Travel in the Time of Trump

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - December 03, 2016) - As the wealthiest cabinet in history readies to take the reins in the upcoming Trump administration, America's wealthiest are also taking the lead in an unprecedented trend in travel. Upscale and luxury travel is set to explode in the coming six years, according to a new survey released last month by Allied Market Research.

The results, detailed in the latest issue of Tours.com's Travel-Intel, show that the growing taste for luxury travel is on a trajectory to increase by a CAGR of 6.4 percent and generate some $1.154 billion in revenues by 2022. The study cites a growing demand for unique and exotic holiday experiences, a rise in middle and upper middle class spending and the increasing impact of social media on the travel industry as key factors marking this explosion.

The story in Travel-Intel is one of several looking at recent and long-term trends in the travel industry. The publication, which is sent to 103,000 travel agents in North America and posted on Tours.com for travel consumers to read, also features some other noteworthy articles, including a piece that casts light on America's place in the world when it comes to available vacation days. Not surprisingly, the USA ranks dead last, just under the UK for official vacation days offered from work. US workers receive 15 vacation days per year, of which they take on average only 12. Several other countries, such as the UAE, France and Finland, give workers double that time for time off.

Similarly, as vacation days are fast disappearing, so are formerly complimentary allowances on airlines. United Airlines will become the next entrant into the was-free-now-for-a-fee club in 2017 when it joins such carriers as Spirit, Allegiant and Frontier in charging passengers to use overhead bin space to store their carry-on luggage. Travel-Intel looks at the new basic economy fares that United is rolling out and what they may mean for all travelers in the coming years.

In other stories, Arakur Ushuaia is featured as a cool, luxury stay at the bottom of the planet. The hotel in the quiet fishing village of Ushuaia in Argentina's legendary Tierra del Fuego, sits at the gateway for cruises to Antarctica and for travelers who want to venture where few have gone before. Arakur Ushuaia Resort and Spa overlooks the southern spine of the Andes and the Beagle Channel in a spot where cruise ships call and visitors explore for scenery, hikes, history and, of course, penguins. The property is a member of the exclusive Kurtz-Ahlers collection of luxury hotels, resorts and destination specialists.