"LIFE'S a beach and then you die," we used to joke, as booked in our thousands for a passage to inertia in the sun. Not any more - or at least, not half as much as before.
Slowly but steadily, like rays penetrating the tattered ozone layer, the idea is filtering through that pool and beach resorts are a last resort. In 1997, finally, we'll swap languor for stimulation and a suite of bikinis for one stout pair of walking boots - model to be decided, depending on whether the objective is to explore Rome's architectural glories or walk the Inca trail.
South America will be high up the list of long haul destinations for the swelling ranks of adventurous travellers, lured by the lost city of Machu Picchu in Peru, or Chile where Kodacolour scenery runs from the red sand Atacama Desert to the glacial tip of the Andean spine. Indochina will prove equally tempting to intrepid travellers. Vietnam and Cambodia, studded with magnificent shrines and temples, have opened their doors to visitors and demand to be seen before mass tourism arrives.
More appealing still, perhaps - especially for sun and sea types who are only semi reformed - will be the smaller islands of the Pacific, with their coral reefs and beach bungalows framed by luxuriant hibiscus and frangipani. You might follow in the wake of Irish artist Pauline Bewick and head for the Cook Islands, or island hop with a Polynesian air pass, stopping off at Tonga, Samoa, Fiji or New Caledonia. North of here, the Solomon Islands of Gizo and Anuha will give underwater explorers some of the most spectacular diving in the world. Even golf will take an exotic turn, with more Irish players packing their clubs for a week or two on the fairways of Malaysia or Singapore.
Within Europe, walking holidays will continue their steep climb in popularity, especially in Andalusia and Tuscany, but with all the bank holidays we now have, it's to the cities of Europe that most of us will disappear on short breaks. Prague and Budapest will be prime attractions, with Barcelona and Madrid gaining ground, thanks to Iberia's direct flights from Dublin.
We'll take more short breaks in Ireland as well - especially if we can temper the guilt of self indulgence with a typically 1990s burst of self improvement. Adventure centres, hiking and hillwalking, sailing, horseriding or the softer option of hotel cum leisure centres . . . these will be the main ways we relax, pep up our fitness and discover Ireland at the same time. Or we'll learn a new skill - painting or photography, cookery or gardening, furniture restoration or anything else that simultaneously restores a sense of purpose.
Our offspring, meanwhile, will be travelling more too. Paid college fees are changing the pattern of student travel, USIT reports; with less financial pressure, more can afford to tack a few weeks of leisure on to the end of a summer job. The Lufthansa Yes pass (four European destinations if you start in Germany), the Alitalia Europa pass (flights within Italy for £39) and the eternally popular Inter rail pass will be top favourites.
The other big trend is for more young people to take a year out with the under 26 Australian visa. Many smart kids incorporate their Australian year into a round the world trip, going out via Asia and home via New Zealand and North America.