of Fathom

After a year that brought the Zika outbreak, Brexit, a highly controversial US presidential election, terror attacks in Nice, Brussels, Berlin, Jakarta and Istanbul among others, and several deadly shootings worldwide, you might be forgiven for considering the outlook for travel in 2017 to be rather bleak. While the real world becomes an ever more daunting place to be, the virtual world is creating opportunities to experience a whole host of destinations without leaving the comfort and safety of our own homes – which begs the question: will travel survive?

If the Founder and CEO of Fathom, Pavia Rosati, is to be believed, the desire to explore the world will always exist – it’s a case of discovering the “best version” of travel that meets the needs of the contemporary traveller. So that’s what we set out to do at our sister show, PURE Life Experiences, when we asked eight senior travel editors and writers to share their predictions for the emerging travel trends set to be big news in the year ahead.

The seven trends identified – Transformational Travel, Safe Havens, Back to Basics, Hands-On, Sharing Economy, Virtual Reality and Travel Unplugged – share a common theme: namely the hunt for ‘real’ in a post-truth world. In today’s hyper-connected society, travellers crave simplicity and tangibility on both a physical and emotional level; but, despite the perceived negatives of living in a digital age, perhaps the most interesting observation is the way in which digital innovations transcend virtual boundaries to aid this hunt for authenticity.

Overall the message is optimistic: it’s clear that not only our press influencers, but also travellers themselves consider travel a crucial tool in rebuilding spirits and economies, encouraging confidence and empathy, and inciting positive change. Armed with invaluable insights, now it’s up to those in the industry to prove it.

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THE GUEST LIST

Arnie Weissman, Editor-in-Chief of Travel Weekly
Catherine Fairweather, Travel Director at PORTER
Debbie Pappyn, Freelance Travel Writer
Paul Brady, Senior Editor at Condé Nast Traveler US
Guannan Huang, Features Editor at Condé Nast Traveler China
Serena Guen, Founder of SUITCASE Magazine
Pavia Rosati, Founder & CEO of Fathom
Jessica Flint, Travel Editor at DEPARTURES Magazine

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John Segar