Forget package holidays and staycations – the top holiday trends for 2024 are “Destination Dupes”, “Tour Tourism”, “Dry Tripping”, and “Go-cassions”, according to Expedia Group.
The travel giant reckons the “dupe” trend sweeping TikTok – affordable alternatives to popular products – will take over travel in the year ahead. Therefore, places that are a little unexpected, and more affordable than the tried-and-tested destinations, will boom in popularity.
These include Palermo, dubbed “the new Lisbon”, and Taipei instead of Seoul, which has seen the biggest uptick in searches over the past year. Almost six in ten (59 per cent) UK holidaymakers would consider visiting a destination that is similar to a tourist hotspot, but not as well-known.
Some of the top reasons for this include the affordability (61 per cent), it being less crowded (60 per cent), and it having more of an authentic culture (26 per cent). Hotels.com, a brand under the Expedia Group banner, also highlights the trend of Dry Tripping – where travellers detox while on holiday.
The study of 2,000 adults, who have been on holiday in the past, and plan to go again in the next three years, found half would be interested in staying at hotels that offer easily accessible, alcohol-free beverage options – with four in ten likely to book a detox trip in the next year.
The hotelier also says a hotel’s overall “vibe” is becoming a strong indicator of travellers’ hotel choices – as guest reviews mentioning the term have increased an average of 1,090 per cent, year-on-year. And the third big trend for 2024 is Tour Tourism. Mega acts like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé triggered a wave of tourism this year, as people flocked to their stadium shows – with Expedia predicting this trend will continue to thrive next year.
In a new twist to Tour Tourism, perhaps driven by ticket prices, 30 per cent of travellers say they would travel outside of their home city for a concert because tickets were cheaper elsewhere – and 43 per cent would travel for a concert as an excuse to visit a new place. Expedia Group has released the predictions in its “Unpack ’24” report, which includes research into the intentions of 20,000 holidaymakers worldwide.
The group also comprises Vrbo, which identified 42 per cent 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. Furthermore, three in ten say they would choose a holiday home with outdoor amenities, so they’d never have to leave the property.
The company is also predicting the rise of the “Go-cassion”, a trip to celebrate even the smallest milestone – as more than a fifth (21 per cent) are looking for “any excuse” to go away with loved ones. Exactly eight in ten have already travelled for a specific occasion, or intend to do so in the next year – with celebrating birthdays (49 per cent), reunions (34 per cent), and wedding anniversaries (31 per cent), among the key events.
For 2023, Expedia predicted travellers would turn to television sets and movie screens for travel inspiration – which they did, and the trend shows no signs of stopping in 2024. 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 one in four admit 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.
Ariane Gorin, from Expedia Group, said: “We leverage our travel data to create innovative tools that enhance the travel experience across our platforms. 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.”
