Travel in 2011
Nov 16th, 2010 by Ted Liptak
For British travellers, 2010 has been a bit of a nightmare year. First there was the Eyjafjallajöku volcano eruption in Iceland. It spewed out a giant cloud of ash along with magma, which resulted in flight cancellations and delays across European air space.
Next was the British Airways strike, ruining many an Easter holiday. Flights were cancelled, others were delayed and Heathrow’s Terminal Five seemed rather superfluous.
Summer this year was actually rather good, or parts of it were so many Brits that decided on a ‘staycation’ actually got to enjoy a good old British summer. But elsewhere, extreme heat ruined some holidays as Southern Europe witnessed temperatures in the 40s.
The northern hemisphere then enjoyed a somewhat balmy Indian summer, with mid-20 temperatures even in late September. However, those bound for other parts of the world were shocked to find overbearing temperatures. LA for example was so hot parts of it caught on fire and new records were broken.
Fast forward to November and December and the weather has been causing even more disruption. Not because of heat, the opposite in fact. Freezing temperatures, snow and strong winds turned Britain into a Russian colony with -17 and -18 or so reported in Wales and Scotland. All airports closed for a time, which caused more travel misery.
At the same time, rail transport boomed and the popularity of cross-channel ferries and the Eurotunnel grew beyond all expectations. But, has the extreme weather, people power and random acts of nature turned travelers against air travel?
It seems not so. The travel industry is bouncing back after a tough year in 2009. Although not back to pre-recession levels, people’s love of holidays and exploration doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of faltering. In fact, there are new destinations on the horizon in 2011, long haul places, proving air travel is not a dying breed.
In 2011, we will mostly be heading far away. Destinations like Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and New Zealand will move onto the mainstream radar thanks to improved flight connections and sporting events (New Zealand is hosting the Rugby World Cup).
The Eurozone is looking less popular, but Europe isn’t still without appeal. Eastern Europe won’t just be a popular city break destination as its forests, mountains and coastlines open up to adventure and activity holidays. And foodies will head to the west coast of Sweden for surprisingly affordable Michelin starred restaurants.
If you need some travel inspiration for 2011, check out Flight Centre’s selection of cheap flights.
