Keep up with key trends in Licensing as 500px’s Art Director, Karen Biilmann, analyzes common threads and current themes throughout our Exclusive Contributor photography submissions. From GenZ travel to trains, here’s what’s trending in the 500px Licensing Collection.

Disconnecting and getting off the grid were the most popular 2019 travel themes. We also saw people gravitating toward solo travel, with numbers increasing by 7% in the last year alone. Travelport analyzed data from the last 12 months, creating travel personas, and discovered that solo travelers generated 18% of all global bookings.

Recent data from brooking.com identified that GenZ is leading the solo travel movement with 20% of this age group proclaiming the desire to embrace a solo expedition during a gap year before they head into post-secondary education.

Sunny day in an old city by Roksolana Baran on 500px.com

Alley Cat by Anthony J Rayburn on 500px.com

Part of the appeal of solo travel is completely disconnecting with what is comfortable, and discovering yourself as you fully embrace your new travel destination.

This may include getting off the grid, following unexpected paths, finding hidden gems, and fully immersing yourself in the native culture of your destination.

morning in the mountains by Sam Brockway on 500px.com

the road less traveled by Joshua Herrera on 500px.com

A woman at Holocaust Memorial, Berlin by Morten Byskov - 5050 Travelog on 500px.com

As we dive deeper into this trend, we find that the destination is not the only part of the trip that has caught the eye of travelers.

The experience of getting to the destination has now become part of the travel itinerary—there has been a movement towards more sustainable and eco-friendly travel options. While this will often extend your journey, there are a number of benefits associated with slowing down your travel. In the UK alone, there were 439 million passengers who elected train travel in 2019, according to The Office of Rail and Road.

Through the train window by Andres Saa on 500px.com

The urge to slow down while traveling may also be a result of the growing wellness movement, as wellbeing continues to be a top priority for millennials.

The global wellness economy is valued at $4.2 trillion, according to the Global Wellness Economy Monitor Report. Traveling by train, sailing, or taking a road trip can contribute to this movement because it encourages travelers to slow down and be more mindful of the journey to their destination. The emphasis on rushing is removed, and the experience of travel extended, creating a more wholesome trip that embraces self-discovery as part of the journey.

Roadtripping. by Jelle Canipel on 500px.com

Source of life by Halid Kalkan on 500px.com

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