Tourism Industry Reveals Latest Post-Recession Travel Trends

LONDON (AP) - "Deprivation" vacations in the U.S. involving boot-camp style resorts or extreme trekking, and an explosion of smartphone travel applications in Europe are key trends in a post-recession global tourism industry, according to a report released Monday.

The World Travel Market 2010 report - conducted by Euromonitor International - also identifies the emergence of Iraq as a premier destination in the Middle East and space tourism in South Africa as significant changes in an industry that is still getting back on its feet.

The report was released on the first day of the four-day World Travel Market in London. The annual event, due to be attended by almost 50,000 people, including government ministers, is being held this year against the backdrop of a stuttering global economic recovery.

"The effects of the Great Recession are still apparent in the global travel industry as deprivation holidays and boot camps are all the rage in North America," said Caroline Bremner, head of travel and tourism at Euromonitor International. "For those with access to credit, investment opportunities exist from Iraq to the U.K.'s iconic luxury brands."

Bremner said Asia was leading the world out of the downturn, and would lead both inbound and outbound travel over the next year or so.

Substantial investment is being poured into Asia by major hotel chains in response to demand within the region for luxury breaks. Locals are also leading the way in international travel, with 60 million outbound travelers from China anticipated by 2015.

In North America, researchers predicted a boom in destination spas and camps thanks to the growing popularity of deprivation holidays for business executives who want to push their bodies to the extreme. Aiming at improving their health and balance, consumers enroll in boot camp-style spa resorts or extreme trekking, instead of spending their free time relaxing.

In Europe, Bremner said the next battleground for the industry would be competition for services on smartphones. Business travelers have already widely adopted mobile travel technology because of the need for last-minute reservations, and services for general travelers are likely to be hotly contested.

"This evolution of m-tourism is expected to be extremely fast, with high international roaming costs being the most significant obstacle," she said.

South Africa is making the most of star-filled clear skies by focusing on astronomy and space tourism with many hotels offering in-room telescopes and astronomy courses.

In perhaps the most surprising trend, Euromonitor singled out the "race for Iraq" within the Middle Eastern tourism market. The report found that interest by Gulf investors in Iraq is driving up postwar business and religious tourism.

Backing that view, Iraq-based AAIB Insurance Brokers launched Sunday the first website to provide comprehensive travel insurance to Iraq from anywhere in the world.

"Iraq is quite possibly the most exciting emerging destination in the world," said AAIB Chief Executive William Wakeham.

While global tourism contracted by 4.6 percent in 2009, Iraq's visitor economy grew by 31 percent.

Last month, a flight by private French carrier Aigle Azur marked the return of European airlines to Iraq, touching down at Baghdad's heavily guarded international airport with more than 100 passengers - mostly businessmen.

"As a company specializing in providing insurance solutions for businesses operating in Iraq, we have witnessed a marked increase in inbound business traffic as corporations and investors recognize the opportunities Iraq presents," Wakeham said.

"With the improving security situation, there is also a growing number of returning Iraqi diaspora and Visiting Friends & Relatives traffic as well as significant numbers of religious pilgrims visiting the numerous sites across Iraq," he said.