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IT'S not news that 2009 was a difficult year for the travel industry. The fall-out from the financial crisis spread far and hurt many as would-be travellers turned their thoughts to budget trips. Some even contemplated the dreaded 'stay-cation'. The good news is that the gloom is lifting. As 2010 stirs, hoteliers are optimistically rolling out bold plans to lure back guests and tempt new punters, and at prices that won't hurt the wallet. In London, for instance, it's now entirely possible to sit down to a three-course lunch in a Michelin-starred restaurant for under £45.

While the temptation is to stay close to home, airlines are offering great deals on flights and hotel packages. This translates into more options for the picky traveller. From the ski slopes of Hokkaido and Odaesan to the Euro-glam of Courchevel; from luxury meditation camps in Java to a tour through the spice souks of Istanbul, travelling well has never been easier. Or, indeed, so gastronomically satisfying, as hotels continue to recruit marquee chefs to head up their in-house restaurants.

But one trend in particular has matured from a fad into a bona fide way of life for any serious millennial traveller. From carbon footprints to eco-responsible holidays, the colour du jour is green. The tricky part, though, is distinguishing between hotels and tour operators that are genuinely responsible and those that are just along for the ride. Here, the Internet comes into its own with a host of bloggers and websites that do all the hard legwork, leaving you to lie back in the tub, sip a flute of celebratory bubbly and relax in peace and guilt-free splendour.

Here're our Top 10 travel predictions for 2010.

Skiing

Not too long ago, ski holidays were the province of the well-heeled and the famous. But with cheaper flights and better hub connections, it's now just as easy to snap on snow shoes as it is to go snorkelling. With the Northern Hemisphere still wrapped in snow, an European piste beckons. It helps too that hoteliers are responding to the increased demand with a new generation of ski resorts that tempt with scenic trails and an après-ski menu of herbal steam room (Austria's Hotel Aurelio), outdoor heated pool (Germany's Das Kransbach), Asian-inspired fumoir (Cheval Blanc in Courchevel), and breakfast in bed (Hotel Firefly in Zermatt).

Celebrity chefs

These days, it's not enough to have plush rooms and a decent spa. A resident celebrity chef is de rigueur, preferably one with a couple of stars tucked under his belt. To whit, Alain Ducasse at Le Louis XV and Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's. Happily, the gastronomic roll call of star chefs shows no sign of letting up. In May, Daniel Boulud opens his first UK outpost at London's Mandarin-Oriental Hyde Park, and in October, Heston Blumenthal unveils his traditional English menu in the same hotel. For the moment, though, all eyes are on the upcoming Marina Bay Sands with its marquee line-up of restaurants by Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud, Wolfgang Puck, Santi Santamaria, Guy Savoy and Tetsuya Wakuda.

Istanbul

View from the rooftop of suites terraces at Park Hyatt Istanbul.

Floating on the edge of both Europe and Asia, Istanbul's star has been on the rise and this year, it takes the stage as the 'European Capital of Culture'. For history buffs, the Turkish capital teems with tantalising slices of its ancient past, while hipsters will thrill to the bevy of heaving nightclubs, restaurants and still affordable art galleries. Equally impressive are the recent openings of two swanky hotels - the Four Seasons by the banks of the Bosphorus and the lush Park Hyatt. Luxurious, modern and yet infused with authentic local touches, they are apt metaphors for this millennial city.

Gift wrap

That lonely chocolate on the pillow at turn-down is so last century. These days, hotels are pulling out all the stops in the freebies department to keep guests feeling the love. All Muslim guests at the InterContinental's London, Paris, Cannes and Dubai Festival City properties receive a special edition of the Quran and Kiblat in a handsomely carved case, while the Plaza Athenee in Paris provides suite guests with a Maserati to speed around in during their stay. Robert de Niro plies guests at his Greenwich Hotel in New York with a free basket of bar snacks that range from Japanese energy drinks and Senca shot teas to Oreos; while across town, the Mandarin Oriental stocks every room with complimentary copies of the latest hardcover titles.

Home away from home

An outdoor heated pool at Das Kransbach, Germany.

Hotel rooms are generally geared to short-term stays. After a few days, even the most luxurious pampering is apt to turn claustrophobic. Which explains why increasing numbers of travellers are choosing to stay in hotel residences which offer all the assurances of a hotel, but with more space and the comforts of home in the form of kitchenettes, living spaces and a private entrance. The 17 beachfront villas in the newly opened Residences at W Retreat in Koh Samui, for instance, offer privacy, three to five bedrooms plus access to all the facilities of the main resort. It's the best of both worlds.

Kenya

Kenya's post-election riots in 2008 certainly put a dampener on the party, but to its credit, the country has spent the past couple of years working hard to put its house back in order. The good news is that there's never been a better time to visit this fabled land. If it's a genuine 'Out of Africa' experience you're after, then be sure to book a safari tour of Tsavo, Kenya's largest national park. The scrub covered hills, volcanic landscape and grass swathed savannahs teem with zebras, elephant herds, leopards and buffalo.

Specialist retreats

Twitchy Type-As who need a holiday that combines leisure with some kind of activity are signing up for specialist retreats in droves. Here, the entire stay is programmed around a particular activity. Gourmands and gourmets might sign up for a cook's tour in the Costa del Sol (www.cookingholidayspain.com); toe-tappers can join salsa classes in Havana (www.danceholidays.com); while expectant mothers are cajoled through pregnancy stress relievers (www.littletonmill.co.uk). Closer to home, this May, Amanjiwo is hosting a dawn- to-dusk meditation course in the shadow of Borobudur temple under the tutelage of a Tibetan Buddhist teacher (www.amanresorts.com/amanjiwo).

B+Bs or boutique hotels?

It used to be that a Bed and Breakfast involved a quaint room, homespun decor and, if this was Australia, some farm animals; while a boutique hotel conjured up images of a fancy clientele and Buddha Bar playing in the dining room. Increasingly, the lines between the two are blurring and the distinction is becoming meaningless. Case in point: The Reading Rooms in Kent which combine an 18th century Georgian townhouse with chandeliers, antique French armoires, exclusive Ren bath products, padded silk headboards and, the piece de resistance, breakfast in bed.
www.thereadingroomsmargate.co.uk

Green holidays

A tropical luxury tree house villas perched three metres above the ground, at
Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives.

The climate change talks in Copenhagen might have been anticlimactic, but the number of eco-conscious travellers is on the rise. Buying carbon credits is already second nature for many, but for those looking to do more, a raft of websites run by committed greenies is available. Best of all, new sites such as www.snowcarbon.co.uk, www.responsibletravel.com and www.gogreentravelgreen.com help befuddled green-shoots decode the jargon while removing the guess work of who's genuine and who's just opportunistically milking the eco gravy train. They profile and review everything from tree houses in France, family holidays and ski resorts to providing links to an extensive menu of tour operators and hotels that specialise in responsible holidays.

Go with the Flores

As destinations go, Indonesia has many pluses. One is its very friendly exchange rate, another is its proximity to Singapore, but its trump card is that its vast, relatively unexplored, interiors make it unlikely that you'll bump into too many tourists. Magical Bali will always be the country's crowning glory, but there's much to be said for venturing further afield. The island of Flores, for instance, is a paradise that offers unspoilt beaches, 19th century Portuguese architecture, pristine waters for diving, panoramic hiking trails up bluff, tree-shrouded mountains and freshly grilled seafood to be eaten beneath spectacular star-spangled skies.

This article was first published in The Business Times.

Gotta fly!

By Daven Wu, The Business Times | Fri, Jan 8 2010

Don't leave home without our 2010 to-do list of top travel ideas.