As travel begins to resume, data from travel technology company Amadeus has shown substantial increases in searches for trips to once-in-a-lifetime destinations as people begin to release their pent-up passion for travel.

Some interesting new search and flight locations are emerging: from flight searches up by one third to Tanzania, a country famous for safaris; to flights doubling to cities close to the home of the Incas, Machu Picchu, Amadeus is seeing a boom in demand for statement tourism.

Travellers will look to make that trip of a lifetime, with Amadeus seeing substantial increases in searches for travel to epic destinations or experiences. Searches for Tanzania – where travellers can see the Big Five in the wild – are up by 36 per cent. Bookings to the Peruvian cities of Lima and Cusco, near Machu Picchu, are up by nearly 50 per cent, and flights to Petra in Jordan – of Indiana Jones fame – are up by 22 per cent.

According to Amadeus, 2022 will be the year of grand reunions, with friendcations and group holidays to see loved ones on the rise.

Amadeus data showed that searches for travel to Cancun, Mexico, and Cartagena, Colombia – both popular destination for groups of friends – have more than doubled year-on-year, and Hawaii has seen a similar spike in interest. Meanwhile, searches for Las Vegas trips are up 61 per cent; and in Europe, Barcelona and Ibiza have seen healthy double-digit increases.

Active ecotourism is another rising trend. Today’s travellers are interested in taking action, with a growing demand for trips supporting diverse global communities.

A recent Amadeus-commissioned survey found that two-thirds of consumers consider sustainable travel a priority, and 37 per cent of respondents think opportunities for travellers to be involved in the preservation of tourist destinations will help the industry to become more sustainable in the long-term.

According to data from the company, searches for travel from the US to the eco-paradise of Costa Rica are up by 234 per cent year-on-year; and in Europe, visitors to carbon-neutral Iceland are up by a healthy 11 per cent.

Business travel is set to return in 2022, with Amadeus data showing that 72 per cent of business travellers are eager to travel in the next year. Changes are on the way for the business sector, with technology ushering in expense-free mobile travel payments, according to the company.

Wanderlust streaming is another growing trend, as travellers dream of going to new destinations, inspired by their viewing habits. Meanwhile, technology is transforming these dreams into real-life transactions, noted Amadeus.

Finally, the return of supersonic flights and hyperloop travel links, leveraging vacuum technology, will make lightning-quick travel accessible to an increasing number of people.

Dan Batchelor, vice president, global corporate communications & social responsibility, Amadeus, said: “As the travel sector recovers, we are seeing some truly exciting trends emerge that will shape the industry. Imagine a world where you finish watching an amazing Netflix series and your smart speaker immediately recommends a trip to visit those locations in real life. That technology is available now.

“Not only are the new industry technologies exciting, but they also give us the power to travel in a sustainable way, revolutionise the way we travel for business, and travel long distances in lightning-quick time. Supersonic flights are going to happen, almost two decades after Concorde dropped its nose for the final time. It is an incredibly exciting time for the industry.”

The full report can be read here.