Since pandemic restrictions have lifted and economies have reopened worldwide, there has been a prominent increase in travel. Roads, seas, and skies packed with travellers eager to make up for lost time are indications that tourism is on the rebound.
However, the lengthy lull in travel has affected travel behaviour and is set to underscore several trends likely to drive the hospitality industry and guide how and where we travel in 2023. Steenberg Hospitality’s Marketing and International Sales Manager, Neilen Tolmay, offers insight into these trends and an overview of Steenberg’s approach to them.
- Planning Ahead
Despite the current national and international economic climate, Tolmay says he is cautiously optimistic regarding the trajectory of the hospitality industry this year. His optimism is supported by the fact that Steenberg Hotel’s calendar is in great demand.
According to an article published by Forbes Advisor at the end of 2022, “travellers are finally comfortable with locking in trips ahead of time” to the extent that, “they are, on average, booking trips further ahead for 2023 than they did back in 2019”, with some already planning their 2023 summer trips.
2. Package Trips
Popular for their convenience, package trips are well-known travel trends that have maintained a steady level of appeal over the years. Steenberg has reimagined the outdated all-inclusive cliches into intermittent bespoke package trips that ensure visitors venture out and explore the locale. From 5-star accommodation to award-winning restaurants, spa treatments, Steenberg Wine and MCC tastings, and picnic trips to notable Cape Town sites like Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, this is the way to go for travellers who enjoy prearranged itineraries.
3. Purposeful Travel
Gone are the days of travel itineraries geared solely towards relaxation and rest. Travel experts report that visitors are interested in a more immersive stay characterised by unique, authentic, and often educational experiences.
In an interview with Condé Nast Traveller, CEO and founder of luxury travel provider, The Luminaire, Adam Sebba comments, “Following a spate of post-pandemic revenge
spending, we can now expect travellers to be more selective, placing higher value on fulfilling experiences that fuel their thirst for knowledge and personal growth in 2023”.
Easily accessible cultural, social, and physical activities make Steenberg an attractive travel destination. Enjoy the sites of extraordinary works by renowned Italian-born abstract sculptor, Eduardo Villa which decorate the Steenberg gardens with pops of brilliant colour.
Steenberg’s 300-hectare farm boasts well-marked hiking and bike trails for an immersive experience in the fynbos. The trails are gentle, scenic meanders which wind their way through Steenberg’s expansive vineyards, past the winery, a picturesque dam, and the farm’s 18-hole championship golf course.
While the wellness trend is not exactly new, it is one that continues to appear on the travel trend list year after year. Steenberg’s Spa offers a range of treatments, products and therapies to perfectly address your needs. For an exclusive outdoor tranquil treatment, relax your body with a spa spoil of your choosing in the Hotel’s Scented Garden – a secluded haven of calm punctuated by fragrant flowers and a towering Oak tree which invites you to sink into a serene state.
Food forms an integral part of any trip. From enticing starters to sumptuous mains and delectable desserts, each dish at Steenberg’s two contemporary dining destinations, Tryn, and Bistro Sixteen82 is a distinctive combination of refined dining expertly prepared by Steenberg’s Executive Chef, Kerry Kilpin, who considers every flavour with care.
4. Think Local
Forbes Advisor recently reported that “guests want to provide benefits to the local people and the economy”.
A strong, socially conscious proponent of backing the greater community and providing economic opportunity, Steenberg works with an array of local businesses. For example, restaurants Tryn and Bistro Sixteen82 proudly partner with ABALOBI – an initiative designed to help support and conserve fishing communities by connecting small-scale local fishers with the marketplace. All fish sourced via ABALOBI is local, fully traceable, and harvested responsibly using low-impact fishing methods.
5. ‘Hush’ Trips
‘Bleisure’ (an amalgam of the terms, “business” and “leisure”) first appeared as a travel trend before remote work even entered our radars. But now, bleisure has evolved into a new travel trend known as ‘hush trips’ – a hybrid of remote work and leisure that enables travellers to quietly escape the office hustle and bustle while staying ‘on the job’ without ever having to inform their companies. To accommodate this pattern, Steenberg Hotel’s 24 rooms are furnished with designated workspaces and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi. Should the need arise, Steenberg also offers comprehensive conference packages.
In an article published by Country Town & House in January, senior vice president at Booking.com, Arjan Dijk, tells the publication that, “it will be a year in which we ‘seek unapologetic moments of happiness and escapism to counteract the heavy realities of our news feeds”. Dijk’s comment hints that opportunities for travel will be seized more than ever before culminating in a possible travel boom come summer 2023.
For an immersive visit, staycation, or ‘hush trip’ at Steenberg Hotel & Spa, enquire at [email protected].
