The need of humans to travel, to discover, and to satisfy their curiosity is the basic motivation for why travel developed over the centuries. It was basically a response to human cravings and growing interests, the new world invited the explorers, the hunters, the pilgrims… Later on, adventure, novelty, discovery, the opening of the eyes, knowing other cultures and landscapes… all this attracted more and more people to involve in travel and leisure, what is to become the tourism that we know today.

Let’s get back, and reply to these basic notions that are again on the rise. Even though recent decades have shown the damaging sides of frequent and unmanaged travel, mere hedonism without regard to content or impact is not satisfactory anymore, which has proven true, especially in the last few years. The pandemic, the climate crisis, and the stressed lifestyle have brought the honest and simple motives of transformation and growth to the surface again. To better approach the traveler of today, it is necessary that we go back to these basic notions, that make understanding travel trends very natural and simple. These motives very much regulate their choices, preferences, and even the budget. If traveler seeks food for their soul, it is up to us to find a way to offer this to them!

 

Transformation while on the road

Almost anybody can travel today.

You can travel almost to any part of the world.

You can also even do it anytime, every little while.

You can travel alone; with somebody, you love or in a group. You just need to choose, and all is possible.

No constraints, no limitations… but perhaps the budget.

 

Simply put, travel can consist of getting to one place, doing something at this place, and then at some point going back home. It is basically an equation of transportation, accommodation, and supporting activities. Many (agents) play around with this equation as it is not too complicated to set up. You can basically do whatever you want, within reasonable boundaries.

However, the sort of emptiness we were exposed to during the pandemic has shown some already-known trends as becoming more important. People were openly concerned about the environment and their carbon footprint. We were forced to become witnesses to the world abruptly slowing down and almost stopping. We now knew this could happen; it became possible. We were at risk of not seeing our loved ones, our connections were endangered. Social gatherings vanished, showing sometimes how we took so much for granted while the wheel of regular life was spinning around. All of a sudden, we were constrained in our homes, looking at our little homey corners with other eyes. Our business, family, and life began to mix around and our 24-hour day came out in other shapes from before. In one way or another, this was a transformational experience for many of us.

Coronavirus indeed accelerated the trends that we have already seen coming. Spending meaningful time, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, caring for others and our surroundings, and discovering new ways to grow, learn and distance ourselves from the invasive noise and mental pollution are only a few points to mention.

 

Travel makes you grow from within

So, how are we sure something has shifted in our minds and we are on the mental road of transformation? It is truly an individual sensation that depends almost entirely on the one’s readiness to absorb new experiences and exercise responsibility and healthy integration. However, some external factors do facilitate this to happen. Sometimes a silent observation is enough to get this going. I still hold a specific sight in my memory of a narrow little street in Split, with plants hanging over my head and local delicacies being served to us on a shaky little wooden table. A good and tasteful meal or an opening conversation with somebody you meet can do wonders as well. These ideas were exactly the foundation of all of Manifesta’s programs and tours.

The starting principle was how a location, an activity, getting into the heart of a local community or an artistic sensation we incorporate in the itinerary makes the person feel, and how it triggers their imagination. We are in fact the facilitators of the traveler’s sensations. However, this is not the only role we intend to play. The other one is just as complex and demanding. We hope to be the ambassadors of the local people’s efforts to showcase their unique art, craft, tradition, or usual daily lifestyle. Making these two ends meet is a rewarding job, especially when the results of the work materialize in kind words, sharing common introspective, and witnessing an actual change that we indirectly made possible to happen.

 

Crisis opens new horizons

Even though today’s world is considered to be in deep crisis, we can still decide to think that we live in very exciting times. Some would call them demanding and turbulent, but every crisis is a balloon that will eventually bring about change. We can choose to take a standpoint that gratefully observes what is going around and acts upon the changes, rather than looking back at old habits and the order long gone by. Exciting opportunities arise, and it is very wise to work on our adaptation and acceptance of the trends this brings around. Actually, the old basics our traveler responded to when he/she first decided to hop on a journey are coming back, but this time with much more consideration about the general impact their travel habits make.

As in our program “In the search of the lost Mediterranean”, we are indeed in search of the values that were not lost, but just temporarily misplaced. Let’s nurture the values of honest connections to the place, to the community, and to ourselves. Let’s preserve the authenticity and the stories that carry our identity. Let’s slow down ourselves and the others, to catch the right moment that deserves to become a comforting mental souvenir.

That is the point where we can feel that we have built up another little brick of growth and transformation in the direction of re-undertaking a meaningful life, meaningful relationships, and meaningful spending of time in our balanced lives – always, not only during our travels.