november-2011

Departures
TRENDS
Futures
exchange
How will
we live in
2012? We ask
a panel of
leading trend
analysts to
give us their
forecasts
for the
coming year…
MARIAN
SALZMAN
Ten years ago,
futurist Marian
Salzman foresaw the
rise of the “metrosexual”.
Since then, she’s predicted
that sleep would become
the new sex. See more
trend predictions for 2012
at mariansalzman.com.
“We’ll see a renewed interest in
‘ethnic tourism’. It’s kind of the
anti-luxury trip because very
few people’s roots incorporate
much glamour. It will be much
more of an earthy experience,
all about ethnic cooking, and if
there’s anything ‘high culture’
about, it will be craft.
“Look for 2012 to be the
beginning of an era where
notions of time are divided
differently. We all know
‘millennials’ (people born
post-1980) have very different
views about the work/life
balance. They will turn the
traditional workday on its
ear – the traditional ‘agrarian’
workday will be upended by the
30 Thomas Cook Travel
digital generation’s ability to
work anywhere, anytime.
“Next year welcomes a fullon
push for TV on the internet.
YouTube is going to launch
scheduled programming in
2012, with shows on everything
from fashion to sports. Look
out for Google TV as well, sure
to define the realm of the
couch potato the world over.
Then there’s new show Pan Am
(pictured) It’s really going to
glorify air travel. It’s going to
make all of us really anxious to
get back on an aeroplane and
go someplace.”
MARTIN
LINDSTROM
Brand oracle
Martin Lindstrom
has the ear of every
major corporation from
Lego to McDonalds.
His book Brandwashed
(Kogan Page) is published
this January.
“We’re simply not present
anymore – we sit at dinner
checking our messages,
ignoring the people we’re
physically with. But in 2012
people will wake up and start
working against that. They’re
going to start choosing
destinations because their
BlackBerries and iPhones
won’t work in that place. In
fact, that will be part of the
destination’s promotion.
“People will spend more
time exploring unknown cities
in Eastern Europe, which will
be marketed as untouched
and unspoilt. A lot of places in
Eastern Europe have not been
renovated for some time; when
you go there you’ll get a sense
that this is the real thing.”
LI
EDELKOORT
Named by i-D as
one of the most
influential trend spotters
in the world, Li Edelkoort
publishes View on Colour,
a magazine that predicts
the year’s most important
shades and materials. She
shares more travel trends
at trendtablet.com.
“I think there’s a trend towards
mountain summer holidays;
to experience fresh air,
unspoilt nature and fresh lakes
– where there’s less danger
of pollution than in seas.
“Yellow will be the new
pink. Yellow and gold are the
colours of optimism and
they uplift even in dark
periods. This trend will start
slowly, but you’ll see it in
fashion, interiors, sometimes
even exteriors.
“Many people I know are
buying very small islands in
lakes and rivers. They’re not
rich – just ordinary people
buying a piece of land to
secure a bit of peace. Values
of travel are changing and
everything is going in the
same direction – the quest
for calm and authenticity.”
WORDS TABITHA LASLEY. PHOTOGRAPHY HEATHER JOHNSON, PLANET PHOTOS