The future holiday: long but costly

A few months ago, the PR agency for holiday home maker Willerby approached me for my thoughts on the future holiday. They were working on a campaign with TV GP Dr Hilary Jones and wanted to extend the thinking out: what might the future holiday look like?It's not the first time I have tackled this topic but I decided to take a fresh look this time, considering all the pressure points and trends that might drive change in the future holiday. The results certainly caught people's attention with the report immediately getting covered in the Daily Mirror when it launched.The fundamentals of my foresight process are simple. I look at the big pressures already facing a particular issue. In this case that included climate change, demographic change, the economy, and mental health. Then I look at the trends: changes in technology, ways of working and living, consumer cravings, new forms of transport. I believe that you can get a real sense of the future when you see where these trends connect with the existing pressures.The result in this case? Longer but more expensive holidays, as changing working and living practices intersect with the pressures of climate change. A craving for more physical experiences as we seek escape from our increasingly digital environment. And a few eye-catching things, like 3D printed homes that blend seamlessly into nature, giving us both comfort and the sense of the wild that we desire.You can download and read the full report from the Willerby website here.