More people are travelling the world, and it’s no surprise. With the highly restricted lifestyles that most of us live, jetting off to another country to see new sights, experience new things and indulge in new memories has become more of a need than just mere luxury. And with traveler behavior changing rapidly over the last few years giving more emphasis on wellness, it’s very important to know these six trends that will help shape your travel plans for 2019:

More families are saying yes to travel
There was a time when family travel meant tantrums, chaos and disasters that scared parents to the bones. But thanks to families sharing their experiences on social media, a lot more are following suit and planning their own adventures around the world.

Family travel is now being embraced by more people and with more than half of the American workforce going freelance by 2020 and more kids being homeschooled, we can expect the number of families going on gap years and adventures to grow immensely over the next few years.

Micro-vacation is the new vacation
Serial short breakers are growing in numbers this year, and it’s because of how many people are discovering the joys of taking shorter, more frequent vacations than planning long, extended ones that can prove to be stressful, expensive and less enjoyable. A micro-vacation can be as simple as staying in a luxury hotel in your own city or visiting neighboring countries for a few days. All you have to do is find a good platform to help you plan your trip by using this website and just have fun.

Checking in to a hotel that you can take home
How many times have you dreamed of taking home that beautiful couch or those lovely pillows in your hotel room? Well, now you can do just that, thanks to the rise of homeware hotels. These hotels are basically showrooms of homeware companies where you can check in, get a feel of their products and if you have the budget, you can purchase them for your own home. MADE hotel in the NoMad district of Manhattan started this trend and the Boathouse, a floating boutique hotel in London followed suit last year. These homeware hotels can let you buy anything from their feather pillows and chairs to their toothbrush stands and plastic shampoo bottles.

Conscious travel gains more recognition around the world
If there is one trend that has the most significance for the travel community, it would have to be the recognition of conscious travel. More than 50% of travelers who were surveyed by booking.com said that social issues in countries influence their choice of travel destination.

Some would even opt out a country if they feel that it would have a negative impact to the people who live there. More online platforms are also being launched to offer travelers significant data on travel destinations that are safer for people from the LGBT community, for instance.

Couples are looking for more intrepid adventures
Although the charm and romance of Paris, Barcelona or Venice will never dwindle, more couples will be looking for more adventurous, out-of-the-box travel experiences this year, thus the birth of intrepid travel. AITO, a specialist travel agent highlighted some off-the-beaten-track destinations that couples will find interesting for 2019.

This includes the Tibetan Plateau, the Arctic Wilderness in Norway and the Karakorum Highway in Northern Pakistan. It is said that travelling together as a couple and being put in uncomfortable situations help strengthen your bond and discover a newfound respect and intimacy for each other.

Solo travelers will enjoy co-living
Being a solo traveler can be quite tricky because it’s hard to choose between staying in a budget-friendly hostel that may not be comfortable or booking an Airbnb that isolates you from the hustle and bustle of the city. But with co-living, this problem will already be a thing of the past.

WeLive, one of the pioneers of co-living, offer apartments for solo travelers to live in during their vacation. These complexes have events, social spaces and even yoga classes and hot tubs so solo travelers can really indulge during their stay and socialize with other solo travelers while they’re at it.

Of course, there is the continuing thirst for more curated experiences, which was the top travel trend for 2018. According to Booking.com, more than half of travelers are exploring the world looking for authentic experiences rather than material things. This means that more people would pick destinations that spark a sense of comfort and happiness within them, and some even want to go to places where they can feel like a child again.