6 Big Travel Questions for 2018

27.07.2023 - 18:13 / smartertravel.com

Rather than making the usual predictions, this year I’m raising some of the really big questions that travelers and the travel industry are likely to face in 2018 travel. You may not see many final answers to these questions in 2018, but you can certainly expect the beginning of some important actions. Here’s what to watch out for in 2018 travel.

After simmering under the radar for decades, the problem of over-tourism has suddenly become a hot topic—maybe even the year’s hottest travel topic. Nobody denies the problem; the big question is how impacted areas will try to manage it and how future changes will affect 2018 travel.

Chances are you’ve experienced over-tourism already: Wall-to-wall people in St Mark’s Square, a shipload of 5,000 cruise passengers descending on tiny Skagway, bumper-to-bumper traffic at Yosemite National Park. It’s a world-wide problem. But how do we fix it? You can’t tell people to skip Venice and visit Parma instead because Venice is too crowded; you can’t find the features of any world-class destination anywhere else. We can’t install turnstiles everywhere: anything too draconian will generate strong opposition from locals whose livelihood is tourism.

You can, however try to “encourage” off-season visits, while it is inevitably limited by both climate and schedules. Certainly, pricing will have to enter that picture: Destinations can increase hotel, restaurant, and attraction prices, or at least make them more seasonal. Cruise ship and other arrivals can also be limited, but none will be simple or easy.

Over tourism is already damaging the allure of many popular destinations. The big questions revolve around what leaders in the impacted areas will do, when will they do it, and how will their decisions affect travelers? I don’t have answers, but you’re likely to see some adjustments begin with 2018 travel.

Why do airlines want you to buy your tickets directly instead of through an online travel agency (OTA) such as Expedia or Priceline? They avoid paying commission to a middle man, and they’re better able to offer you a bunch of “upgrade” and bundle options. Currently, they’re fighting proposed regulations that require them to provide more information to OTAs about prices for items like checked bags and seat assignments.

Big hotel chains have gone a similar way: Limit access to “free” Wi-Fi to travelers who book direct; make people who book through an OTA pay $10 a day or more. Some also offer discounts to loyalty program members, but those