The places we travel, the way we get there, and what we do once we are there is constantly changing. The world tourism outlook for 2016 will be different than previous years. Here are a few things to look for in the coming new year. Maybe you can theme to your list of things to try this 2016.
Locations
China is hot this year. With a rising middle class and better transportation than ever before, more and more people are visiting Asia’s largest nation. 2016 will be a big year for Chinese tourism with the opening of China’s first Disney park, Shanghai’s Disney Resort.
Across the pacific from China, San Francisco will be making a big splash in the international art scene with the opening of the the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The sister museum to New York’s famous MOMA, the “SFMOMA” will be three times bigger and offer a stunning architectural design.
Another world class museum will be opening up a branch in an unexpected location 2016. France’s Louvre is opening a location in the United Arab Emirates mega city of Abu Dhabi. This luxurious gallery is built atop a gorgeous man made lake and will house countless art pieces worthy of its name.
If you prefer a beach to a theme park or museum, make sure and keep Cuba on your travel radar for 2016. With the United States lifting its travel ban Cuba is set to be a big destination for the savvy travel in 2016. Whether you want to soak up sun at one of their many beautiful beaches, smoke a world class cigar at a one of a kind nightclubs, or photograph the gorgeous architecture and antique cars; Cuba is at the top of many world traveler’s list for the new year.
Technology
Apps are changing the way we communicate, consume media, and do pretty much everything; so why should travel be any different? Expect to see more people using their smartphones while traveling in 2016. Ride share apps such as Uber have gone global. You can now touch down in any major airport and hire a private car while waiting for your luggage, all in English and through your existing smart phone.
But where is your car taking you? Hotels are going the way of the dinosaurs in 2016, with home share sites such as Airbnb rising to take their place. With rock bottom pricing and a much more personal touch, home sharing allows the tourist to live where and how the locals do.
Big data is also changing the world tourism outlook for 2016. With a single click you can find out the statistics of what is going on in the world of travel with a real time travel data infographic. Also sites such as TripAdvisor and Bookings are combining user reviews to provide custom tailored recommendations.
So whether it is technology, current events, or a the arts; 2016 has a much different world tourism outlook than years previous.