Josh Roberts
FamilyVacationist.com
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic put the brakes on travel, “book now, pay later” deals and third-party services were gaining in popularity with travelers.
But in this era of pent-up travel demand and general uncertainty about how and when life – and travel – will return to normal, the notion of putting a future vacation on layaway suddenly makes a lot of sense – and many travel providers are taking notice.
Third-party travel financiers like Uplift and Affirm have been in the business for nearly a decade, but the challenges of the pandemic have brought other players to the table with such offers, too.
From sofa to safari: the rise of virtual travel Rosie Fitzmaurice
It’s 2pm on a snowy Sunday - but before partaking in a snowball fight in the park, I’m off to the Bahamas to swim with hammerhead sharks. Why not?
Not really, obviously. But with IRL travel off the agenda for now - my solution, which involves a VR headset, is the next best thing. In fact, trips are booming - as locked down Londoners desperately search for new ways to keep ourselves entertained.
“VR travel can provide unique experiences that are nearly impossible in the real world,” says Kaitlyn Mullin, senior immersive producer and VR travel guru at National Geographic. “For example, the opportunity to visit a normally heavily trafficked site, like Machu Picchu, when it is completely empty, or to safely have a face-to-face encounter with a wild lion.”
More travel executives get their mission-critical industry news from Skift than any other source on the planet.Tell me more
Vegan tourism. Not too long ago, that probably would have been an oxymoron. After all, diets that excluded animal products hadn’t gone mainstream. But in recent years, tours catering to vegans have grown in popularity as the number of people adopting such a diet has grown substantially in numerous countries.
As the pandemic brings greater emphasis on personal health priorities, vegan tourism is poised for a new wave of growth once people begin traveling again.
“Bookings for our vegan holidays have more than doubled in recent years, rising by 120 percent between 2016 and 2019,” said Justin Francis, the founder and CEO of tour operator Responsible Travel, one of the relatively few tour operators to have trips scheduled in the early portion of 2021.
Image zoom Credit: Lara Linares/Getty Images
Editor s Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.
Otherworldly Antarctica will become even more captivating on Dec. 4, 2021, when the year s only total solar eclipse darkens the skies above Earth s ice-laden seventh continent. After December 2021, Earth won t experience another total solar eclipse until 2023 and Antarctica won t see one again until 2039.
A total solar eclipse, the rare and fleeting moment when the moon covers the full face of the sun, allures millions of tourists with its awe and splendor. The sky is mostly dark overhead, like on a night with moonlight, but the warm tones of sunset are visible in a ring extending 360 degrees around the horizon, sa