Latest news with #ClydeAspevig
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Land snorkeling? Townsizing? A user's guide to the latest travel lingo
For your next trip, have you considered townsizing? What about choosing a detour destination? And instead of forest-bathing, maybe it's time to give land snorkeling a try. If the terms sound odd, you might need a travel translator. Agencies, online platforms and sometimes travellers themselves have been flexing their creative language skills by labelling trends in travel — some new, some tried-and-true (such as 'bleisure,' a trip that combines business with leisure time). Here are some terms to help you keep up with travel's shifting lexicon: Detour destinations: Last year's destination dupes became this year's detours in Expedia's 2025 trend report. Detour destinations are 'less well-known and less crowded than tourist hot spots,' according to the report. They can be destinations on their own or side trips from a bigger target … for example, pairing Reims with Paris. This practical two-for-one trip concept bundles an appealing neighbour with the closest major airport destination. Townsizing: If there were awards for Wordsmith of the Year, consider Priceline for its addition of 'townsizing.' Your next vacation is townsized if instead of big-city buzz, you opt for small-town vibes in easygoing destinations. Land snorkeling: Think of forest bathing — slow, mindful walks in the woods — and remove the forest, and you have something like land snorkeling. Coined by Montana-based artists Clyde Aspevig and Carol Guzman, land snorkeling in the context of a walk (which could even be in a city) is paying attention to where you are, not necessarily where you're going. It encourages a focus on minute details, the way you might hover over a reef when snorkeling to view the comings and goings of tropical fish and the current's effect on sea fans. 'When you snorkel, you don't go with a destination in mind but go with the water and let (what you are seeing) take over,' Guzman said. 'You wander and you wonder,' Aspevig added. JOMO travel: How to fight FOMO, or fear of missing out? Change your point of view with JOMO — joy of missing out — by embracing a vacation that prioritizes relaxing and ditching your phone. Vacation rental company VRBO proposed this mindset switch, citing 85 per cent of respondents to a company survey who declared an interest in taking a vacation to unplug. Live tourism: In its 2025 trends forecast, travel news site Skift came up with 'live tourism' to refer to the increase in the number of people booking trips around live events in entertainment, sports and natural phenomena. In 2024, few events were bigger travel motivators than the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, the Paris Olympic Games and the total solar eclipse. The next total solar eclipse is expected to pass over Iceland, Portugal and Spain on Aug. 12, 2026. Start planning now! Mystery tour: The magic of mystery tours, according to operators, lies in surrendering to the unknown and avoiding the quandary of choice. High-end agency Black Tomato has a Get Lost service that offers clients journeys to unspecified destinations and the opportunity to find their way out of the wilderness (under a safe watch from afar, they say). The company has organized mystery trips — which are fully customized, but tend to run five to seven nights — in Mongolia, Morocco, Norway and Guatemala. EF Go Ahead Tours launched its Mystery Tours last year and said it sold out within three hours. Past trips have included Bali and Java in Indonesia. The 2025 slate of unspecified trips are on sale now (from $3,016 for an eight-day tour). Noctourism: If it's a travel adventure you have at night — from swimming in phosphorescent bays to stargazing — then it's also known as noctourism. While it's hardly new, trend forecasters are finding renewed interest in after-dark activities, sometimes as a strategy to beat the heat. cited noctourism in its 2025 forecast, noting that 54 per cent of travellers surveyed in a recent study planned to increase their nighttime activities to avoid daytime temperatures. 'No matter the outing, the cover of darkness adds a sense of adventure and mystery,' said Stephanie Vermillion, the author of the new book '100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Adventures After Dark.' Noctourism activities she covers include catching 'moonbows' or lunar rainbows seen through a waterfall's spray at places such as Victoria Falls in southern Africa, seeing a lava flow in Indonesia, and browsing night markets in Taiwan. Phenomenon chasing: Separate natural phenomenon from live tourism and you have phenomenon chasing. Black Tomato cites rising interest in natural events such as the northern lights and solar eclipses among travellers willing to go far and wide to see them in person. 'In a world that can feel overly digital and predictable, there's something incredible about witnessing a rare natural event,' said Rob Murray-John, the head of special projects at Black Tomato. 'These moments let us strip away the noise and immerse in something that feels both intimate and vast, like you're a small part of something much bigger.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times .
NDTV
30-05-2025
- NDTV
Townsizing To Mystery Tours, All The Viral New Travel Terms Trending This Year
New Delhi: So, you've packed your bags, triple-checked your flight timing and planned out your outfits. But wait, have you brushed up on your travel lingo? If not, don't worry. You're not alone. As the world of travel gets quirkier, cleverer and, let's face it, much more unpredictable, so does its vocabulary. Welcome to the Travel Dictionary 2025. From 'townsizing' (where you 'size up' a town), to 'land snorkelling' (no sharks involved here), here's a handy guide on all the travel terms that are trending at the moment. Let's decode. Detour Destinations Forget the bucket-list usuals, 2025 is the year of the scenic sidekick. Call it the underdog glow-up, but detour destinations are all about pairing big-name cities with their lesser-known (and way less crowded) neighbours. Think Reims with Paris or Santa Barbara as L.A.'s breezy little cousin. It's the savvy traveller's two-for-one trick: more charm, fewer queues and just enough space to actually breathe. Merci beaucoup. Townsizing Big cities? Been there, 'grammed that. Enter townsizing, a delightful little buzzword courtesy of Priceline that swaps skyscrapers for storybook streets. Want mountain air in Stowe, Vt? Or coastal charm in Carmel-by-the-Sea? Townsizing isn't just a change of scene, it's a mindset. Smaller towns, slower pace, bigger smiles. It's like therapy but with cobblestones and ice cream. Land Snorkelling Yes, it's a thing, and no, you don't need a wetsuit. Born from the poetic brains of artists Clyde Aspevig and Carol Guzman, land snorkelling is like forest bathing's minimalist cousin. You walk slowly, soak in the world around you-city cracks, desert shadows, wildflowers by the sidewalk-and tune into the tiny, beautiful chaos of your surroundings. It's mindfulness in motion, minus the moss. JOMO Travel Still haunted by FOMO? Time to switch sides. JOMO, aka the Joy of Missing Out, is your digital detox dream. This travel trend is all about switching off the Wi-Fi and tuning in to... well, silence. Whether you're glamping in the woods or lounging in a cabin with zero signal, JOMO is your permission slip to say "no thanks" to vacation hustle and embrace the art of doing absolutely nothing. Live Tourism Lights, passport, action. From Beyonce to the Super Bowl, live tourism has people chasing not just places, but moments. It's about planning your whole itinerary around that once-in-a-lifetime concert, Olympic showdown or celestial event. (The next total solar eclipse? Mark August 12, 2026. You heard it here first.) Because sometimes, memories come with a soundtrack and maybe even a merch tee. Mystery Tours Plot twist: even you don't know where you're going. Mystery tours are the ultimate trust fall into adventure. Agencies like Black Tomato and EF Go Ahead are crafting secret itineraries, whisking travellers to places they won't know until boarding time. Mongolia? Morocco? Magic? All of the above. You just pack a bag and go. No spoilers, just surprise sunsets. Noctourism Sleep is overrated. Stars, on the other hand? Worth it. Welcome to noctourism, where the best memories happen under moonlight. Whether it's stargazing in Namibia, glowing plankton swims in Puerto Rico or wandering neon-lit night markets in Taiwan, night owls are officially in style. Bonus: it's a clever way to beat the daytime heat and snap cooler photos. Phenomenon Chasing Why follow influencers when you can follow the Northern Lights? Phenomenon chasing is about tracking down nature's most jaw-dropping events - solar eclipses, volcanic eruptions, lunar rainbows -and just letting awe take over. It's the kind of trip that reminds you how small you are and how stunning the universe can be. Side effects may include goosebumps and dramatic life perspective shifts. Bonus Trend: Tripstagramming (Guilty As Charged) Okay, not official, but let's be real. You will post that dreamy cappuccino or mountaintop selfie. Just remember, whether you're townsizing, snorkelling on land or mystery touring through an unnamed jungle - don't forget to enjoy it offline, too. So, what's your next move? Whether you're chasing stardust or simply switching your phone off, let 2025 be the year you travel with curiosity and a bit of cheeky new lingo to match. Because if you can't say it in style, did you even travel?
