The next 50 years of travel

In the past fifty years, Which? Travel has traced the changes in holidays from the first footsteps abroad for most Brits in the 70s to the boom in cheap flights that continues today.

We were (rightly) sceptical about timeshares in the 80s and first picked Lisbon as an underrated city in 2000. But what about 2074?

We’ve ignored outlandish claims of staying in 3D-printed pop-up holiday cottages or taking a lift to the moon. Which is not to say holidays won’t change. Spain was in the very first issue of Which? Travel in 1974, and alongside Italy, France and Greece features most frequently in its pages. However, parts of southern Europe are simply becoming too hot in the summer to enjoy a holiday. Changing weather patterns will see Dutch, Belgian and Polish seaside towns reborn.

Below, experts from the longest-running UK travel magazine share their predictions for future holidays 

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The Baltic beach break

Several northern European coastlines will benefit from the sweltering summer temperatures in southern Europe, as holidaymakers look for more temperate sands. Old seaside resort towns such as De Panne in Belgium and Domburg in Holland will return to their former glory, while the Danish Riviera blooms. But it’s perhaps the Baltic coast that’s best placed to step in as our summer holiday escape. Acres of golden sand run almost uninterrupted from Estonia, across Latvia, Lithuania and Poland and much of Germany. They are already warm in July and August, but climate change will extend the season. There are hundreds of pretty seaside resorts along this coast that are being spruced up by resort-style hotels and smart restaurants. For now, try a trip to the Hel Peninsula in Poland for world-class beaches and bargain fish dishes.

Democratic Colombia

Tourists prefer democratic countries. There are exceptions (such as Dubai or Singapore) but the 10 most-visited countries in the world are democracies. Democracy typically brings stability, safety and a service economy. Those are three S words that tourists like. Colombia has had a hard time shaking off its association with cartels and violence, but it’s enjoyed increasing stability for years and in 2023 moved from being ‘partly free’ to ‘free’ according to Freedom House, which ranks countries based on political and civil rights. Some parts remain off limits, but with Amazon jungle, Caribbean beaches and cities packed with beautiful architecture2, it will hope to take its place alongside Costa Rica as a safe holiday destination in Central America.

Rollercoasters in Bedford

Plans for a major new UK theme park have gone up and down more often than Blackpool’s Big Dipper, but the continual interest reflects the fact that the UK has all the right ingredients. The catchment area around London is huge, both for domestic and international visitors, while climate change means the UK will have more warm days to make outdoor thrill rides more appealing. Universal Studios recently bought a site near Bedford to potentially feature Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and other big film rides. As with Disneyland Paris, the arrival of a sizeable theme park would mean tens of millions of extra visitors.

Albania-on-sea

There has already been a lot of hype over Albania as a cheap alternative to Croatia. It is not Croatia. The beaches are fewer, rockier and generally less accessible. But ignore the comparison to its neighbour and Albania is growing into a Mediterranean destination in its own right. There are pretty beaches, such as Ksamil, although many are already busy and increasingly built up, but Albania also benefits from having outstanding national parks in its spectacular mountains, and towns like Berat and Gjirokaster with beautiful old centres. So while it can’t rival other Med destinations for beach breaks alone, Albania has a huge amount going for it. And as new hotels, roads and airports open, more of us will be tempted to see it.

The night train

From Berlin to Stockholm to Zurich to Zagreb, night trains are booming in Europe, as many of us look to reduce our carbon footprint. In the UK we’re held back by an often dysfunctional and expensive Eurostar, which has shrunk routes since Brexit. That should change. Several European train operators are interested in running direct routes to the UK – more competition will bring cheaper fares and ultimately enough demand for more tracks and trains. Then journeys can start in Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh, as originally planned in the 1980s.