Locations used for filming TV and movies and more affordable dupe destinations are set to become popular among travellers in 2024 according to Expedia.
The experts at Expedia Group (Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo) released the 2024 travel trends on Wednesday (November 8) revealing what is set to drive holidaymakers in the new year.
The trends are based off the company’s unmatched first-party travel data, plus a global consumer survey of 20,000 travellers.
The eight trends reveal everything from top travel destinations to look out for to tech to use to improve your holiday and everything in between.
President of Expedia for Business, Ariane Gorin, said: "With Unpack ’24 we delve deep into our insights to uncover unexpected destinations and intriguing motivations behind people's travel choices.
"From 'dry tripping' to travelling to see Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, and the rising allure of places like Perth, Palermo, and Paros, these trends define the landscape of travel in 2024.”
Here are the Expedia Groups' travel trends for 2024:
TV and film locations
Locations used for TV and movie locations are set to be popular among travellers in 2024, according to Expedia.
From places like Thailand - used for the filming of the popular HBO series The White Lotus and Greece - featured in the new spy film Argylle (starring Dua Lipa, Henry Cavill and Bryce Dallas Howard) to places a little closer to home like London, Bath and Windsor (Netflix's Bridgerton and The Crown) there are a range of locations set to be popular among travellers in 2024 because of this trend.
Expedia said: "More than half of travellers say they’ve researched or booked a trip to a destination after seeing it on a TV show or movie, and 1 in 4 admit that TV shows and films are even more influential on their travel plans than they were before.
"In fact, travellers say TV shows influence their travel decisions more than Instagram, TikTok and podcasts."
Given the popularity of this travel trend, Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo compiled its first-ever "set-jetting" forecast predicting what entertainment-inspired destinations travellers will head to in 2024 (based on upcoming show and film releases and travel data):
- Thailand inspired by ‘The White Lotus’ season 3
- Paris inspired by ‘Emily in Paris’ season 4
- Scottish Highlands inspired by the remaining seasons of ‘Outlander.’
- London, Bath and Windsor, UK inspired by the new season of ‘Bridgerton’ and ‘The Crown’ season 6
- Malta inspired by the new ‘Gladiator 2’ film
- Korea inspired by ‘Squid Game’ season 2
- Romania inspired by ‘Wednesday’ season 2
- Florida Keys & Bahamas inspired by the new Apple TV show ‘Bad Monkey.’
- Australia inspired by both Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Faraway Downs’ and the Mad Max prequel ‘Furiosa.’
- Greece inspired by new spy action thriller ‘Argylle.’
Destination dupes
For those unfamiliar with the ‘dupe’ trend, it is an affordable alternative to a popular product and has become extremely popular on social media platforms, especially TikTok.
Expedia has come up with its own dupe destinations list for 2024 with travellers looking to save money on their holidays but still getting the same fantastic experience.
Expedia's Destination Dupes list 2024
- Paros (dupe for Santorini)
- Perth (dupe for Sydney)
- Liverpool (dupe for London)
- Palermo (dupe for Lisbon)
- Curaçao (dupe for St. Martin)
- Quebec City (dupe for Geneva)
- Memphis (dupe for Nashville)
- Pattaya (dupe for Bangkok)
- Taipei (dupe for Seoul)
- Sapporo (dupe for Zermatt)
All the dupe destinations on the list Expedia said were "a little unexpected, sometimes more affordable, and every bit as delightful as the tried-and-true destinations travellers love" and all locations had seen a notable rise in search traffic in the past year.
Tour tourism
Ticket prices for major concerts have continued to rise in 2023, with the likes of Taylor Swift's Eras and Beyonce's Renaissance tours having an impact.
Concert-goers are beginning to look past their local venue for a cheaper concert experience and Expedia predicts the "Tour Tourism" trend to continue in 2024.
There are set to be a number of big names on the road in 2024 including the likes of Swift, Madonna, Metallica, Olivia Rodrigo, the Jonas Brothers and the Foo Fighters.
The travel experts said: "Nearly 70% of survey respondents say they are more likely to travel to a concert outside their own town, with over 40% saying they’d travel for a concert as an excuse to visit a new place.
"In a new twist to Tour Tourism perhaps driven by ticket prices, 30% of travellers say they would travel outside of their home city for a concert because tickets were cheaper elsewhere."
Top 10 most affordable destinations for tour tourism in 2024
Expedia analysed the average daily rates for accommodations in cities around the world with major arenas/music venues that will host the world’s hottest music stars in 2024 and came up with a list of the top 10 most affordable destinations where fans can get a hotel room for less than £150/night (on average):
- Kuala Lumpur – average hotel night £75
- Edmonton, Canada – average hotel night £89
- Mexico City, Mexico – average hotel night £98
- Warsaw, Poland – average hotel night £98
- Birmingham, UK – average hotel night £105
- Houston, Texas – average hotel night £107
- Antwerp, Belgium – average hotel night £115
- Tokyo, Japan – average hotel night £121
- Perth, Australia – average hotel night £122
- Detroit, Michigan – average hotel night £123
Dry Tripping
From Dry January to Sober October, living a low or alcohol-free lifestyle is becoming more common and more popular, says Hotels.com.
Making that easier is a lot of beverage brands bringing out alcohol-free alternatives.
This trend is now starting to filter into people's travel plans.
Hotels.com said: "More than 40% of travellers say they are likely to book a detox trip in the next year, and half of travellers say they would be interested in staying at hotels that offer easily accessible alcohol-free beverage options.
"One in 4 say the top reason for drinking less on holiday is to stay in control and feel better emotionally and physically, and surprisingly, attending sporting events was the top reason travellers said they’d be likely to reduce alcohol consumption while travelling."
What happens if you miss your flight due to airport delays?
Vibe Check-ins
Along with searching for specific amenities or star ratings, a hotel’s overall ‘vibe’ is becoming a strong indicator of travellers’ hotel choices, according to Hotels.com and Expedia.
Guest reviews mentioning the word ‘vibe’ have increased an average of 1,090% year on year, and 9 out of 10 travellers say the vibe of a hotel is important when booking.
Some of the most searched-for vibes when searching for hotels included:
- ‘Modern Vibe’
- ‘Industrial Vibe’
- ‘Retro Vibe'
- ‘Party Vibe.’
Go-ccasions
Travellers celebrating special occasions is set to be another trend we can expect to see more of in 2024 says Vrbo and Expedia.
From Puppymoons and first-date-iversaries to Plate Dates (cooking and eating a meal together) and birthdays and everything in between, all kinds of go-ccasions are on the cards for travellers in 2024.
One in four people say they are looking for ‘any excuse’ to get away with their loved ones, while a third of travellers are planning to take more trips with family and friends next year than in 2023.
Outside In
Outdoor amenities are becoming a large dictating factor when booking trips away, especially when it comes to private holiday homes families and friends are booking for group getaways says Vrbo.
Survey data showed 42% of travellers book holiday homes with amenities they either cannot afford to have at home, or that they want to try out before they buy themselves.
While almost 30% say they would choose a holiday home with outdoor amenities, so they’d never have to leave the property.
The trending types of outdoor amenities travellers want, according to Expedia are:
- Fresh produce: travellers want holiday homes with access to fruit trees or a vegetable patch
- Relaxation and rejuvenation: properties with a hot tub, cold plunge or barrel sauna
- Roaring fires: holiday homes with a fire pit, barbecue or outdoor kitchen
- Sports and recreation: properties that have amenities like ping-pong tables, padel ball courts, pickleball courts and lawn games
Gen Gen AI
While generative AI tools like ChatGPT became a major talking point in 2023, only 6% of travellers used it to plan their trips.
However, this is set to change in 2024 the Expedia Group predicts.
Travellers are set to embrace the new AI technology in 2024 to help plan their holidays.
Expedia said: "Survey data reveals that half of travellers are interested in using generative AI to plan their next trip, and 1 in 3 say it’s very useful when making travel plans.
"What’s driving this trend? Generative AI’s ability to simplify planning and shopping through a conversation.
"Nearly 40% of travellers say they would use this tech to find the perfect stay, 35% would plan activities and things to do, 33% would compare flight options, and 20% of travellers would change or cancel their travel plans."
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