Travel bans across many countries over the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic has really given globetrotters time to reflect on how they’d like to travel going forward - and thus a new era is born.
’Promadic Travel’ was expected to develop over a decade but is happening now with shifts in purpose and value, accelerated by the Covid-19 crisis.
This eco-conscious alternative approach to travel came after Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z - who have never known a world without an ongoing climate crisis - began questioning their travel actions and decisions.
Coined by ’Design Hotels’ after a year-long study of this emerging mindset, Promadic Travel is defined as “a conceptually driven traveller who is guided by the idea that travel should be proactive, purposeful, should foster a sense of personal progress and protect the planet”.
It’s also about embracing new technologies, innovations, and disruptions at a time when major societal topics are being debated: over-tourism, demographic transformation, jet flight restriction, expanding connectivity, race diversity, and gender equality.
Promads, as they are known, want to feel good about how they travel. They seek enlightenment, simplicity, understanding and growth while enjoying the comforts and flexibility that technology can provide to their booking, travel and accommodation experiences.
Simply put, it is not about where they travel too, but why. This trend has found that tourists are finding it extremely important to venture further afield, exploring lesser-known places and to escape crowds and spread out.
The younger generations are also opting for greener ways of getting from place to place. Avoiding air travel, with air-shaming or certainly reducing the amount of flights to lessen their environmental footprint.
They would rather use land or sea transport.
Currently cities like Amsterdam and Venice are suffering from over-tourism and have taken steps to change how people travel.
In Paris 43 strategically placed signs by the “Enlarge Your Paris” project are pointing tourists away from well-known sights, to discover the overlooked highlights of Greater Paris.
This new wave of purpose-driven and conscious travellers have also impacted on hotels, making them relook at the way they offer services to guests.
Some hotels are adding packages that don’t just offer a plate of food and a bed to rest. Rather they are partnering with the local communities and offering the Promad a unique experience.
Promads also look at the food they consume. Imported meats and fish rank low in their list of desires and is replaced by a taste for hyper-local cuisine, and a farm to table approach to dining.
Promads champion restaurateurs who provide this along with in-season flavours. They want to see sustainable farming practices, organic cooking techniques and a natural menu curation.
A sustainable society has become a necessity and Promads scrutinise each business to ensure they’re standing up to their values.
As a collective, the way they will book their travel will be flexible and seamless, fuelled by word-of-mouth approval and enabled by social media, augmented reality (AR) experiences, and smart banking that anticipates their travel budgets.
Ultimately, Promadic Travellers will not see themselves as consumers. They will travel to produce and contribute, helping them and the local communities to progress in the process.
Check out the latest IOL Travel digital magazine for other interesting travel trends and destinations