Every year, most people make New Year’s Resolutions. Whether they are to lose weight, start exercising more, or buy a new home, it’s a common ritual. It’s time to make some big changes in 2021.
In so many ways, travel is a chance to explore yourself and those around you. Whether you’re embarking on a trip to experience a new culture or to simply get out of your comfort zone. But above all, it's the ultimate escape — taking us out of ourselves and into other places, making us see differently and see things in a new light.
Here are our top 7 travel resolutions for the year. We hope we can help you take your travel life to the next level!
1. Use your annual leave to travel
After 2020, we all need a break, and last year has taught us the value of time. Take it easy!
Yes, we all need a vacation — not just from work for a few days (as suggested in the original), but an extended break throughout the year. We are too stressed in this busy world with short bursts of work followed by even shorter breaks. A bit of travel helps rejuvenate and reassesses our priorities.
Whether it’s a short break away or two weeks off, always use your time off to explore new places (with us!). Unwind from work, stay hydrated, take in the sights and sounds and above all, make new memories — which you can then take home to share with family and friends.
2. Watch or listen to a podcast of one travel show per week
Make a New Year’s resolution to tune into a travel show each week. Whether you browse through documentaries with David Attenborough or relish in the local delicacies of countries around the world, tune into live shows to get inspired and learn more about cultures and cuisines. Travel shows are a great way to learn about new cultures and cuisines without actually leaving your couch.
3. Eat a healthy diet of…. new cuisines
Eating healthy and getting fit are two tick-box clichés when it comes to New Year Resolutions. We don’t think New Year Resolutions should be about dumbing down your life or moving through the motions — we think they should be about experimenting, pushing yourself and surrounding yourself with people you love. A New Year resolution shouldn’t be a new diet or workout program; it should be something exciting and different, like a brand spanking new cuisine or new dish every month. It boils down to experimenting and living life in the moment. Make your travel resolution to eat a new cuisine or new dish each month. Either find a restaurant in your city or town or cook something a little different each time you head out for a bite.
Say you’re going to Thailand in 2021. Thai food is incredible but confusing at first – but if you start trying different dishes now you’ll know your pad se ew from you pad ki maow by the time those wheels leave the runway.
4. Learn some basic phrases in a new language
There’s a smile on your face when you order in another language. Did you know the apps like Duolingo are programmed to remind you to practice? When you find yourself in a foreign area, it’s easy to forget how easy words can be and that’s not good. It may seem like a trivial resolution, but if you greet the locals with a smile and a “bonjour” they might just give you directions in broken English, and they always appreciate a tourist who gives it a go.
If in 2021 you plan to go to France, why not brush up on your greetings, numbers and a few simple sentences? After all, no one wants to step into a boulangerie or fromagerie and walk out empty handed. No?
5. Start a travel fund
If you start saving for your very first trip in 2021, there's no better time than the present to make it official. Create a Travel Fund and set a New Year's Resolution to save a certain amount each month or every payday. Whether you're looking for a short vacation with your family or an epic trip around the world, you'll be kicking off your trip on the right foot by putting away money for your adventure.
6. Buy local souvenirs
One of the great joys of travel is the people you meet along the way. Almost every country and culture have artisans that – often against the odds – continue the beautiful traditions of their ancestors. Maybe it’s basket weaving, rug making, ceramics or painting. A one-of-a-kind souvenir made with so much heart comes with a story and will mean so much more than that funny fridge magnet.
7. Travel more
Soon, people are going to reach their breaking point. Whether you’re planning a trip to another part of the country or home country or you’re hoping for travel again overseas, if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s how much we once took this freedom to move and explore for granted. Even in a world that has seen such rapid technological progression, travel is just as important as ever before. From road trips to exploring our own backyard, or taking a trip abroad, travel is an essential part of the human experience. Nothing is guaranteed. Not even the weather and the economy. You just have to make sure that you use all the opportunities available to you and that you can make it work for you.
We at Holiday Bazaar truly are dreamers and big thinkers, who truly believe whatever you do, get back out there to support the communities who rely most on our incredible industry. No matter where you end up travelling, we’re here for you.