WATG 2017 forecast: the four top travel and hospitality trends to watch

WATG have been breaking ground in hotel design for over 70 years, designing some of the most innovative and award-winning destinations around the globe, hospitalitynet.org reports. With a finger firmly on the pulse, WATG Trend Forecaster Muriel Muirden has rounded up the top trends that will be shaping the travel and hospitality industry in 2017:

THE SIMPLE LIFE

Barraged by social media and endless decisions, we are increasingly seeking a respite from the pressures of modern life. The hospitality sector is responding to this desire with a host of less-is-more models including menu free dining and the rise of wilderness experiences in heretofore un-trespassed destinations, which offer total immersion and digital disconnection. We will also see the emergence of summer camps for grownups, offering lonely millennials a break from ‘adulting’.

THE SCIENCE OF YOUR STAY

The hospitality sector will continue to increasingly apply data and science to help guests to be more efficient and sleep better during their stays. 2017 will see a prominent rise of travel-oriented apps aiding us to experience the smoothest of stays as guests, from monitoring the queue at the breakfast buffet to digitally controlling the ambiance of our rooms. Hotels are also predicted to engage with the functionality of sleep apps and wearables by going beyond blackout shades to design rooms incorporating creative solutions like sound and lighting technology and sensitive wake up tools and techniques.

A HEALTHY OBSESSION

A preoccupation with mindfulness and wellness will see the rise of ‘Feel good hotels’, jumping on the fitness bandwagon by offering bespoke classes and exercise mashups. We’ll see hotels committing to cultural and environmental conservation by using locally sourced vendors and employing indigenous people. ‘Edible resorts’ with micro-gardens, olive groves and vineyards are on the rise alongside a return to resorts anchored in eco-agriculture and ambitious village nature concepts.

FRIENDLY LODGINGS

Legalised recreational marijuana, nearly a $40 billion industry, has brought cannabis tourism to the United States and we predict the evolution of cannabis-friendly accommodations will boom in the coming years. And while plenty of hotels currently allow pets, we’ll see an even greater evolution of top notch pet-friendly programs with amenities including plush beds, food bowls, dedicated dog parks and concierge lists.

MURIEL MUIRDEN, VICE PRESIDENT STRATEGY AT WATG

Muriel Muirden offers WATG clients pre-development strategic advice and support. She also advises the firm’s global leaders on tourism trends and market opportunities; and she conducts proprietary research on evolving hospitality products and market dynamics. Prior to joining WATG, Muriel was the Senior Vice President and Co-Leader of the Economics practice at AECOM (formerly Economics Research Associates). Muriel has 25 years of experience in the tourism and leisure industries through operational, development and consultancy roles. Her particular areas of expertise are in the fields of development strategy, concept evaluation and business planning for major tourism, hotel and resort real estate enterprises. Muriel has advised both public and private sector clients on development strategy, ranging from government agencies, national and regional tourist boards, property development companies, international hotel operators, sovereign wealth funds and charitable foundations. Her geographic focus has spanned Europe, Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, India and China. Born in London, brought up in the Far East and educated in Scotland, Muriel writes and speaks regularly on trends and developments in the international hospitality market and has been an instructor in the Office of Executive Education at Harvard University lecturing on economic master planning for large land-use projects. She founded and co-chaired ULI’s European Resort and Hotel Council.