Trends in travel
CHRISTINE HICKS- USTA Travel
What's "in" in travel? What's out? What's new? What's old? When it comes to travel, "green" is definitely "in." Airlines, hotels, cruise lines and even Amtrak are seeking ways to reduce their carbon tracks. With new agreements now in place, this will be a hot-button issue in the board rooms of suppliers of transportation or lodging. Expect ads to tout this new and serious commitment to living green.

Volunteer vacations - or "voluntourism" as I have seen it called - are also pushing their way forward, as are "experience" vacations. More than white-water rafting, biking or hiking holidays, these are vacations that more or less vacate the notion of going somewhere for the mere pleasure of it. These are hands-on, in-country trips that change more than just your perception of a destination. Indeed, the destination is no longer where you are, but what you do when you get there. Some trips serve charitable organizations; others deliver an education. "Tuesday/Belgium" travel is out.

Expect to see more Chinese visitors to the United States. Recent agreements relaxing constraints that hindered travel and promotion of U.S. destinations within China are expected to boost inbound and outbound traffic between the two countries significantly. This is good news for U.S. hoteliers and airlines, since the relatively new Chinese middle-class has impressively deep pockets.

The weak dollar spells a drop in U.S. traffic outbound to Europe, a trend already manifested in lower bookings noted by tour operators for 2008. Those destinations that still spell value for U.S. travelers include Egypt, Turkey, the U.S. and China. What's hot in Europe, the dollar notwithstanding, is Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Croatia.

The weak dollar spells an increase in foreign travel to the U.S. Destinations such as New York will benefit from bargain-hunters from Europe, the Middle East and China - at least until the euro sags. The weakened dollar and higher fuel costs make all-inclusive vacations all the more attractive. That includes cruises, whose prices overall have remained flat.

Expect to see more electronics on board planes, trains and automobiles…ships, too. While you can do more (for yourself) onboard planes and ships, you will be expected to, as self-service options (like kiosk check-in) apparently appeal to today's traveler. We already prefer paperless tickets, print our boarding passes and check ourselves in. Indeed, airports and airlines are hinting at automated boarding gates. Even renting a car is going self-service. Hertz has already rolled out Simply Wheelz at the Orlando airport, an economy car brand where the customer won't encounter a single human to rent or return the car.

Paper tickets? Calling for flight information? Out.

Our electronics obsession speaks to our desire for speed, and what may be an enormous appetite and capacity for travelers to do it themselves. The other half

the green, voluntourism part - speaks to the dream and promise of the aging baby boomer. This is an interesting conflux of old and new - spurring greater curiosity to know what will be "in" and "out" fifty years from now.

(Christine Hicks-Usta has enjoyed more than 30 years of globe-trotting as a member of the travel industry in various capacities. Direct questions to her at Bee Group Newspapers, P.O. Box 150, Buffalo, NY 14231-0150.)