This blog post was updated on July 12, 2021.
As travel constantly changes, the demands of travelers evolve. The decision makers in the industry scrutinize charts and data to decide where the trends are headed. Many of those travel trends are to be expected such as hefty checked baggage fees or even more travelers deciding to adventure all by their lonesome. However, some travel trends are a bit more unique, even bizarre in some cases. From turning your flight into a pick-up bar to selfie travel stands, here are just a few unusual and wacky travel trends.
Airports Turn Into Attractions: In the olden days, the airport was merely a means to get from A to B. It might have featured a café or two and a shop to pick up a postcard to write to friends back home. However, today’s travelers are privy to the airport attraction trend. Some airports are even enticing travelers who loath airports to actually want to hang around before and after their flight. Many airports are adding more unusual offerings to entice travelers on long layovers. For example, South Korea’s Incheon International Airport features seven gardens, two movie theaters and even an ice rink. Singapore Changi International Airport also has one of the most unique airport attractions with its nearly 50 species of butterflies in a tropical oasis. Some airports, like Chicago’s O’Hare even make it possible to get your teeth cleaned before taking flight.
Selfie Travel Stands: As more and more people begin to travel solo, the rise of the selfie travel photo prevails. Now in Fujisawa, Japan, you don’t have to worry about getting your extended arm in your photograph. The city features selfie stands so that tourists can take photographs of themselves without having to ask a local or another tourist. It still remains to be seen whether the selfie travel stand will catch on around the globe.
Send Your Fellow Passenger a Drink: Last year, Virgin America launched one of the most bizarre and arguably creepy features in which a passenger could send a drink through the onboard entertainment system to another passenger on the flight. The service was started as a way to flirt should someone in 22F catch your eye. The seat-to-seat drink feature allows you to select the passenger on the seat map in which you want to send a drink. You can also include a cheeky message with your refreshment.
Mobile Hotel Check-Ins and Check Outs: Most of us are used to checking in and out of hotels. A hotel employee who asks for credit cards, identification and a few signatures here and there usually greets us. Then, we ultimately get the key and must return it to the desk when we check out. However, a unique travel trend these days is the mobile hotel check in and check out. Travelers at a number of big chains such as Marriot and Accor can take advantage of mobile check-ins and checkouts. From the comforts of your phone, you can find out your room number and in some cases even use your phone to gain access to your room.
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