What most travellers want and need in these times is vastly different to a decade or two ago. The majority crave experiences, nature and culture and want to do this with minimal impact. One travel company that understands this is SevenTravel, and in the feature, we’ll look at the current travel trends and some of their incredible itineraries.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve read research and data showing that lounging by the poolside, cocktail in hand and bodies slathered with suntan lotion no longer ‘Cuts the mustard.’ Today’s traveller wants more; they want to explore, expand their minds and dive headfirst in nature and culture. To do this requires time, and most travel companies don’t cater for this. However, there is one that does, and it’s SevenTravel.
SevenTravel is a positive-impact, luxury travel company that specialises in tailor-made milestone trips that are ten days or more. The company creates experiences designed to deliver maximum wow factor with minimal impact on the environment. Their travel offerings respond to the latest trends and developments that are now shaping the future of travel and are based around:
- Seclusion is The New Luxury
- Community-Based Tourism
- An Escape to The Wilderness
All of the luxury travel company’s trips come with a distinct focus on sustainable and responsible travel, the most important priority shaping the travel industry today.
Forget careless, consumptive, ‘Fast Travel’, which can be disposable, unsustainable, bad for the planet and often lacks the enrichment that travels should have. Instead, explore the world responsibly without compromise, and the best way to do this is to ‘travel better and travel less’.
Trend One: Seclusion is the New Luxury
With bookings for private retreats up 200% from last year, travellers seek peaceful, off-grid destinations to escape the Covid world’s stress with the opportunity to connect with the environment.
The Solution: Renting The Private North Island in the Seychelles
For those looking for a private retreat that offers a secluded escape, SevenTravel can arrange for individuals to access their own private island at North Island in the Seychelles, in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
Visitors can unplug from the world as they immerse in the simple island life, exploring silky soft sand beaches framed by sky-high palms, native evergreen Takamaka trees, and impressive rock formations found only in the Seychelles.
The exclusivity of the North Island means staff at the island pay close attention to the likes and dislikes of each visitor. They will tailor activities and experiences accordingly, whether it’s hiking with the resident conservationist, a private beach picnic or diving to the underwater treasures of Silhouette Marine National Park. Guests will feel in charge, with the only rules in place being those they make themselves.
With only eleven thatched villas on this far-flung exclusive escape, its extraordinary natural beauty has been left gloriously untouched. All the villas are constructed with locally reclaimed glass, stone and wood; its eco-rustic design is no more evident in the upturned Takamaka roots being recycled as roof supports. The driftwood, roped coral and granite used throughout the resort dovetail nicely with the island’s own colour scheme, giving visitors a deep immersion in nature.
Prices for the SevenTravel Seychelles trip are from £24,500pp for seven nights full board in a Beachfront Villa, including helicopter transfers.
Trend Two: Community-Based Tourism
After long periods at home, travellers are craving lands afar where they can immerse themselves in local communities. From this, there is a growing trend of highly researched local experiences that take travellers on ‘off-the-beaten-map’ trips that bring them closer to the location they choose to travel to.
Trip Number One: Creating a Bespoke Wine Blend in Argentina
This trip gives individuals the opportunity to have the most authentic experience of Argentina, direct from its own people. Along with its rich tango heritage, warm hospitality and out-of-this-world steaks, Argentina is also known for its world-class wines.
So nothing could be more Argentinian than having the opportunity to make a wine blend in Mendoza, one of the country’s best regions for an authentic wine tasting.
A highlight of the trip is a visit to Tempus Alba, a family-run estate well known for its elegant collection of cabernet sauvignons, malbecs and merlots, all of which can be tried following a guided tour.
While anyone can enjoy a wine tasting, not many people get the chance to make an Argentinian blend. Under the expert guidance of the winery’s owners, individuals will craft a personalised tipple. The art of winemaking is learnt alongside a lunch with the owners on Tempus Alba’s fine terrace overlooking the sun-drenched vines.
This features in’ The wilds of northern Argentina’ itinerary, with SevenTravel is priced from £4,495pp (excluding flights) for twelve days.
Trip Number Two: Participating in a Tea Ceremony in Kyoto
The ‘Into The Heart of Japan’ experience provides travellers with the opportunity to immerse themselves in this incredible civilisation. At the centre of this trip is the opportunity to partake in an elegant tea ceremony at Machiya, a traditional Japanese wooden townhouse in Kyoto that other travellers don’t have access to.
Taking part in the tea ceremony is like peering deep into Japan’s soul. Individuals first enjoy a guided tour of this wonderfully restored house, learning all about its unique architecture and past, before slipping into a kimono, ready for the ceremony to begin.
Individuals look and feel the part with full-length robes that all locals wear for formal occasions like this. After meeting the tea master, observe the spiritual brewing process before enjoying a fresh cup alongside some sweet treats.
This fourteen-day trip with SevenTravel is priced from £4,795pp (excluding flights).
Trend Three: An Escape to the Wilderness
An enforced slow-down of life has allowed people to build deeper connections with nature. With 82% of people stating that sustainability is more on their minds than before the pandemic, tourists are keen to visit exotic landscapes and make the most of the natural world’s physical and mental healing powers whilst travelling sustainably.
Just What This Traveller Needs: A Trip to Sri Lanka’s Seldom-Visited National Parks
For the curious explorer, SevenTravel’s ‘Sri Lanka: The Road Less Travelled’ experience gives wildlife enthusiasts a real trip into the wilderness, with tropical beaches, ancient kingdoms, lush tea plantations and green jungles. The trio is priced from £5,295pp (excluding flights). The nineteen-day SevenTravel experience allows individuals to go behind the scenes in one of Sri Lanka’s least-visited wildernesses, Gal Oya National Park, which barely registers a murmur on most tourist radars.
Visitors can enjoy a private safari drive to the park’s quietest corner, the Nilgala region. Here they will experience intimate encounters with the region’s wildlife, including Muntjac Deer, Sri Lankan Elephants, leopards, wild boars and Endemic Toque Macaques.
There will also be the chance to go on a stroll through Gal Oya with one of the Vedda People’s village chiefs, who will provide a glimpse into how native hunter-gatherers once lived, with insights on the medicinal properties of different plants and local ancient hunting grounds.
SevenTravel believes how consumers travel matters more than ever and want to reconnect travellers to the essence of exploration, curating holidays with intention. Clients are encouraged to linger for longer and experience once-in-a-lifetime excursions that deliver a deeper sense of connection to their location’s surroundings, authentically immersing them into the very fabric of the country they’re visiting – taking only treasured memories and a fresh perspective home.
Responsible, sustainable travel is the foundation of this and is enshrined in SevenTravel’s operations as it seeks to reduce the carbon footprint of its client’s luxury travels and ensure each client has a positive, lasting impact every time they travel.
Read more travel news, guides and features here.