Beyond the obvious

“Many discerning travellers have already visited the world’s greatest capital cities and are seeking a different side to the urban landscape. We predict 2016 as the year that sees instead the rise of the second city,” said Marchant. “And we will certainly be placing an emphasis on this for 2016.”

“These cities give a chance to get a greater understanding of a county’s authentic culture, and are wrapped in a greater mystery compared to capital cities, so they offer more chances to surprise and delight,” said Marchant. “We’re working on building bespoke itineraries that combine a mix - such as unmissable cities such as Rome and Florence with lesser known and equally fascinating Naples and Palermo.”

Meanwhile, Black Tomato has also seen a rise in the number of bookings by solo travellers – and not necessarily just singles, but also those wanting to travel on a different kind of holiday to their partner.

“Solo travel is perfect for taking time out of co-dependent lives to figure things out on one’s own time frame,” said Marchant. “It’s this desire for self-reflection and discovery that are driving these changes in the way solos are travelling; solo travel has moved away from the domain of the lonely and awkward.”

He added that more hotels seemed to be scrapping the single supplement, while restaurants were being designed to make the solo traveller more at ease when dining alone.

Escaping the real world

The rise of mindfulness in every day life is also leading to an increase in travellers seeking this when they are away as well.

“In 2015, mindfulness and emotional well-being became increasingly important in a time when constant connectivity has been leaving us exhausted and over-stimulated. Practicing being mindful and travel go hand-in-hand,” Marchant said.

This trend is leading to people looking for more retreats and walking trips to get “respite from the real world” and is likely to fuel demand for places such as Ladakh, India and Bhutan and destination hotels such as Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland which encourage solo stays and are ideal for this desire for peace and retreats.

“We are seeing a larger number of smaller boutique hotels, often with less than 10 rooms that are spread out across acres of land, in recognition that sometimes people want to retreat. We’re also offering guests the chance to stay in remote cottages or heritage landmarks on the west coast of Ireland, for example,” noted Marchant, who has also expanded his London-based business into New York.

Family travel is also seeing changes, according to the report, as families seek adventures that involve learning skills, taking in new cultures and “achieving something as a unit” on their holidays.

“This is a kind of travel that treats children with a maturity that is sometimes lacking from their day to day lives,” Marchant said. “We’re seeing guests travel to remote islands in Indonesia where in total castaway style, families must rely on team work to build fires, fish and cook under the stars. With no distractions such as iPads and iPhones, families can spend quality time together by getting back to basics and learning survival techniques together.”

Business also seems to be booming for Black Tomato, with a huge spike in new enquiries in 2015.

“Last year saw us reach record numbers for enquiries for bespoke luxury holidays, with a significant increase of 58%,” said Marchant. “We attribute this to our new-look, responsive website, as well as streamlining our product and new partnerships and marketing initiatives such as the Marriage Proposal Service. In 2016, we're already seeing an 86% increase in enquiries from the start of the year compared to January 2015.”

Cuban spotlight

While many in the industry are hailing the rise of Cuba in 2016, Black Tomato said parts of the island such as the west coast are already “over-run”.

The company is keen to emphasis Santiago de Cuba and eastern Cuba as an alternative and to diversify its offerings, such as treks into the Sierra Maestra Mountains to visit Fidel Castro’s hideout, or tours with local influencers to visit some of the best music venues in the country.

“We’re seeing a significant rise in new enquiries and bookings for new destinations such as Cuba - so far for 2016, we’ve seen a 53% rise in enquiries for Cuba,” Marchant said.

He also highlighted a rise in enquiries for Sri Lanka.

“While it has always been a strong destination for us, the recent addition of new boutique properties such as Tri on the south coast and Chena Huts in Yala National Park, and developments in infrastructure has led to an increase in interest in the destination which we’re predicting will continue into 2016,” he said.

South America spurt

Peru is also tipped for big things this year, with improved accessibility from British Airways’ new flights to Lima from May.

But Black Tomato said it would be looking to branch out into the Andes, instead of the “beaten path of the Inca Trail”, looking at offering exclusive options such as the Salkantay route, "unexplored by travellers visiting Peru" and giving a new way to hike, meeting local communities and shamans along the way.

Black Tomato is also launching exclusive access tours in Lima such as private views of MATE, the museum celebrating photographer Mario Testino’s work.

It will also focus on other parts of Latin America while the world is caught up with the Rio Olympics this year.

“Whilst the world’s eyes will be fixed firmly on Rio - we will be emphasizing visiting the more remote parts of neighboring Argentina – that will be a great way of escaping the inflated prices and crowds that will be descending on Brazil,” said Marchant.

Also on the South American radar, Colombia is tipped for big things in 2016.

“It’s the hip new kid on the block, and is shedding the stigma of its past and increasingly being perceived as a burgeoning cultural treasure trove paired with landscapes that are some of the most pristine and untouched in South America,” the report said.

Nicaragua – “the underdog of Central America” - is also “undergoing a travel revolution”.

“Whilst still retaining that much loved off-the-beaten track vibe, the new Costa Esmeralda airport and scattering of world class eco-lodges are finally giving this Central American haven the place on the map that it so deserves,” Marchant said.

Madagascar, Ireland, the Italian lakes, Newfoundland and Cambodia are also high on the 2016 radar, the report said.