Expedia Group just made a new rewards program called One Key. It works the same across Expedia, Hotels.com, & Vrbo. So if you book rooms on any of those sites, you earn points to use on all of them. This new rewards program is part of a bigger report Expedia put together about how people like to travel following travel trends of 2024.
When families plan vacations in 2024, they’ll care more about enjoying time together and making memories. They’ll look for trips that help them relax, stay healthy, and see cool places, not just fancy hotels.
The trips that feel meaningful after coming home will be the most popular.
Travel Trends Of 2024
When a new year starts, travel gurus guess what trips might be popular. They look at 20 key trends to predict what 2024 vacations will be like.
Will families want more outdoor fun? Closer destinations? Choices that help the planet? As 2023 ends, here are ideas shaping the travel trends of 2024.
1. New Eateries
Foodie trips are going big in 2024, says Sam Seward from Exodus Travels.
More and more people want vacations all about tasty local eats! They like exploring markets, restaurants and wineries with local guides.
These experiences link travelers to the real culture and traditions of a place in fun ways.
This trend includes joining private dinners at people’s homes. Or wandering neighborhoods with chefs and residents to find secret family recipes.
It’s about digging into each culture through yummy food. Exodus now has tours so travelers can dive deeper into dishes and flavors on their journeys. New trips focus just on Italian cooking in Sicily or Parma.
A report by Hilton Hotels sees food becoming a bigger part of 2024 trips, too. Travelers now want their vacations to be about amazing local flavors and cool cultural connections – not just sights.
They aim to experience destinations through markets, restaurants and local traditions more than before.
Also Read: Best Cities to Visit This Year
2. Dropping Booze from Vacations
Expedia just put out its 2024 travel trends, using surveys of 20,000 people’s vacation plans. One big trend is “dry trips” without alcohol. More folks want booze-free getaways beyond the usual Dry January or Sober October challenges.
Hotels now stock minibars with interesting zero-proof drinks to meet the demand. Wynn Las Vegas has fancy non-alcoholic “Drinking Well” cocktails using mushrooms and herbs that are still fun.
The Merrion Hotel in Dublin even makes its own alcohol-free gin!
The sober, curious movement goes beyond drinks, too.
Expedia says over 40% of travelers want “detox” vacations in 2024. That means fitness retreats, healthy menus, yoga and wellness classes at hotels. Half of the people surveyed want these healthy choices easily available when booking trips.
3. Diving into Saving Reefs
A 2023 survey of divers found that 95% want sustainable operators but struggle to find them. So, on Earth Day, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (Padi) started an “Eco Center” program with the UN.
To be named an Eco Center, shops must prove year-long work like protecting coral reefs and cutting environmental harm. The steps are so tough that Padi says to allow 12 months to qualify.
The first Earth Day when shops can earn the Eco Center green badge is 2024.
So, this sets the 3rd travel trend of 2024, and divers should start finding operators who show real action in fighting climate change and pollution. No more excuses for unhealthy oceans – we’re diving in to save reefs!
4. Taking a Breather from Busy Lives
2023 flew by fast, with so much going on! No wonder a Hilton survey found the top 2024 trip goal is resting and recharging. After jam-packed craziness, folks need to slow down and catch their breath.
So next year, we will see relaxing “reset” vacations get popular. No more racing to squeeze tons of cities into one trip!
In 2024, take it easier and focus simply on chilling out. Pick places known for pampering visitors with spas, yoga retreats, cozy stays, healing foods or zen views. Ditch major sightseeing to invest in your health and happiness instead.
Whether old or young, travelers will take trips specifically to soothe their minds, restore their bodies and find inner calm after the madness of 2023. Exhale…your vacation oasis awaits!
5. Hotel Rates Keep Climbing in 2024 Too
A new report from the travel spending expert Amex GBT has bad news for vacation budgets.
As 2023 showed, hotel prices will keep skyrocketing across the world next year, too.
Amex studied 80 major tourist cities using tons of data on real hotel transactions.
They sadly predict rooms will cost 11% more in Paris, nearly 13% in Chicago, 9% in London, and over 7% higher in Singapore in 2024. Even Sydney prices go up around 5%. Ouch!
So travelers better brace for stubbornly high lodging rates nearly everywhere popular yet again.
Between that and inflated flight prices, get ready for more vacation sticker shock ahead. But deals can still happen with flexible dates – maybe time to travel midweek?
6. Trading Houses for Fun Getaways
More folks want longer vacations abroad lately. And with remote work, living overseas is possible now too! The problem? Paying for hotels that long cost big bucks.
So meet Twin City! For $189 a year, members can swap homes with “trusted twins” in cool cities. One person loans their Lisbon apartment for the month. Then they stay at their twin’s LA house later for free. It’s cheaper than hotels when you exchange places.
In just 8 months, Twin City has 1,100 checked-out members trading homes this way while seeing the world for work or fun.
As a bonus, the twins share local tips on their favorite cafes, parks, and pizza places, too.
No more giant hotel fees on faraway trips if you become a twin! Just be sure your Lisbon twin takes good care of your goldfish when you’re gone.
Happy swapping!
7. Set-Jetting
Ever visited the cafe from Friends or Brady Bunch house?
More people “set jet” to spots seen on screen now, per Expedia. Over half book trips after drooling over TV and movie destinations.
Calling it “silver screen sightseeing,” set-jetting even sways travelers more than Instagram, TikTok or podcasts!
Their research says that in 2024, this trend will grow. Suppose your favorite Netflix romance is set in Paris. In that case, those Eiffel Tower pans might inspire booking a French vacation.
Or maybe that Star Wars scene under Iceland’s rainbow mountain has you ready to #nerdjourney to scout Jedi sites. Wherever films and shows wander, fans now eagerly follow to vacation too. Lights, camera…and packed bags!
Ready to turn fantasies into real-life travels?
What’s Coming in Travel Trends of 2024?
With trips booming again, 2024 vacations will change.
Travel trends of 2024 are more of local adventures, new phone apps, and helping nature. Get set to explore closer to home, use cool tech tools, and go green when you hit the road!
