What's in the cards in the world of travel for the new year? World Expeditions and its two European brands, UTracks and Sherpa Expeditions, outline seven of the top trends for 2017…

1 - All eyes on South America
Get completely off the beaten track in Guyana, the continent's only English speaking country that recently enjoyed a royal boost, on a new, two-week itinerary (Guyana - Overland to Kaieteur Falls). With formal 'peace talks' now taking place in Colombia tourists are encouraged to return to the country (Colombia's Lost City Trek), while new flights to the local airport of Jaén and the recently completed cable car to the ancient citadel of Kuélap are putting northern Peru on the tourist map (Hidden Treasures of Northern Peru). Reaching Patagonia becomes easier than ever before thanks to the first ever direct, non-stop link between London and Santiago and the long-awaited reopening of Puerto Natales airport (Great Patagonian Traverse – North to South).

2 - Med beyond the resorts
The Med consistently ranks as one of Brits' top destinations for their summer holiday but it is not all “been there, done that”. New itineraries for 2017 range from the 'monastic republic' of Mount Athos in Greece that follows a strict, no-females policy (Mount Athos Explorer) to the largest (and crowd free!) National Park in Italy, Cilento, the 'other side' of the Amalfi Coast (Cilento Coast and Mountain) and the fascinating Alentejo region in southern Portugal (Portugal Wine and Castles Cycle); while in Spain you can head either south, to the little known Sierra de Grazalema, Andalusia's first natural park (Ronda and the Sierra de Grazalema), or north, cycling along the Costa Verde in the shadow of the Picos de Europa's impressive snowy peaks (Costa Verde Cycle).

3 - Staycation is making a comeback
The less favourable, post-Brexit exchange rate is set to boost the popularity of staycation in 2017 and, responding to customer demand, Sherpa Expeditions is launching in April two itineraries: a brand new trail that links the east and west coasts of Scotland in honour of the Scottish-born naturalist (John Muir Way) and a weeklong walking tour around the islands of Guernsey that follows the longer half of the recently introduced Channel Island Way (Guernsey Islands – The Channel Island Way). The activity holiday specialist continues to expand its domestic portfolio, which earlier this year saw the introduction of new itineraries in the Yorkshire Dales and the Isle of Wight, as well as the longest ever guided version of the Coast-to-Coast that will be complemented by an extra, second departure date in 2017.

4 - It's a woman's world
The number of women participating in its active adventures has increased from 38 per cent in 1996 to 54 per cent in 2016, so next year World Expeditions will be introducing a new range of 21 trips around the globe for women only – including iconic itineraries such as climbing Africa's highest mountain (Women's Kilimanjaro) and trekking along the Great Wall in China (Women's Great Wall Trek). Alternatively, fitness fanatics can indulge themselves in daily yoga classes in serene locations across the Indian Himalaya and 'Little Tibet' (Yoga & Trek Ladakh) or get inspired by adventurer and Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society Kate Leeming on an epic two-week cycling expedition in Morocco (High Atlas to the Sahara Cycle).

5 - New Zealand: Silently on the rise (and more comfortable to get to!)
Not only have UK visitor arrivals to New Zealand grown by more than eight per cent in the last 12 months but access is improving too: Emirates recently introduced one-stop A380 services from the UK and when Qatar Airways launches its new A350 service to Auckland in February it will be the longest non-stop flight in the world. From the dramatic mountain scenery of the South Island (Otago Rail Trail Classic) to the endless geothermal activity on the North Island (Northland Discovery), the country offers numerous opportunities for exploration – with new attractions for 2017 including the Redwoods Treewalk Night Lights show, the Rotorua Mud Festival and the 'Nevis Thriller' in Queenstown, which promises a new level of extreme bungy jumping.

6 - The Year of Sustainable Tourism – as declared by United Nations
With next year declared by United Nations as the 'International Year of Sustainable Tourism', World Expeditions has teamed up with World Animal Protection to develop a series of new trips that will offer wildlife encounters without causing harm, focusing on wild animal encounters and visiting conservancies and sanctuaries in Kenya, India, Thailand and Romania. For 2017, World Expeditions expands the '10 Pieces Litter Collection' initiative, which asks travellers to pick up 10 pieces of litter each day, across its Peru treks and introduces a new community project in Vietnam, while its exclusive eco-campsites in the Everest and Annapurna regions remain one of the greenest initiatives in Nepal, having recently imposed a complete ban on wood burning.

7 - Heading north for a holiday with a twist
New holiday ideas for 2017 that push the limits include discovering the remote, rarely visited 'Canadian Galapagos' (Haida Gwaii Adventure) or following the historic seaway along Russia's remote North, which takes in the last archipelago on Earth to be explored (Northeast Passage: The Northern Sea Route). If you love capturing memories on camera, World Expeditions' first ever 'leaf peeping' themed trip focuses on the largest of North America's Great Lakes, taking place during the height of autumn fall colours, when leaves change from green to yellow, orange and red – or you can go in search of the Northern Lights under the guidance of internationally renowned photographer Richard I' Anson (Greenland and Iceland with Richard I' Anson).

For more information please contact:

- World Expeditions: 0800 0744 135, www.worldexpeditions.co.uk
- UTracks: 0845 241 7599, www.utracks.com
- Sherpa Expeditions: 0800 008 7741, www.sherpaexpeditions.com

All quoted prices do not include international flights, however these can be arranged on request.

- Ends -

Notes for editors:
- One of the very first operators in what is now becoming a very popular area in travel, since its inception in 1975 World Expeditions has earned itself an outstanding reputation as a world leader in small group adventure holidays and cultural journeys.
- World Expeditions remains independently owned and a truly global company, with seven offices around the world, including the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- The two factors that distinguish World Expeditions from its competitors, the number of inclusions and the exceptional value of its trips, can be found today in more than 500 stand-alone itineraries across all continents, escorted by expert leaders and meticulously designed for those travellers who want to 'take the paths less travelled'.
- Always innovative, it was, among others, the first operator to offer cycling holidays in India (1977) and China (1978) and trekking trips in Mongolia (1980), Tibet (1981) and Japan (1999). - As of 2011 World Expeditions is the only commercial company to offer the Full Nepal Traverse of the newly mapped Great Himalaya Trail.
- Exclusive to World Expeditions, a number of permanent eco-campsites, designed to increase travellers' comfort levels, are in operation in the Himalaya (Everest, Annapurna); new design-led campsites can also be found on the iconic Larapinta Trail in Australia.
- The European division of World Expeditions, activity holiday specialists UTracks and Sherpa Expeditions, cover over 20 countries, with more than 400 stand-alone itineraries, from short four-day breaks to longer two-week trips.
- The World Expeditions Travel Group consists of 10 travel brands in total, also including Adventure South, Australian Walking Holidays, Great Canadian Trails, Huma Charity Challenge, Tasmanian Expeditions, World Youth Adventures and Yomads.
    
For high-res images and PR/media enquiries:
World Expeditions | UTracks | Sherpa Expeditions
020 8875 5060
Tom Panagos pr@worldexpeditions.co.uk
Gordon Steer gordon@worldexpeditions.co.uk