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Whackiest Travel Trends that Caught on in 2017

Protima Tiwary

Last updated: Nov 6, 2017

From wanting to quit a job to travel the world, to curating picture-perfect holidays only for an Instagram audience, travellers today have not only broken away from the regular, but also helped the global tourism industry evolve. Here are some quirky travel trends that caught the fancy of globetrotters in 2017.

Artificial Intelligence in Hotels

Experts in the hospitality industry have for a long time believed that AI is set to impact the tourism industry in a big way. There are some hotels that are already using AI to elevate their guest experiences. Machine Learning helps store detailed information of each guest, and assists in personalization of products and services to suit their individual needs. Chat bots guide the guests throughout the hotel stay, right from checking in to ordering in, and even helping guests plan their stay! From robots serving guests, to voice-controlled rooms and self-driving taxis, AI is all geared up to hit the hotel industry, and how!

Poisonous Foods

foods

As if food-themed vacations weren’t enough, people are now hopping across continents in search of poisonous foods! Poisonous insects and fish are not only delicacies but also extremely rare to find. This means that true lovers of exotic (and poisonous) food need to pack their bags and make their way to places like South East Asia and South America. Deadly insects, the puffer fish, furu (a partially poisonous fish) and ackee (Jamaican fruit) are some bizarre foods that are currently a rage with poison-seeking foodies.

Conception Tourism

Couples are now actively seeking vacations centred around baby bearing, and this is the next whacky travel trend we need to talk about. Couples who are aiming at starting a family or those who wish to cure their fertility problems are taking trips to phallic-themed destinations and festivals that are considered good luck for couples. Kanamaya Shrine in Japan is one such hot destination which also hosts the “Penis Festival”. Other places include the Miracle Chair of Naples, Italy; and Osun Sacred Grove in Nigeria.

Water Tasting

water

Would you travel to taste water? Apparently, a large percentage of millennials would! Because water tasting is a legit (albeit whacky) travel trend that is catching on fast. Turns out, not all water tastes the same, and this is the reason so many millennials are travelling to taste different kinds of water, and understanding the difference—all with the help of a water sommelier. Did you know? Water with calcium tastes sweet and chalky, while one with sodium is salty. Magnesium, on the other hand, can make water taste metallic. Interesting, isn’t it?

Extreme Heat Tourism

As the name suggests, travellers who enjoy the extreme way of living have made heat tourism a hot travel trend—pun intended. Heat-seeking tourists making their way to deserts in the middle of summer, and subject themselves to unbelievably high temperatures to test their resilience in the face of extreme heat conditions. American deserts like the Death Valley are especially popular, and if this wasn’t whacky enough already, travellers take pleasure in frying eggs right under in the hot sun! At temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius, it is quite a dangerous feat since there have been a few deaths in the past due to heat strokes and dehydration.

Instagram Butlers

instagram

Butlers were known to serve meals to the guests, but not anymore. Some hotels, especially in the Maldives, now have butlers that will help you have the best vacation…on Instagram! These butlers show the guests around the resort property, taking them to the most scenic spots to snap Insta-worthy moments. These guided “Instagram Trails” are just what you need to get the most enviable vacation pictures to flaunt on social media. Not only this, these butlers also assist guests with photography tips on how to take the best Insta shots!

Begpacking

Western backpackers are traveling to South East Asia, and are begging in places like Thailand for money to fund their travels. This particular travel trend has not found much support from the public, but these begpackers continue to grow in large numbers. More so, these millennials travelling the world while begging for money have no qualms in doing so!

Whacky, quirky and adventurous, new-age travellers are doing it all!

Protima Tiwary

An Army kid in pursuit of culinary nirvana, Protima Tiwary is a freelance travel writer by day and Dumbbells and Drama, a fitness blogger by night. High on love, life and sugar, she is mildly obsessed about cupcakes and to-do lists, and loves her long runs like a fat kid loves cake. While she fumbles towards fame as a writer, she believes living life with a little bit of flair and exaggeration makes things interesting.

Comments

shubham | on 11 May 2018

Great trend. Planning such a beautiful vacation the vacation go awesome with stressed and tension. The food and the destination spots are just a great idea for an exciting vacation. The Top 10 Amazing Travel Trends For 2018