2019 is just around the corner, and predictions of the year ahead are being made all over the place. But it’s also the time to reflect on the past 365 days – looking back at what was brilliant, but also a lot of ‘what on Earth were we doing/thinking?’.

These include some pretty irking and damn right awful travel trends that should be firmly left behind in 2018.

1. Begpacking



This insane practice of travellers begging or busking for spare change, leaning on strangers’ kindness in order to make their way around the world, has to stop. Leave the charity to people who deserve it in actual sense.

2. Selfie Culture



What you do on your holidays is really up to you, until it doesn’t bug anyone else. Who hasn’t stood around a place of interest and waited interminably as a never-ending queue of wannabe social media stars spend a lifetime in pursuit of the perfect pouty selfie.

3. Crowding the luggage belt



We’re not actually sure if this a trend, given travellers have probably been doing it ever since the first bag whirred around a carousel. It still bears mentioning. The entire luggage collection process would work a lot better if travellers just waited a step back from the belt and moved forward once they spotted their bag. Is it that hard?

4. Drones



We’re a little torn here, because drone pictures are really cool. However, when you’re relaxing on a beach or at a campsite or anywhere that’s really peaceful and beautiful, and your world is suddenly invaded by the whirring of someone’s drone as it zips past over you again and again. You have every reason to hate these things.

5. Saying you’ve ‘done’ it



No, you haven’t done Asia, you haven’t done Europe. In fact, you haven’t done anywhere. None have! You could go back to the same continent, the same country, the same city again and again and you’ll still find new things, meet new people and have new experiences.

6. Stop riding elephants and cuddling tigers



How do you think these wild animals became tame enough for entertainment? As in, they never walk into town and say, ‘Hello, I would like to be exploited’. Elephants and tigers are sedated and beaten until they have no fight left. By paying for a ride or for the chance to stroke a mighty tiger, you’re becoming a part of this cruel industry.

7. Slum tourism



Wandering around impoverished areas of developing countries and visiting people far less fortunate than you to enlighten your own knowledge, while being guided by someone who really doesn’t know much more than you is certainly not an ethical vacation activity. At best, the tour may be guided by people who dwell in slums and can give you an accurate and respectful glimpse of what life’s like in their makeshift towns. But more often than not, these tours are disrespectful money-grabbing schemes that don’t help the local community in any way.