Travel Trends 2008

Our Viscape.com travel writer, Karin Palmquist, hinted in our last blog post at the emerging travel trend that vacationers, now more than ever, are seeking out vacation home rentals in remote destinations. We asked her, “What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the travel and tourism business in the last 5-10 years?” Her response: “I think people might be abandoning traditional destinations in favor of more off-beat ones, and the traditional destinations are hurting. It’s getting increasingly hard to find places where you won’t run in to other tourists.”

We agree with Karin. Vacations should be about escaping the modern day rat-race. On vacation, many travelers wish to purge themselves of the “wired” culture. People want to get away from the modern conveniences that now seem to rule their lives. They want to leave the computers, cell-phones, DVRs and Palm Pilots at home. They want to truly escape, or like Viscape founder, Caroline Allison always says, “They wanna Viscape!” Travelers crave private getaways where they don’t have to hear the person behind them screaming into their cell-phone – a place where they can spend quality time with their family and friends.

Seas The Day – Outer Banks, North Caroline

That is precisely why vacationers have started seeking out getaways in remote locations-destinations far away from their mouse-pad and keyboard. Travelers are becoming savvy and are demanding destinations where they can bring together their family and friends without the traditional distractions like tourist traps and trinket shops. The one major problem with abandoning traditional travel destinations is finding a place to stay.

Purple House – Dewey Beach, Delaware

Hotels and resorts simply cannot keep up with the demand in these exotic and remote areas (and we do NOT want them to for sanity sake). Truly escaping is part of the appeal of a vacation getaway. And what better way to do that then to stay in your very own, luxurious ocean front 5-acre villa with five of your closest friends?

Over the past five to ten years, travelers have stopped relying solely on hotels and resorts for their accommodations because of the lack of privacy, lack of destination variety and expense. Now, even the most traditional travelers (this includes the business travelers who turn their “bizcations” into a family affair) are seeking out accommodations where they can bring their family and friends, cook a large meal in a gourmet kitchen and celebrate together on a private porch.

The modern traveler believes that there is no reason why the comforts of home cannot be available while on vacation. Renting a vacation home is so much more economical if you are planning to bring the nanny, the grandparents, the in-laws, the best-friends and the kids!

Red Pines Lodge – Park City, Utah

But, the problem many travelers encounter during the planning phase of their getaway is finding a perfect place to stay. Viscape addresses this issue by providing a social marketplace where friends and family can share ideas and experiences, and find the perfect vacation home. Now, with Viscape technology, you can plan a trip with your family and friends and find a perfect place to stay that everyone agrees on! Even better, vacation home owners can list their properties for free for rent, sale or swap! We love vacations and we love “Viscapes,” so now you finally have all the tools to live your perfect travel experience, love your perfect travel experience, and then share your perfect travel experience….or Live It-Love It-Share It! (The Viscape motto).

The Henlopen House – Dewey Beach, Delaware