Expedia Group has revealed Unpack ’24, an extensive overview of the motivations driving travelers and their upcoming destinations for the following year. Drawing from the company’s extensive first-party travel data and a global consumer survey of 20,000 travelers, Unpack ’24 introduces eight fresh travel trends for 2024, ranging from top travel destinations to the latest advancements in travel technology.
In the previous year, Expedia had projected that travelers would seek inspiration for their journeys from television and movie screens, a trend that has indeed persisted into 2024.
Given the remarkable popularity of this trend, Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo have jointly assembled their inaugural Set-jetting Forecast. This forecast predicts the destinations that travelers inspired by entertainment will explore in 2024. The predictions are based on upcoming show and film releases and travel data gathered from Expedia Group.
- Thailand, influenced by “The White Lotus” season 3.
- Romania, influenced by “Wednesday” season 2.
- Malta, influenced by the new “Gladiator 2” film.
- Paris, inspired by “Emily in Paris” season 4.
- The Scottish Highlands, inspired by the remaining seasons of “Outlander.”
- London, Bath, and Windsor in the UK, inspired by the new season of “Bridgerton” and “The Crown” season 6.
- Korea, influenced by “Squid Game” season 2.
- The Florida Keys and Bahamas, influenced by the new Apple TV show “Bad Monkey.”
- Australia, influenced by both Baz Luhrmann’s “Faraway Downs” and the Mad Max prequel “Furiosa.”
- Greece, inspired by the new spy action thriller “Argylle.”
Expedia introduces Destination Dupes as the 2024 trend, featuring alternative, often more affordable options to popular travel destinations. These “dupes” are taking over travel preferences, mirroring the popular “dupe” trend on TikTok, where users seek affordable alternatives to popular products. Expedia’s destinations of the year for 2024 are these destination dupes, offering travelers delightful experiences that are a bit unexpected but every bit as enjoyable as the traditional, beloved destinations they know.
- – Taipei (dupe for Seoul) – 2,786%
- – Pattaya (dupe for Bangkok) – 249%
- – Paros (dupe for Santorini) -193%
- – Curaçao (dupe for St. Martin) – 185%
- – Perth (dupe for Sydney) – 109%
- – Liverpool (dupe for London) – 97%
- – Palermo (dupe for Lisbon) – 89%
- – Quebec City (dupe for Geneva) – 60%
- – Sapporo (dupe for Zermatt) – 38%
- – Memphis (dupe for Nashville) – 16%
In 2023, the undeniable cultural influence of Eras and Renaissance tours not only boosted ticket sales but also had a significant impact on the travel and tourism industry. Expedia envisions that Tour Tourism will continue to flourish in 2024. A striking 70% of survey participants express a heightened inclination to travel for concerts outside their hometown, with over 40% indicating that they’d embark on a journey for a concert as an excuse to explore a new destination. A novel development in Tour Tourism, potentially prompted by ticket affordability, is the fact that 30% of travelers state their willingness to travel beyond their home city for a concert due to cheaper ticket prices. Among the unexpected entries on Expedia’s list of top tour tourism destinations are Kuala Lumpur, Edmonton, and Mexico City.
On the global list, you can find:
- Kuala Lumpur with an average hotel night cost of $91
- Edmonton, Canada with an average hotel night cost of $108
- Mexico City, Mexico with an average hotel night cost of $119
- Warsaw, Poland with an average hotel night cost of $119
- Birmingham, UK with an average hotel night cost of $127
- Houston, Texas with an average hotel night cost of $130
- Antwerp, Belgium with an average hotel night cost of $140
- Tokyo, Japan with an average hotel night cost of $147
- Perth, Australia with an average hotel night cost of $148
- Detroit, Michigan with an average hotel night cost of $149
The prevalence of events like Dry January and Sober October underscores the growing trend toward a low- or alcohol-free lifestyle. In response, the travel industry is adapting to cater to sober-curious travelers by stocking minibars with nonalcoholic options or offering mocktail-making experiences.
- Somerton Lodge in the U.K. is a delightful dry hotel.
- The Rhadana Kuta Bali is a themed boutique hotel and Bali’s first certified halal hotel.
- Revival Baltimore has introduced a local zero-proof cocktail program, led by a sober bar manager and mixologist.
- The Merrion Hotel in Ireland crafts its own nonalcoholic gin.
- Ette Hotel in Orlando offers a selection of stunning mocktails created by a master mixologist and features zero-proof bars.
- The Rosewood Phuket hosts a daily mocktail workshop for guests for a fee.
- Wynn Las Vegas presents “Drinking Well,” a zero-proof cocktail program developed by a master mixologist at the resort, incorporating innovative ingredients like reishi mushrooms, lion’s mane, ashwagandha, and maca.
More than 40% of travelers express their likelihood to book a detox trip in the upcoming year, with half of them showing interest in accommodations providing easily accessible alcohol-free beverage options. Surprisingly, one in 4 travelers cite staying in control and feeling better emotionally and physically as the primary reasons for consuming less alcohol while on vacation. Notably, attending sporting events emerged as the top reason for travelers to reduce alcohol consumption while traveling.
Puppymoons, First-date-iversaries, and Plate Dates are poised to become popular travel trends in 2024. A quarter of travelers admit to seeking ‘any excuse’ to escape with their loved ones. With a third of travelers planning to increase their trips with family and friends in the coming year, they are enthusiastically embracing opportunities to book private vacation homes for celebratory occasions.
Intriguingly, work-related milestones have become one of the most popular catalysts for trips, as many travelers consider weekends away to mark events like retirement, landing a new job, receiving a promotion, or leaving a job.
As pickleball gains momentum as one of the fastest-growing sports, outdoor amenities such as pickleball courts and cold plunges are driving the choices of private vacation homes for group getaways. Survey data reveals that 42% of travelers select vacation homes with amenities they either cannot afford at home or wish to try out before making a purchase. Furthermore, nearly 30% express a preference for vacation homes with outdoor amenities to ensure they never have to leave the property.
The trending types of outdoor amenities that travelers desire include:
- Relaxation and rejuvenation options: Properties equipped with a hot tub, cold plunge, or barrel sauna.
- Roaring fires: Vacation homes featuring a fire pit, barbecue, or outdoor kitchen.
- Sports and recreation amenities: Properties with offerings like ping-pong tables, padel tennis courts, pickleball courts, and lawn games.
- Fresh produce access: Vacation homes with access to fruit trees or a vegetable patch.
