Travel as we know it could be on the brink of extinction by 2040

Produced by Intrepid, the world’s largest B-Corp-certified travel company, in partnership with foresight agency The Future Laboratory, the Sustainable Future for Travel report outlines what holidays could look like by 2040 if action isn’t taken now.

Travel as we know it could be extinct by the year 2040 due to climate change, a new report has warned.

Predictions for the future include holidaymakers “chasing the shade” and swapping traditional summer destinations like Greece and Mallorca for Belgium, Slovenia and Poland as temperatures continue to rise.

Highlighting how travel could change for the better, the report outlines five key trends it predicts will shape the future of holidays:

Regulation on ‘tourism leakage’

“By 2040, governments will be required to implement regulations on travel businesses to ensure that the majority of money spent by tourists in a destination stays in the local economy,” reads the report. “This will pave the way for a more equitable and mutually beneficial relationship between travellers and the communities they visit, elevating the quality of life of the locals.”

Real-time carbon footprint tracking

The Sustainable Future for Travel analysis predicts that carbon tracking will become “even more individualised thanks to AI”. It says: “Travellers will log daily emissions and track travel metrics in real-time to reduce their footprint to meet individual carbon goals.”

Accommodation that leaves no trace

A new generation of pop-up accommodation options combining sustainability and local craftmanship plus locally sourced materials to ensure a minimal footprint is the future when it comes to where we’ll stay on holiday, claims the report.

Overland transport and slow travel

“Train travel will be integral to this regenerative approach and by 2040, travellers will have the option to choose between high-speed innovations and slower modes, depending on their preferences, footprint and time constraints,” reads the report. It forecasts that luxury, spaceship-style sleeper pods will provide comfort on hyper fast train journeys to “help reduce our reliance on air travel”.

People-led, not product-led, trips

In future, people will book holidays and travel experiences based on the social experience, rather than the hotel or destination, predicts the research. “People-led travel is about the people you meet in destination and the deep human connections you form,” it explains.

Read the full article from October 2023 at the Future Laboratory.

Download the Report.

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