Eight trends that changed travel over the last decade

Hot destinations of 2010

Barcelona was on every travel bucket list, Cuba was the hot new trophy destination for intrepid types, Colombia was in the spotlight, freed of its drug cartels, and travellers were discovering the mellow joys of Sri Lanka, freshly emerged from years of civil conflict. An overwater bungalow in the Maldives was the very last word in luxury and Antarctica was on the cusp of a boom as a cruise-ship destination. Damascus was being billed as the next Marrakesh, but tourists had yet to discover Japan in large numbers. In 2009 the country welcomed just 6.8 million travellers. A decade later the figure is over 30 million.

The rise of China-based airlines

Back in 2010 there were just three China-based airlines operating non-stop flights from three Chinese cities to Australia. Today there are eight Chinese airlines servicing Australian cities. That’s more than the total number of European and North American carriers flying into Australian airports. As well as non-stop flights from Australia to more than a dozen cities in China, these airlines also offer highly competitive seat prices, exerting downward pressure on other carriers’ airfares. Increased flights have also fuelled a boom in the number of Chinese visitors. In the year ending 1 July 2009, 373,000 residents of China visited Australia. A decade later that figure is almost four times greater.

The decline of the jumbos

In 2010 Boeing’s 747 and Airbus’ A380 were the unquestioned rulers of long-distance air travel but the winds of change are blowing the four-engine, double-decker jumbos from the skies. The Boeing 747, which took its first paying passengers into the skies 50 years ago, is no longer in production as a passenger aircraft. Production of the A380, which made its commercial debut only in 2007, is tapering to a close. Although the jumbos are spacious, quiet and smooth, technological changes and rising fuel costs have spelled their demise. Twin-engine, wide-bodied aircraft such as Boeing’s 787 and 777 and the Airbus A350 are now the vehicles of choice for airlines looking for long-haul aircraft. Not only are they cheaper to operate, they can carry almost as many passengers as the jumbos and fly even further. 

The cruise scene sets sail

In 2010, 466,000 Australians took a cruise holiday. The figure for 2019 is expected to be three times greater. As a percentage of population, more Australians take a cruise than any other nationality. The increase has coincided with the era of the megaships – those with a gross weight in excess of 200,000 tonnes. Another phenomenon that has spurred the increase in cruise numbers is the advent of luxury expeditionary ships – those small and hardy vessels that take us through the fiords of Patagonia and to the temple cities along Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River. You can now have National Geographic-style encounters with wildlife and ‘calving’ glaciers (when chunks of ice break off a glacier), dance with painted warriors in Papua New Guinea then go below decks for a spa treatment followed by a drink in the cocktail lounge and dinner served by a bow-tied waiter.