Here’s what you should know before booking a trip in 2018. This year, travel smarter, cheaper and safer. A new year is a popular (and comparatively affordable) time to look ahead and make travel plans. Whether you’re planning a year-long overseas experience, winter vacation or a few weekends away, it’s a good idea to know what’s happening in the world of travel to help you make good decisions and organise the best holidays your budget and vacation days will allow. Here at Travelher, we pay particular attention to the topics impacting female travelers. So here are the topics you should familiarise yourself with to travel smarter, cheaper and safer in 2018. All-female retreats and travel groups retreats and adventure groups popping up all over the place, there are more opportunities to take a trip with other like-minded ladies to a new and beautiful location than ever before. What this means is that if you are keen to travel but you have no one to go with, or if you’re simply looking for other women who closely share your interests, you now have several options from which to choose. Love yoga? There’s a retreat for that. Love hiking? There’s a trip for that. You can find these incredible groups on Instagram, Facebook or with a simple Google search. Just remember to read reviews and do a bit of research before signing on the dotted line! Shop around and then get ready for the time of a lifetime. Sharing economy You’ve likely heard this term a time or two, maybe in the context of companies like Uber, Lyft and Airbnb. What this means is that regular people offer their own transportation, accommodation, etc. as a service to others. For example, you hop on your smartphone book an Uber vehicle to take you from point A to B, all the while tracking it on the app until it reaches your door. With a pre-programmed credit card, you don’t have to exchange any cash, and after you get dropped off, you can rate each other - you as a customer rating the service, and the driver rating you as a customer. This has come with all sorts of regulation challenges but ultimately it has revolutionised the industry, putting some power back into the hands of regular people. Not to mention uber convenience (see what I did there?)! Other examples of the sharing economy which create more opportunities for travelers include, swapping houses (like in the movie, The Holiday), campervan rentals, boat sharing and more. Do a little digging for your next holiday, and you’ll be surprised at the number of money saving, and often incredibly unique opportunities out there for resourceful travelers. Changing landscapes Climate change is another important factor to consider when making your travel plans. Changing temperatures and weather patterns are contributing to extreme weather events (like hurricanes, floods and wildfires) and are altering the face of a number of vulnerable travel destinations. Island nations like The Maldives, for example, are particularly susceptible to rising oceans. The Great Barrier Reef, renowned as a stunningly beautiful ecosystem of colourful living organisms, are already being affected by environmental stresses due to climate change and has suffered bleaching beyond recognition in many areas. Melting ice caps may change the landscape of polar regions as we know them, impacting the habits of many of the animal species which live there. It is important to take all of these factors into consideration when making your travel plans. You may wish to avoid hurricane season or book that bucket list destination as soon as possible. Forbes has referred to this trend as ‘last chance tourism’. We don’t love that term, but we can certainly get on board with the sentiment of going sooner rather than later. Sustainable tourism On the back of changing landscapes is growing recognition of what’s causing this change and a travel market for people who wish to do something about it. With greater acknowledgement of the finite resources we need to survive, the animals we share them with, and the general treatment of the environment that keeps us all alive, many businesses are creating eco-friendly tourism experiences that either directly contribute to fixing a problem (like cleaning up a certain section of beach), or promise very little to no negative impacts to the environment (well water system, compost toilets, etc). You can also opt for companies that are committed to responsible treatment of popular native species (like elephants and tigers), despite lucrative opportunities to exploit them. No one wants to see giant piles of trash in the middle of the ocean when in a stunning tropical location. Most people don’t want beautiful animal species to be treated poorly or pushed to the brink of extinction because of poorly managed resources. If this is something you care about, you can choose holidays with the environment in mind! Do your research when booking to contribute to this positive trend. Global conflicts There is always a certain amount of political strife happening in the world, but the current climate is particularly heated. It is important to be aware of what is happening, where and why, especially if you are planning trips to unfamiliar regions. Always check the latest travel alerts on your country’s government web page prior to travel and read up on any news about the area. Pay attention to the political environment, and err on the side of caution. Online data hacking is another threat being used in the global context. Always book through reputable companies, investigate their protective measures and be vigilant with your own storage and password methods. Now that you have the latest knowledge at your fingertips, get planning your 2018 holidays with these tips in mind! Written and edited byMeghan Advent
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