It feels like the last 18 months may well have changed the way we holiday forever, with flights grounded for long stretches, borders largely closed, and normally intrepid travellers feeling more than a little tentative about taking off.
That said, there are certain types of traveller that will endure, whatever the weather and current climate worldwide. If you’re wondering which category you fall into, here are 9 types of modern day traveller.
THE BEACH GOER
For those who live at a furious, frantic pace in major urban centres – stressed out, overworked and underpaid – the beach is the place that most appeals when choosing a holiday destination. The juxtaposition between the office desk and the golden sands, the soundtrack of phones ringing replaced by the score of waves lapping, the ergonomic chair swapped out for a deck chair…that’s what it’s all about.
THE FOODIE
You’re deep into a dark alley, phone leading you by the hand, peering into domestic scenes, grandmas flipping greens, meat on hooks and stomach hanging on tenters, wondering if this is that place. If this sounds like you, then no doubt you’re a culinary adventurer.
The Foodie eats and drinks their way around the world, with destination decisions reliant on the Michelin guide rather than the map. Scoring a table at one of the world’s top restaurants, unearthing a street food spot with a cult following or finding the world’s premier version of a certain dish…these are the things that matter to the foodie traveller.
Read: 5 IDEAL tips for foodie finds abroad
THE NATURIST
No, not the type who likes to go nude, though we’re all for that, too…in the right context, of course.
For many travellers, the desire to slip away solo, somewhere isolated and tranquil, trumps all others. Let’s call these travellers Naturists.
These folk are often, though not exclusively, introverted by nature, and seek mountains or forests for holidays full of contemplation and taking a deep look inwards. In fact, recent studies have shown that, in light of the pandemic and global travel restrictions, we are hardwired to flock to nature once in a while.
Prof. Marc Berman, a leading expert on how environmental factors can affect the brain and behaviour, says via the University of Chicago News that “our research has found that nature is not an amenity—it’s a necessity. We need to take it seriously.”
He elaborates that nature helps us unwind and de-stress, making such excursions into the wild ideally suited for those contemplative moments we mentioned.
THE THRILL SEEKING ADVENTURIST
Jumping out of a plane, skiing down a mountain, ziplining over a jungle; if this sounds like your ideal type of holiday, then perhaps you’re a Thrill Seeking Adventurist?
It’s well known that adventure holidays and beautiful, rugged, extreme scenery go hand in hand. After all, you couldn’t jump off a boring hill into a murky lake, now could you? Well, you could, but it would be bloody, muddy awful.
So, as much as it concerns getting the adrenaline levels turned up to 11, such a trip is about exploring new places, learning and seeing new things, and taking in all of those amazing views.
Read: 5 IDEAL reasons to go on an adventure holiday
THE TREND CHASER
Some travellers choose to base their holidays on their favourite celebrities’ preferred places to vacay, checking out their social media channels and taking inspiration on where they’ve been recently. Rather than call them stalkers, let’s think of them as Trend Chasers, keen to follow in the footsteps of their heroes.
To get an insight into this intriguing sounding type of trip, you can see who the world follows here, country by country via Travel Department, to get a good idea of the cultural icons of some of your favourite destinations across the world.
THE BUCKET LIST TICKER
Some travellers are keener to see all the sights in record time, taking a visual memento (fingers pinching the top of the Taj Mahal, hands keeping the Leaning Tower of Pisa upright….you know the drill) at each place.
These Bucket List Tickers are well drilled and organised, having their itinerary set out well in advance and sticking to it rigidly to ensure that their Instagram pages are full of these famous – though sometimes cliched – holiday snaps.
THE DIGITAL NOMAD
Your office is the beach and your idea of a tea break is heading to the local bar for an ice cold beer. You can work from anywhere in the world, at any time, as long as you can get online. For you, ‘the commute’ is a short stroll to a shady spot under a palm tree.
While life as a Digital Nomad can be fraught with obstacles and stress. and typically, the wage isn’t regular, the lifestyle is transient and the travel expenses constant.
THE WORKCATIONER
We’re sure we don’t need to tell you twice, since you’re probably reading this from your home office set up, but here it goes, just once; working from home has become the norm during the pandemic, and it’s likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future
Similar to the Digital Nomad, the Workationer takes trips that combine business and pleasure but with the former element being done remotely, via the laptop, Zoom conference calls, and Slack exchanges, all of which we’ve become so familiar with lately. They are super organised, never forget their passports or misplace documents, and tend to congregate in big cities under the pretence of networking and ‘access’. Really, they’re here for the quick WiFi.
Hey, it’s one way to see the world on company time!
THE LONG WEEKENDER
Hey ‘’insert name’’, where we going this weekend? Perhaps in the words of Rick Stein in his series Long Weekends, it’s to “Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen, salty queen of the sea’’. Or, to Lisbon, where he struggles with a hotel buffet breakfast instead of getting out there to enjoy the city’s world famous custard tarts…
Anyway, the Long Weekender is perhaps a little less prone to moaning than our Rick. They like to travel to places that are a quick hop, skip and jump from the UK, relishing in the restaurants, bars, museums and galleries of their chosen city, and all at breakneck speed.
Though they go away at every possible opportunity, and spend loads doing it, they’re happy and nourished when seeing the world, caring not for the cost.
They might be onto something. According to research, frequent travel makes people happier. Very Well Mind reports that “A new study published in the journal Tourism Analysis has found that frequent travelers tend to have greater life satisfaction than those who don’t take vacations often”.
We couldn’t agree more.
If that’s piqued your interest, then check out these 4 of the best weekend city breaks with a beach in the South of France.