2010s Holidays: Top Destinations And Travel Trends

Airbnb, Instagram and the holiday photographed more than it was had.

Below: where people went in the 2010s, how the holiday actually worked, what changed during the decade, and the details anyone who was there will remember.

Useful for a reminiscence session, a themed party, or working out what someone's holidays looked like when they were young.

Years covered in the 2010s

• 2010 - A hung parliament, a volcano that stopped the planes and the first iPad. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2010
• 2011 - The royal wedding, the riots and Adele's 21. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2011
• 2012 - The Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics in one extraordinary summer. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2012
• 2013 - A royal baby, Andy Murray at Wimbledon and the horsemeat scandal. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2013
• 2014 - The Scottish referendum, the ice bucket challenge and streaming joining the chart. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2014
• 2015 - The Queen's record reign, Leicester's title run beginning and Adele's return. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2015
• 2016 - Leicester won the league, Britain voted to leave and a lot of people died. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2016
• 2017 - Grenfell, the Manchester Arena attack and a snap election that went wrong. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2017
• 2018 - A royal wedding, a heatwave and England reaching a World Cup semi-final. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2018
• 2019 - A cricket World Cup final nobody could believe and a December election. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2019
• That is every 2010s year we have written up so far: 2010 to 2019.

Where people went in the 2010s

• Iceland, after cheap flights and a northern lights boom made it a weekend trip.
• Croatia, Portugal and Greece for value once the euro crisis moved prices around.
• Japan, Vietnam and Sri Lanka high on the long-haul list.
• Cornwall, Wales and Scotland as the staycation became a habit rather than a fallback.
• Amsterdam, Barcelona, Venice and Dubrovnik dealing with more visitors than they wanted.
• Dubai and Abu Dhabi as a stopover that became a destination.
• Berlin, Lisbon and Budapest for cheap, well-connected city breaks.
• The North Coast 500 in Scotland, launched in 2015, turning into a road-trip fixture.

How the holiday worked

• Airbnb, Booking.com and Skyscanner as the standard set of tools.
• EU roaming charges abolished in 2017, so the phone worked abroad without a bill to dread.
• Thomas Cook collapsed in 2019 after 178 years, stranding travellers worldwide.
• The phone as ticket, map, camera, guidebook and translator all at once.
• Ryanair and easyJet on hand luggage only, with bag charges deciding how people packed.
• Reviews rather than brochures deciding where people stayed.

Travel trends of the 2010s

• Instagram deciding where people went, and what they photographed when they got there.
• Overtourism becoming a real conversation in European cities.
• Flight shame and the first serious public talk about the climate cost of flying.
• Festival, experience and activity holidays instead of resorts.
• Van life, campervans and wild camping picking up.
• Boutique hotels and self-catering taking share from big package resorts.

What people remember

• Hunting for the wifi code in every cafe you sat in.
• Hand luggage only to avoid paying for a bag, and wearing your coat onto the plane.
• The same photograph of the same doorway everyone else had taken.
• Google Translate arguments in a foreign supermarket.
• Checking in on the app at exactly the right minute for a seat together.
• Coming home to a phone full of photos and no space left on it.

Iconic trips of the 2010s

• Airbnb stays instead of hotels, and city breaks in somebody's spare room.
• Iceland for the northern lights and the Blue Lagoon, after the 2010 ash cloud put it on the map.
• Festival weekends at Glastonbury, Leeds and Bestival as the annual trip.
• Instagram destinations - Santorini, Bali, Lake Bled - photographed more than visited.
• Interrailing again, with an app instead of a paper pass.

How to use this

• Reminiscence: ask where they went, who drove and what went wrong - the disasters get the best stories.
• Quiz round: read a destination and ask for the decade.
• Themed party: put the 2010s playlist on and pin up a few old postcards.
• Present: a print of the place they honeymooned beats a generic card.

Shop prints and posters

How to write it so it lands

• Old holiday photos are the best prompt for a reminiscence session - better than any list.
• Ask about the journey, not the destination; that is where the stories are.
• Dates matter: check when someone actually went, not when the destination was fashionable.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 2010
• Look back to 2011
• Look back to 2012
• Look back to 2013
• Look back to 2014
• Look back to 2015
• Look back to 2016
• Look back to 2017
• Look back to 2018
• Look back to 2019
• 2010s history: events, politics and culture
• 2010s calendar: year by year
• 2010s timeline: key dates and events
• 2010s music: songs, genres and trends
• 2010s films and directors
• 2010s books, films and TV
• 2010s books: novels and authors
• 2010s art: artists and styles
• 2010s fashion: styles, designers and trends
• 2010s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
• 2010s technology: gadgets and computers
• 2010s shopping guide: what to buy
• 2010s games: board, card and video
• 2010s trivia: fun facts
• 2010s quiz: questions and answers
• 2010s party playlist
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The decade before: the 2000s
• The decade after: the 2020s
• All decade guides in one place
• Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
• Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
• Decade history by era
• Decade calendars: every year from 1920
• Decade timelines: key dates and events by era
• Decade music: songs, genres and trends
• Decade films: best movies and directors
• Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends
• Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
• Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays
• Decade technology: gadgets and computers
• Decade shopping guides
• Decade games: board, card and video games by era
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade quiz: test your memory
• Shop art prints and posters
• Shop greetings cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Shop funny cards
• Milestone birthday cards
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Phone party games
• How to run a quiz night
• Decade music round questions
• Guess the year quiz
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Wedding cards
• Wedding cards guide
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

Where did people go on holiday in the 2010s?

Iceland, after cheap flights and a northern lights boom made it a weekend trip. The full list above covers the main destinations of the decade, at home and abroad.

How did people book holidays in the 2010s?

Airbnb, Booking.com and Skyscanner as the standard set of tools. The rest of the practical detail - money, transport and paid leave - is in the section above.

What were the big travel trends of the 2010s?

Instagram deciding where people went, and what they photographed when they got there. The trends section above lists what changed across the decade.

What were the iconic trips of the 2010s?

Airbnb stays instead of hotels, and city breaks in somebody's spare room. The iconic trips section above lists the journeys of the decade, with dates.

Do you sell holidays?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read, print and copy for a quiz or a care-home session.