Whether you’re on board with the idea of “revenge travel,” there’s no doubt that post-pandemic travel is booming and will be well into 2024. But how are we traveling now? What’s motivating people to get on a plane and spend hard-earned cash on experiences? And how are they cutting costs, or giving back? We spoke to top experts in the travel and hospitality fields, including pros from Black Tomato and Coolstays, to find out about the biggest 2024 travel trends. Spoiler alert: Travel bucket lists are back!
Vive la France
According to U.K. and U.S.-based Scott Dunn travel experts, you can expect a lot of travelers to head to the city of love. According to Nick Cunningham, Destination Manager for Europe at Scott Dunn, 2024 will be the year that takes France to the next level. “In addition to the 80th D-Day anniversary celebration and what is expected to be a historic Roland Garros (French Open) that sees Rafael Nadal in what is alleged to be his final appearance, the 2024 Olympics will put France on full display next year,” he explains.
For Casey Holt, Sales & Service Manager at Scott Dunn, the most compelling 2024 travel trend is the focus on the journey even more than the destination itself. Some examples: opting for a train trip, such as Belmond’s Orient Express, or booking a cruise on Silversea’s new SilverRay vessel that will set sail on the Mediterranean for the first time in 2024.
Another shift is leaning towards longer stays for immersive escapes. “Bucket list destinations take on added allure with personalized itineraries and highly curated journeys through the most iconic locales, such as Japan, New Zealand, and Italy,” Holt says. Now more than ever, travelers are seeking exhilarating experiences, such as “kayaking through the fjords of Norway, gorilla trekking through Rwanda, or sailing along the historic Nile River,” she adds.
The Art of Traveling with Friends
Inspired by a surge in demand for bespoke group trips over the past 18 months, Black Tomato launched See You in the Moment (SYITM), a new travel experience line. The travel company has seen bookings from multi-generational families and large groups of friends increase by 35 percent in 2022 compared to 2019, and groups of eight or more travelers accounted for 25 percent of all bookings last year. The 30-plus new travel experiences that make up the SYITM line are designed to inspire groups of loved ones to come together to share the moment.
Bespoke itineraries are categorized by themes: The Meal, The Event, The Challenge, The Journey, The Celebration. Think gourmet meals under the midnight sun in Norway’s remote Lofoten Islands to an intrepid expedition on the Apurimac River through the heart of Peru’s Sacred Valley, where you’ll navigate the remote ancient valley of the Incas by raft and stay in mind-blowing luxury campsites.
In addition, Black Tomato is seeing a trend in travelers seeking new frontiers and charting new courses, such as trekking the Kumano Kodo or winding through the mountains of Kii in Japan. Shared passions will be a focus of 2024 trips, whether travelers want to connect over pottery, astronomy, or martial arts. Retracing past journeys taken by loved ones and planning trips with a firm mission in mind—such as learning to cook in Sicily—will see a spike in the new year, too.
Regenerative Travel
Oliver Winter, founder and CEO of Europe-based a&o Hostels, shared three 2024 travel trends to look out for.
The first trend he notes is sustainability beyond recycling. Travelers will be looking for regenerative travel experiences, and over the next year, they’ll prioritize brands that have a proven positive impact on the planet and people. Regenerative travel goes beyond traveling sustainably, as it prioritizes not only the protection and preservation of natural environments and local ecosystems but also plays an active role in their regeneration. For its part, a&o Hostels aims for transparency about its regenerative travel practices and has taken numerous steps to become the first net-zero hostel chain in Europe by 2025.
Winter also believes that the shoulder season will continue to be a desirable time to travel, especially because of the cooler weather, cheaper flights, and increasingly flexible virtual work structure that has helped drive this shift among travelers.
Lastly, planning ahead will still be key, as trips will continue being booked further in advance. In 2022, almost 50 percent of guests who stayed in Berlin via a&o booked less than 24 hours before arrival. This year, only 30 percent of guests have been that spontaneous with their trip. So, if you have your sights on a specific destination or activities, plan to book as early as possible in 2024.
European Trains & Other Hotspots
Vacation home booking site Coolstays predicts that Europe will be a hot destination in 2024, but more travelers will experience it by sleeper train.
The brand is seeing more consumer awareness of the airline industry’s carbon footprint, with more people choosing to emphasize the journey aspect of a trip by taking the train. A new generation of sleeper trains is crisscrossing Europe, with new and extended that include Paris to Berlin and Orient Express routes around Italy.
For solo travel, Scotland via the Caledonian Sleeper Train ranks number one. What makes it ideal? The navigable size and friendly people, castles, and art festivals, plus its special brand of hygge with empty beaches and vast areas of wilderness for wandering.
Other top destinations on the Coolstays radar for 2024 include the Dolomites in the north of Italy for an Alpine twist; in England, the Yorkshire foodie scene with its seven Michelin-star restaurants; and Portugal’s west coast for surfers, right behind Lisbon, which is being hailed as the most affordable city escape in Europe.
As one of the safest spots for travelers in Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula capital of Mérida will be popular, according to Coolstays. Only a few hours west of Cancun, it has a laidback yet vibrant restaurant scene and a diverse mix of art and architecture. It’s also a great jumping-off point for trips to magical cenotes and incredible Mayan ruins.
Generative AI as the New Normal
Generative AI will remain a buzzword in 2024. Expedia.com noted in its 2024 annual report that only six percent of travelers used AI to plan a trip in 2023, but a whopping 40 percent will use it to help find a hotel or vacation rental in 2024. With generative AI, travelers have an “assistant” when booking trips; travel specialists have tools to make their jobs easier; and property owners—from hoteliers to vacation rental hosts—can leverage it to create efficiencies in their business operations and gain back more personal time.
In November 2023, Airbnb announced its acquisition of AI company GamePlanner.AI to “develop some of the best interfaces and practical applications for AI,” according to CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky.
