Another year, another World Travel Market or WTM London. Each and every year, the good folks at WTM give us their industry report. A “state of the union” for the travel industry.

In many nations, statistics say that unemployment was at its lowest level since 2008, when the global financial downturn began. An increase in employment in much of the world may have led to more people going on holiday in 2014 than the peak of the crisis in 2011.

In 2014, seven out of ten U.S. and U.K. residents took at least one holiday. It appears that there is good news as it appears that budgets are increasing with holidaymakers looking to go further afield in 2015.

Both U.S. and U.K. travelers claimed Florida as a destination of major interest. With increase in travel to the regions theme parks, which includes brand leaders: Universal, Disney, Busch Gardens, Legoland, and Sea World all reporting increases in attendance.

The Airbnb Syndrome

Holidaymakers staying in people’s homes or real estate has proven to be a booming market over the past five years. The increase in experiential travel saw a huge spike in accommodation choices, as travelers seek a local experience. PhoCusWright says 14% of U.S. travelers booked a private home, room or apartment through the rise in peer to peer travel, up 10% since 2010.

Home Away , which has more than one million listings in 190 countries, saw revenues increase in 2013 by 24% to $346.5 million. Furthermore, Airbnb which is value at around 12 billion dollars after securing $450 million in funding, offers properties in 34,000 towns and cities around the world. Only Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria are not represented on Airbnb. The question lies if sites like Airbnb are posing real threats to traditional hotel stays? The answer seems to be yes, as unique and local travel experiences are continuing to be on the rise. Almost one in five travel businesses poled by World Travel Market 2014 Industry Report say that they have been affected by the growth of the likes of Airbnb.

50% of travelers now claim that they are seeking out a local experience. But hasn’t this always been the case?

Responsible Tourism

The travel industry brings great benefits to local economies, but there is a flip side that the industry must be aware of, making sure that it is taking its responsibility to local environments and communities seriously. Now more than ever, as citizens of planet Earth, we must secure a better future that will insure long lasting travel to all destinations. Sustainability is important to the travel business as a whole.

Low-Cost Carriers

Low cost airlines continue to be at the forefront of travel. The likes of Ryan Air and Easy Jet are simple. Covering short distances at a cost effective price. However, the culture of added pricing and penny pinching measures has not deemed well with many travelers. But overall the trend of low cost airlines covering shorter routes will continue, and is now deeply engrained into the travel culture.

Sports Tourism

The debate will always continue, do major sporting events such as the Olympics and the World Cup add a positive impact to a destination? The answer is mixed. In the case of Rio de Janeiro, travelers stated that they will definitely return to the destination and make future travels to other parts of Brazil. Not so for Sochi, Russia. As a difficult to get to destination, and the negative impact of Mr. Putin’s involvement in the Ukraine, created a less friendly perception of the destination. The debate goes on, but sports tourism continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors in travel. Local municipalities are seeing great value in hosting tourism events and reaping the benefits as visiting tourists explore a region, and pour in their travel expenditures.

Time will only tell if Qatar, who controversially won the rights to the 2022 World Cup, despite concerns over heat and fears that it might have to be switched to the winter, disrupting the football seasons of the major European leagues, will prove to be a successful destination to host an event of such magnitude.

Medical Tourism

With the growing cost of health care, and hospital visits in many parts of the world, the trend of traveling abroad for a medical procedure is on the rise. Traveling to the likes of the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil or India not only can save a patient substantial amounts of money, but also adds additional revenues to a destination in the aftermath of a vacation. Dental, Cosmetic Surgery, and most medical procedures are done for up to two thirds of the cost back home, and by doctors who are trained in some of the finest schools in the U.S. and the U.K.

Staycations

Is it a new trend to travel only in one’s country? Thrifty travelers can save large amounts of money by simply traveling within one’s borders. Especially in large nations such as the U.S., India, Spain, France and China, affordability being the key factor with travelers citing that it is “very important” to see their own country first. Other factors such as longer flights to travel abroad, airport delays, even having to have a passport, played in holidaymakers staying within one’s boundaries.

Technology

Once upon a time, there actually were no smart phones and internet and one had to use a pay phone or mail a post card to communicate with a loved one or friend. Nowadays, one cannot exist without wifi. 60% of travelers polled stated that wifi access on their travels played a key role in determining where to go and where to stay. Further added is what is now called the “Facebook affect.” Posting on social media has replaced the post card. Yes, that selfie is more important than ever. Bragging to friends while on the road is now an integral part of one’s trip for five out of ten travelers. The keenness to remain in contact and stay connected to the outside world makes one’s smart phone a must now for most travelers.

The Future of Travel

Can you ever imagine traveling to outer space? Richard Branson can, and 35% of those polled claimed that they would like to venture off into the land of ‘Star Trek,’ one day with Branson’s, Virgin Galactic leading the way.

Will the passport be a thing of the past? Nine out of ten industry executives believe this to be the case by or before 2049. Passports will be replaced by fingerprint technology at visa and border controls.

Android and holographic staff just might be the wave of the travel future. This September an artificially intelligent computer called Amelia, developed by IPsoft, was launched, which can understand text and solve problems and could replace humans in a wide range of low level jobs. This could be the first stage of holyographic holiday reps.

Now, if you’re like me, you just might remember something like calling your parents collect from a pay phone in Kathmandu.