- National Virtual Vacation Day
With National Virtual Vacation Day coming up on March 30, I thought it would be a good time to look into the future of travel and see what it holds for us. By the way, I started National Virtual Vacation Day in 2016, way before the global pandemic lockdown. It was as if I could see into the future and the need for virtual vacations. Sadly, I can’t see into the future, but I can (and do) see big changes coming in the travel industry as the world changes and evolves.
I created National Virtual Vacation Day to remind everyone that it’s not about wanting a vacation–it’s about needing a vacation. Whatever we do on vacation (or don’t do), it’s about us “recharging” and “refreshing” ourselves, which is so important in this fast-paced, multi-tasking world. Studies have been done that prove that vacations are good for your health! They improve anxiety, high blood pressure, heart health, depression, and brain cognition. Vacations are essential to good health and we all want to be healthy, right?
But we can’t always take a vacation when we need one. COVID reminded us of that. We may not be able to afford a vacation if our budget is tight. It may not be a good time to go away if you have family obligations or work commitments. We may not feel safe traveling due to war or disease.
However, we can always take a virtual vacation. Technological advances have created incredible virtual reality opportunities for us. Check out National Virtual Vacation Day to discover how you can enjoy spectacular journeys without leaving your home or spending a lot of money. Just think, no long flights or airport security lines!
THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
Speaking of technological advances, you won’t believe what is happening and will soon be happening in the travel industry. Read on to learn what the future of travel holds for all of us.
- Space Vacations
Orbital Assembly Corporation (OAC) is hard at work on creating the first hotel in space. It is expected to open in 2027! Guests will stay in 5,000+ square foot luxury villas. Each villa can sleep up to 16 people and has its own kitchen and bathroom. There will be an activity center with a gym for playing sports that will become a concert venue at night. A space vacation will be very expensive initially, but is expected to drop in price to be as affordable as a Disney vacation or a luxury cruise.
- Airships
Think Zeppelins, but with a happier ending! These aircraft run on helium, jet fuel, and solar power. This means they are more stable than Zeppelins, which ran on hydrogen. These air ships will be more for sightseeing than long hauls. They will fly at lower altitudes and slower speeds (100 mph). The windows will open! The UK’s Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) is a front runner with its Airlander 10. This 19-passenger blimp features glass floors, a cool bar & lounge, and private cabins. The Airlander 10 will begin operating commercially in 2024 or 2025. OceanSky Cruises and Lockheed Martin are developing similar technology.
- Environmentally-friendly planes
By 2050, zero-emission aircraft will be the norm. Airbus, NASA, Elon Musk, Eviation, and magniX are all working on creating such aircraft.
- Passenger-friendly planes
I’m all for helping the planet, but how about helping us uncomfortable passengers too? The future looks promising! by 2050, passenger planes will have panoramic windows with 360-degree views. These planes will offer upper levels–more room! Remember the good old days when there were lounges and bars upstairs on a plane? You will be able to move around, unlike now when they want you to stay in your seat even on long flights (even though it is unhealthy to do so). The airlines will care more about our health in the future. We will have ergonomic memory foam massage seats. We will be served hydrating vitamin drinks, which is great because we quickly become dehydrated in the air, especially on long flights.
- Air pods
Elon Musk is working on a new type of travel that will be sealed near-vacuum tubes which levitating pods can travel at hypersonic speeds. This means travel time will be slashed, such as a two-hour trip taking just ten minutes! His company completed the first successful passenger journey in November 2020 in the Nevada desert. Right now, the pod only goes 107mph but is expected to reach speeds of 1,000mph in the future. Wow! Richard Branson’s company is also working on this technology. Hyperloop is expected to connect cities (like a high speed monorail) by 2050.
- Air Taxis
Yes, there will be flying taxis! Think the Jetsons! Several firms are already hard at work to launch the world’s first air taxi service. Test flights have already been completed by China’s Ehang and Germany’s Lilium. SkyTran is backed by big name investors, including Google’s CEO. Dubai promises to launch the world’s first air taxi service by the end of 2022. Barcelona and Santiago also expect to have air service up (literally!) and running by 2023 with Rome close behind at an anticipated date of 2024. Orlando, Florida is set to be America’s first flying taxi airport and air taxi services are expected to be nationwide by 2025. Air Taxis will be ordered using a smart phone and app, like Uber!
There is so much more to share with you, so stay tuned for Part 2 of the Future of Travel. Coming soon!
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Terrance Zepke studied Journalism at the University of Tennessee and later received a Master's Degree in Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina. She has studied Parapsychology at the renowned Rhine Research Center. She began her career as a freelance writer and photographer, ... 
Thanks for this great article, Terrance! We at Discover Live, fortunately, get to virtually travel to many parts of the world, every day!