Americans abroad.

• Author: Wiseman, Scott
• Position: GOING PLACES - Travel

THE UPCOMING YEAR represents the broadest spectrum of trends we have ever seen. There is exponential growth in travelers pushing beyond what would have been considered unique just a couple of years ago--bringing the YOLO (You Only Live Once) spirit to the way they want to engage with foreign cultures:

Festivals. Once considered a time to avoid visiting a destination, festivals now are viewed as a rate opportunity for travelers to immerse themselves authentically into a country's culture. Individuals can celebrate alongside the passionate indigenous people and truly imbibe the local flavor and spirit.

Farm-to-table, vine-to-glass pilgrammages. Going to the local markets has been cast aside as the expanding number of food and wine enthusiasts has produced its own burgeoning crop of travelers, who long to go beyond mere cooking demonstrations and local chef tours. Today's cutting-edge culinary travelers crave an in-depth experience by preparing a meal at the birthplace of their favorite cuisine or sitting down to dine with a local family in their home. Oenophiles are looking to shadow a legendary winemaker for a day or get their hands dirty participating in the annual crush.

Geo-see-where-l-am? There is a new bragging rights game in town packaged neatly with its own travel term: it is called the "check-in." From Foursquare to Facebook, Geo-Locators are becoming the new "wish you were here" postcard that allow travelers to announce where in the world they are without saying a word. Guests can become the mayor of their hotel in Burma or earn their "jetsetter badge" after "checking in" at various airports around the globe. Inherently, people want to boast about where they have been or where they are going, and these new apps allow them to tell you in real time without any heavy lifting. They also double as real time guidebooks, providing local dining, sightseeing, and hotel suggestions.

Short-term, high-yield ultimate experiences. There is a growing demand for journeys that are short in duration but long on experience. For instance, the Fly/Sail Antarctica journey is a great example of how to experience a far-flung, extreme destination in less time than in the past. Guests fly over the Drake Passage--so they directly board an expedition ship, rather than taking the extra time to sail. Similarly, there is the five-day private Himalayan Helicopter Safari.

The quickie. More and more, travelers are looking to pack in an extra destination by planning...