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The biggest travel trends for 2024

By Sarah Allard

If 2022 was all about a return to travel, then 2023 was the year we went further than ever before. Travellers took to the skies, rails, roads and seas to tick off major bucket-list moments, with Arctic adventures, luxury yacht cruises and even the first tourist trip into space .

In 2024, travellers will be putting what’s important to them front and centre of their plans, valuing deeper experiences that leave a positive impact, time spent with loved ones and wellness moments that last well after checkout. We’ll be choosing destinations carefully, slowing it down to enjoy the silence and the stars, indulging in our love of food in new and interesting places, and immersing ourselves in wellness practices that help us live longer.

These are the 20 travel trends likely to guide how we see the world in 2024.

Astro tourism

1. Astro tourism

What’s the trend? Astronomy, of course, is a field of study that has been around since the dawn of civilisation, and the act of gazing up at the stars has long been a source of soul-soothing wonder. Today, the more society falls deeper into an ever-expanding virtual world, the more we feel a need to broaden our horizons in the real universe. Astro tourism, or star bathing, is the act of travelling with the aim of catching sight of astronomical phenomena – disappearing to lands devoid of any pollution, crowds and traffic, where we can focus solely on the skies above and while away hours gazing at the stars, planets and constellations overhead.

Why will it matter in 2024? Increasingly, wellness-centric hotels and spas are creating the space for guests to gaze upwards, watching for comets, spying constellations and identifying patterns in the glittering expanse. In the UK, Port Lympne has opened the Lookout Bubble, a glass dome allowing guests to sprawl out on king-sized beds and study the stars. Further east on the Arabian Gulf, Zulal Wellness Resort is surrounded by the expanse of the Qatari desert – the ultimate destination for pollution-free astromancy, with dedicated workshops and stargazing sessions for families and children looking to learn more about the cosmos. Safari company Desert & Delta organises trips for travellers looking to soak up the stars across Botswana and Namibia, where guests can sleep in tents at remote locations such as the Makgadikgadi Pans, one of the world’s largest salt flats, and spend nights with uninterrupted star vistas. Similarly, Tswalu is a South African safari camp with star beds set on a sleep-out deck in the Korannaberg mountains. And 2024 happens to be a big year, astronomy-wise, from mind-boggling eclipses to spectacular meteor showers – plus, scientists are predicting the best displays of the northern lights in 20 years, according to the Guardian , as we approach the next solar maximum (the sun’s peak of its 11-year activity cycle). Olivia Morelli

2. Eco diving

What’s the trend? A rise in divers choosing their travel destinations based on the sustainability of the scuba centres, and having a more positive, regenerative impact on the ocean once there.

Why will it matter in 2024? In 2022, UK marine ecology charity The Reef-World Foundation found that 95 per cent of divers wanted to book with sustainable operators, but struggled to do so. In response to this, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (Padi) launched its Eco Center accreditation on World Earth Day (22 April) 2023, with the United Nations Environment Program and Reef-World itself. The steps required to earn this green status are so rigorous – including sharing evidence of conservation activities and a real reduction in environmental footprint – that Padi advised operators to allow at least 12 months to hit the criteria, taking us to… Earth Day 2024. After an initial figure of just 11 worldwide, there are now 100, and Padi has set a goal to reach 660 by 2030 – a 10th of its membership. “South East Asia currently has the highest density (more than 20), along with the Caribbean ,” says Julie Andersen of Padi. So what does this mean for divers and their trips? “The type of conservation work done and reported on depends on the Eco Center,” Andersen explains. “Those in the Caribbean offer coral replanting programmes, key for regenerating coastlines. In Baja, Mexico , they’ve developed citizen science courses, collecting data for whale conservation.” There are also a number of new Padi courses being launched for any diver to take anywhere, including the Global Shark and Ray Census in August 2024, as well as the relaunch of the Coral Reef Conservation Specialty course before December. Becky Lucas

3. Home swapping

What’s the trend? Increasingly, discerning travellers are looking to stay away for longer stretches, while the rise of remote jobs post-pandemic means that working and living abroad has never been more appealing. The catch? Forking out on hefty accommodation fees while you’re at it. Enter home swapping: the perfect solution to guarantee yourself a (free) home abroad while you offer up your own in exchange – for weeks or even months at a time.

Why will it matter in 2024? As the cost of holidaying continues to climb, home swapping is an affordable alternative to splashing out on expensive hotels or Airbnbs. And while the concepts of couch surfing and house exchanges have existed for decades, several slick new platforms are redefining what home swapping looks like today. Twin City, which operates in cities as far-flung as Lisbon and Los Angeles , has curated a community of 1,100 plus carefully vetted users in just eight months. For an annual subscription fee of £150, members can find Twins to connect with through the platform, and are encouraged to exchange local recommendations for their city as well as their homes, enabling members to feel as if they’re swapping with a trusted friend rather than a stranger. Meanwhile, Kindred, a home-swapping platform where members rack ​​up credits for each night that they exchange homes, raised $15 million in funding this year to expand operations across the USA and Europe, and currently has 10,000 plus homes in more than 50 cities. Members simply pay a cleaning and service fee for each stay, while the cost of the stay itself is free. Or skip out on membership fees entirely and head straight to TikTok, where Gen Z appears to be spearheading the home-swapping movement on social media. Inspired by cult film The Holiday , trending tags #houseswap and #homeswap have garnered more than 23 and 20 million views respectively, with users utilising the platform as a means to advertise their homes, discover like-minded peers to swap with and document their adventures along the way. Gina Jackson

4. Train stations are the new food destinations

What’s the trend? Train stations around the world are usually passed through as quickly as possible, having not been designed for commuters to stay and hang out. Nowadays, as travel delays increase and visitors want more local experiences, it pays for train stations to welcome travellers with shops, restaurants and bars for them to explore. In an effort to create a more dynamic visitor experience, historic train stations are being revamped, with bespoke food and drink offerings as an integral part of the redesign.

Why will it matter in 2024? As train stations are renovated to accommodate more travellers and update old infrastructure, local restaurants and bars are being added to attract more customers. In 2023, the new Moynihan Train Hall in New York City became home to The Irish Exit, a bar from the team behind the acclaimed Dead Rabbit, and Yono Sushi by trendy BondST, plus outposts of beloved NYC restaurants Pastrami Queen and Jacob’s Pickles, with Mexican hotspot La Esquina coming soon.  Platform 1 a new bar and restaurant that opened in November underneath Glasgow Central Station . The cave-like space, with its historic brick arches, serves street-food-style dishes and craft brews made in the on-site microbrewery, plus there’s an outdoor beer garden. As part of its renovation, Toronto’s Union Station launched Union Market in May 2023 with favourite local food retailers Manotas Organics, Chocolatta Brigadeiro’s, Patties Express and Kibo. Meanwhile, in Somerset, Castle Cary station is in the process of a revamp, with nearby hotel The Newt creating a creamery, cafe and co-working space, which is set to open in 2024. Also on tap for the next few years is the completed renovation of 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, with plans for a 20 per cent increase in concession space that will focus on local purveyors. Devorah Lev-Tov

5. Sports tourism

What’s the trend? No longer the domain of lads on tour keen to sink as many pints as possible with one eye on a football game, sports tourism has evolved in the past few years with a new generation – and type – of sports fan emerging thanks to glossy TV documentaries ( Formula 1: Drive to Survive , we’re looking at you). Now, we’re taking our fandom out of the house and following a host of different sports in destinations across the world, planning holidays that hinge around seeing games, races and other activities in exotic locales, and extending trips on either side to see the sights too.

Why will it matter in 2024? A little event known as the Olympic and Paralympic Games anchors the 2024 sports calendar. It kicks off in Paris in late July and runs until early September , during which time more than a million tourists are expected to check in across the French capital. The games have inspired city-wide projects such as the €1.4-billion clean-up of the Seine, which , all going well, will allow public swimming in the river for the first time in a century. Elsewhere, the Tour de France starts in Italy for the first time in 2024, with competitors speeding off in Florence before heading to Rimini on the Adriatic coast and then north to the Apennines through Emilia-Romagna. New bike routes in the area have been released by tour operators such as Ride International Tours and Ride Holidays for cycling enthusiasts keen to join in the fun. Sarah James

6. Coolcationing

What’s the trend? For the vast majority of folk, summer holidays used to be about following the sun, seeking the heat – watching the mercury climb and hitting the sands. With the intense, record-breaking temperatures of recent years, however, many are considering travelling in the opposite direction: booking "coolcations" in temperate destinations, which also benefit from being less crowded.

Why will it matter in 2024? Rising temperatures caused by the climate crisis have resulted in the hottest recorded summer in the UK – just over 40℃ in July 2022 – while 2023, with a sweltering summer in much of Mediterranean Europe, North America and China – is on track to be the hottest year ever. Little wonder that many travellers are thinking again before booking literal hotspots such as the South of France and Sicily in July or August. A survey for luxe travel network Virtuoso found that 82 per cent of its clients are considering destinations with more moderate weather in 2024. Destinations such as Iceland, Finland and Scotland, according to Intrepid Travel, along with Latvia, which is surging in popularity. “We’re seeing an increase in those holidaying further north,” says Andrea Godfrey of Regent Holidays. “Scandinavia and the Baltics are both getting noticed more: they offer a more pared-back style of holiday but have some lovely beaches, and forests and lakes for both relaxation and adventure activities.” Cooler temperatures are particularly well suited to family travel too. “We’re getting far more enquiries from families for destinations that offer summer sun but also respite from the high temperatures being experienced in beach resorts across the Med,” says Liddy Pleasants, founder of family specialist Stubborn Mule Travel. “Kayaking in Norway, with its midnight sun, for instance, and cycling or hiking in Slovenia, which is also very good value.” Time to ditch the SPF50… Rick Jordan

Gig tripping

7. Gig tripping

What’s the trend? For years, athletes and wellness gurus were the big headliners at retreats. But rock stars are, well, the new rock stars of travel. Call it the Swift Effect. Destination concert business is up more than 50 per cent, led mostly by Taylor Swift, says Janel Carnero, a travel advisor at Embark Beyond. In the USA, tickets for Swift’s Eras Tour cost thousands and were still impossible to score. Music fans are realising they can pay less and have a more memorable experience by seeing their favourite pop icons perform in say, Amsterdam or Milan . Tours from performers such as Pearl Jam, U2, Doja Cat and Madonna will anchor trip itineraries, while music festivals (Glastonbury sold out in less than an hour) will be major catalysts for travel.

Why will it matter in 2024? New music festivals, including Untold in Romania's Cluj-Napoca, are introducing travellers to undiscovered destinations, says Alexandrea Padilha of Fischer Travel. And it’s no longer just about the music, says Carnero. “It’s the social aspect of sharing experiences with friends,” she adds. Hotels and travel companies have taken note and are creating the equivalent of backstage VIP experiences for guests. Global adventure collective Eleven has recently introduced Music with Eleven. The programme’s dedicated team of music-industry insiders (including Chris Funk, guitarist from the Decemberists) custom design itineraries that might include sitting in on a recording session at Flóki Studios, just outside the Arctic Circle at Deplar Farm in Iceland. And Rhythm & Sails hosts musicians on its catamarans. The company’s music director, Anders Beck of the jam band Greensky Bluegrass, curates the line-up of artists who perform sessions onboard and in ports as you island hop around the Caribbean . Jen Murphy

8. Resorts will help you biohack your health span

What’s the trend? Longevity is the latest wellness buzzword thanks to best-selling books such as  Outlive  and the hit Netflix documentary  Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones . Between 2021 and 2022, venture-capital investment in longevity clinics more than doubled from $27 million to $57 million globally, according to analysis from longevity research and media company Longevity.Technology. Now, the science of extending life and optimising health has become the focus at hotels. Blue Zones retreats are the new boot camps and even sybaritic resorts are offering the latest biohacks. Poolside vitamin IV anyone?

Why will it matter in 2024? Since the pandemic, feeling good trumps looking good. “People have become aware of the critical importance of developing a more proactive, preventive approach to health on all levels,” says Karina Stewart, co-founder of Kamalaya, a wellness retreat in Koh Samui, Thailand . This means a new willingness to go beyond diet and exercise and embrace sci-fi-sounding bio-regenerative treatments such as ozone therapy and hyperbaric oxygen chambers, both on offer at Kamalaya's new Longevity House. Luxury hotel brands are embracing the trend too. Six Senses Ibiza recently teamed up with biotech company RoseBar to offer guests full diagnostic testing. Maybourne Hotel Group is collaborating with wellness tech pioneer Virtusan to help guests boost performance. And Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea administers treatments such as stem cells and NAD+ (aka the fountain of youth) through its partnership with Next Health longevity centre. At 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay in Kauai, guests are welcomed with a B12 shot instead of bubbles and the resort’s new wellness-specific rooms come with recovery-boosting mod cons including infrared light mats. If the trend continues, the secret to longevity may be as easy as taking more holidays. Jen Murphy

9. Peak season gets the cold shoulder

What's the trend? There’s been a dramatic recent increase in shoulder season travel to Europe’s most popular destinations (particularly France , Spain , the UK and Italy ), which is set to continue in 2024. Luxury travel specialists Original Travel has launched new shoulder season itineraries to locations traditionally in demand during the summer – including the crystalline seascapes of Sardinia and Corsica – after seeing 14 per cent more bookings for September 2023 than for August 2023. Pegi Amarteifio of Small Luxury Hotels of the World shares similar insights. “Comparing phone reservations in 2023 against 2019, we’ve seen a 33 per cent increase for March to May and a 58 per cent increase for September to November , a pattern reflected across our other booking channels too.”

Why will it matter in 2024? A combination of social, economic and environmental factors is driving this trend into 2024. The cost of living crisis means a heightened focus on value. For 62 per cent of respondents to Booking.com’s 2024 travel trends survey, this is a limiting factor for 2024 travel planning, so much so that 47 per cent of respondents are even willing to take children out of school for cheaper off-peak travel. Shoulder season travel is also becoming more attractive due to rising temperatures, and more feasible due to flexible working. Layered on top of these practical considerations is an emotional motivation too: travellers are craving authenticity more than ever, seeking a tranquil, local feel when abroad, rather than Where’s Wally beach scenes. Toyo Odetunde

10. Private group travel

What’s the trend? The post-pandemic desire to gather friends or family and embark on a shared holiday experience shows no sign of abating – in fact, it’s on the increase in luxury travel, as people appreciate the benefits and savour the moment, from 3G family groups to 50-something empty-nesters keen to rekindle life-long friendships. Just don’t take Succession ’s family outing to Tuscany as a role model.

Why will it matter in 2024? “While some predicted group travel would peak post-pandemic, we’ve seen it have a lasting, positive impact with private group bookings continuing to be a dominant trend,” says Tom Marchant of Black Tomato, for whom group travel now accounts for 30 per cent of bookings. The company has just launched its See You in the Moment series to cater for the demand: it uses a mood board of over 35 experiences themed around key flash points, from The Meal (a backcountry feast served on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, for example) to The Challenge (rafting down the Apurímac in Peru, perhaps), all designed to create lasting memories. For Scott Williams, meanwhile, multi-generational travellers are thinking big: why take one house when you can take a whole estate, such as Meli on Paxos in the Greek Islands, which sleeps 17? Other groups are taking to the water, with Red Savannah reporting an increase in bookings for Turkish gulets, Egyptian dahabiyas and Indonesian phinisis. Scott Dunn have seen an increase in bookings amongst groups of friends, with 30 per cent of respondents in a recent survey saying they were planning trips for 2024 that included ski trips to France, adventure travel in South and Central America, and beach breaks on Antigua and Barbados. Empty-nesters are also a growing force, with groups of couples in their 50s to 70s hiring villas in the shoulder season for cultural weeks away, and all-female groups – mainly aged between 50 and 65 – who are proactive in wanting to renew long-term friendships. “We had one repeat group that included several cancer survivors,” says Sarah-Leigh Shenton at Red Savannah. “A hammam afternoon in Turkey was a deeply bonding experience and they’ve since travelled to Jordan and Sicily together.” Rick Jordan

11. AI aims to be your sidekick

What's the trend? Early last year, after OpenAI’s ChatGPT broke the record as the fastest-ever growing consumer app, travellers started playing around with AI chatbots to get inspiration on where they could go. More recently, major travel booking platforms have started to integrate AI chatbots into the booking experience. But if 2023 was the year of AI chatbots wanting to plan your trips , 2024 will be all about how AI aspires to be your travel sidekick. A wave of new AI-powered features and products aims to support travellers on the ground – all while raising concerns around the potential negative impacts as AI becomes more widely integrated with our travels.

Why will it matter in 2024? AI will start to make more real-time interventions in our travels in 2024. One practical example is live translation , which Samsung plans to launch on its 2024 Galaxy devices. Imagine calling somewhere you want to visit to get information without worrying about whether staff speak the same language as you. Another example is greater AI personalisation in popular apps you already use. Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has recently touted the company's increasing use of personalised AI algorithms , which will learn about your habits and make suggestions based on what you’re doing. For the true early adopters, real-time travel interventions could also mean ditching your screen entirely and clipping a screenless personal translator and travel assistant to your chest. This is the unusual idea behind the new talking and projecting AI Pin from Humane , a start-up backed by investors including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, that promises to function a bit like the universal translator from Star Trek . Will anyone want to actually wear the pin or will it go the way of previously hyped devices such as Google Glass? It certainly raises a host of ethical questions about privacy and data protection. Yet the more that AI products successfully help in addressing on-the-go problems, the more travellers will come to rely on them too. JD Shadel

12. Skip-gen travel

What’s the trend? Skip-gen travel describes when grandparents holiday with grandchildren, in other words, "skipping" a generation. “In the past few months, I've had around twice as many enquiries as usual for grandchild/grandchild bookings,” says Clio Wood, founder of family retreat company &Breathe . “There’s been a rising trend of grandparents taking their grandchildren away,” agrees Ollie Summers, Head of Sales at bespoke operator Scott Dunn . “Often to places that have a sentimental meaning to them.”

Why will it matter in 2024? Several travel agencies have created itineraries to cater specifically for this demand in 2024. “Skip-gen safaris are emerging as a micro-trend from the UK, reflecting a niche traveller group now well established in the US luxury market,” says Liane Goldring of Mahlatini Luxury Travel . “The grandparents are usually in their 70s and still active enough to fully embrace a fully guided safari adventure.” Original Travel, meanwhile, has relaunched its Bonding Holidays Collection , featuring trips focussed on discovering something new together, such as its 14-day Family Ranching itinerary in the American West. Some of this growth can be attributed to big-ticket lockdown promises coming to fruition. Now, amid the UK’s cost of living crisis, parents are also keen to make the most of the time and childcare support of their typically baby boomer, more comfortably retired parents. Plus, the global ratio of living grandparents to grandchildren is higher than ever, thanks to a combined increase in life expectancy and drop in the number of children per person. We’re even said to be living in the "the age of the grandparent". Don’t expect this trend – or your grandparents – to slow down anytime soon. Becky Lucas

Glamorous train travel

13. Train travel gets glam

What’s the trend? Rising climate consciousness has fuelled a rail travel revival, the luxury train niche is reaching new heights of popularity, extravagance and ambition. Travel booking platforms are reporting growing demand for luxury rail trips , where the journey is, yes, the destination. In fact, new design-forward train lines increasingly rival the finest hotels for the culinary experiences and bells and whistles on offer.

Why will it matter in 2024? A new wave of rail lines and itineraries launching in 2024 puts an emphasis on deeper immersion into the culture and landscapes of the destinations, which are more and more off the beaten track. Responding to growing demand for luxury train travel among its user base, specialist platform Railbookers plans to launch arguably the most geographically extensive and expensive luxury train itinerary around. With prices per person starting at $113,599, the 80-day Around the World by Luxury Train voyage will cross four continents and 13 countries. Beginning in August , the slow journey will string together existing luxury rail trips including Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Jasper and India’s Maharajas Express from Delhi to Mumbai. In Asia, the previously paused Eastern & Oriental Express is making a grand comeback starting in February, with carriages getting an upscale revamp and its legendary route being retraced through Malaysia's landscapes. Meanwhile, Japan is a hot destination for its scenic train journeys such as the exclusive Train Suite Shiki-shima , which quickly closed applications for its 2024 trips due to demand. And in Europe, six new train lines will commence or terminate in Rome under Accor's La Dolce Vita umbrella, with suites designed by starchitects Dimorestudio, building on the cultural legacy of the famous Orient Express . JD Shadel

14. Restaurateur-owned hotels

What’s the trend? Restaurants and hotels are the two linchpins of the hospitality industry. And naturally, the two are often intertwined on one premises. Until recently, though, most hotels weren’t started or owned by restaurateurs. Yet as food-focused travel keeps increasing, with people hankering for the next hot reservation and planning entire trips around discovering a culture through its food, it makes sense that restaurateurs are adding hotelier to their CVs – and ensuring their new properties have impressive food offerings. We’d be remiss not to mention Nobu, which began as a restaurant in 1994 and in 2013 launched its global hotel brand, as a harbinger of the trend.

Why will it matter in 2024? Just as design brands (RH, West Elm) have opened hotels in recent years, now restaurateurs are getting in on the action. In the USA, restaurateur and 12-time James Beard award nominee Sam Fox has just launched the Global Ambassador in Phoenix, Arizona, with five restaurants. Santa Barbara’s Good Lion Hospitality is relaunching Petit Soleil , a Californian wine country boutique hotel, with a new bar and restaurant slated for next spring. The Lafayette Hotel & Club was debuted last summer in San Diego by Arsalun Tafazoli, founder of a local hospitality group that operates 16 bars and restaurants. The hotel has five restaurants and bars, with two more opening by the end of the year. In Dallas, Harwood International, which owns a dozen or so restaurants in the area, opened Hôtel Swexan in June. In the St Gallen region of Switzerland two hotels were recently added to beloved restaurants: the revamped Mammertsberg  and  Gasthaus Traube . In Slovenia, AS Hotel is a new place to stay launched Sebastjan Raspopović, son of chef Svetozar Raspopović-Pope of renowned restaurant Gostilna AS in Lublijana. Aside from a restaurant by Raspopović-Pope, the hotel has an eatery by Michelin-lauded chef Ana Roš. Finally,  R48 , and its lauded Chef’s Table, was opened in Tel Aviv last spring by R2M Hospitality Group, which also runs restaurants CoffeeBar and Herzl 16. Devorah Lev-Tov

15. Silent travel

What’s the trend? In an age of overstimulation, silence might be just what we need from our travels in 2024. Offering a chance to restore and reset, silent travel represents a more mindful kind of trip, one that doesn’t leave you needing a holiday to recover from your holiday. Silent meditation retreats are an increasingly popular wellness trend, but silent travel also encompasses secluded nature resorts, sleep retreats , quiet hotels , silent walking tours and even silent disco and concert experiences.

Why will it matter in 2024? Saturated with stress and screen time, many of us are looking for ways to disconnect. The silent walking trend that recently took TikTok by storm reflects a growing impulse to escape the noise of our tech-fuelled lives and embrace the quiet, with promising implications for wellbeing. One 2015 study suggests silence may help to stimulate brain development, while another found that two minutes of silence during or after relaxing music increased the music's calming effects. With the Global Wellness Institute forecasting a 21 per cent increase in wellness tourism in the next two years, what better counter to the chaos of our always-on lives than silence? Silent travel is also part of a move towards more sustainable tourism. Quiet Parks International , for example, offers unique nature experiences in dedicated quiet spaces, reducing noise pollution for the surrounding wildlife. Silent travel opportunities abound in 2024. Kick off the year with a silent retreat in Portugal (with Innate ) or Italy (with Mandali ). More adventurous silent-seekers can trek the peaceful Japanese Kumano Kodo trail, or explore Finland’s Arctic landscape with a Silence & Nature Tour . For a tailor-made silent experience, Black Tomato’s Blink camp offers luxury accommodation in the world’s most remote settings, while its Get Lost programme promises to help you find yourself by getting lost in a far-flung location. Tasha Kleeman

16. Urban gardens

What’s the trend? Never mind the biophilic office and those pot plants you forget to water: whole cities are going green as architects and planners create leafy microclimates amid the grey concrete to help keep us cooler, connect communities and even feed us.

Why will it matter in 2024? Having trees and gardens in our cities is a pretty good idea. King Nebuchadnezzar certainly thought so, which is why his Hanging Gardens of Babylon made it into travel’s first-ever bucket list – the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – back in the 2nd century BC. Nowadays planting trees creates much-needed shade, stores carbon and increases biodiversity, but it also makes our cityscapes so much nicer. While Valencia, an early adopter of urban greening with its 12km-long Turia Garden in 1986, is the 2024 European Green Capital, France is busy planting trees like there’s no tomorrow: go to Paris for the 2024 Olympics and you’ll spot budding new forests growing in Place du Colonel-Fabien, Place de Catalogne and in the Charonne district, while Bordeaux’s Grandeur Nature project includes urban cooling islands, micro-forests and rain gardens. All of which will doubtless be discussed at the ISHS Green Cities 2024 symposium, hosted by RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, England, in September. Meanwhile, on Cyprus – an island that experienced temperatures of 44℃ in 2023 – the new Salina Park opens in time for summer shade in the seaside city of Larnaca. In Brazil, Rio’s Hortas Cariocas is a groundbreaking achievement that will be completed by the end of 2024: the largest urban vegetable garden in the world, connecting 56 community gardens across favelas and schools. And in London, the £1-billion Google building in King’s Cross will show just what can be done with one structure. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the "landscraper" – only 11 storeys high but stretching out longer than the Shard is tall – is hoped to provide a blueprint for future urban projects: running along the rooftop is a multi-level garden, with wildflowers, lawns and decked seating areas, set with more than 55,000 plants and 250 trees. Can you dig it? Rick Jordan

17. Back-of-house tours

What’s the trend? Greener hotels giving us a look behind the scenes to show us – not just tell us – they're sustainable. We don't mean a look-see at solar panels or composting, but heart-lifting experiential tours that help us appreciate why it matters to support socio-economic uplift through tourism. In South America, Blue Apple Beach invites visitors to get up close and personal with the community work it does in Colombia through its impact fund. Founder Portia Hart wanted more than token-gesture carbon offsetting, where locals themselves could decide how money was spent. In Africa, guests of the Bushcamp Company contribute to initiatives through the Luangwa Conservation and Community Fund. A popular excursion in Zambia is visiting the boreholes that are installed with outreach funds. Each pump provides fresh drinking water to hundreds of people a day, and visitors who spend time with those gathered get a very tangible insight into how such provisions funded by hospitality can literally change lives in regions most affected by a warming planet.

Why will it matter in 2024? Transparency is on the up as the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive comes into force and greenwashing is coming close to being officially outlawed. A year of droughts, floods and heatwaves also reminds us we need to make better-informed choices in our travel planning – and all the better if we can also get a crash course in the science and sociology of positive impact. Experiences that go beyond explaining responsible practices, but demonstrate a deep respect for communities on the climate-change frontlines and help make their challenges relatable to visitors are especially helpful. Juliet Kinsman

18. Wild feasting

What’s the trend? Have you ever noticed how food always tastes better outdoors? But in today’s modern world many of us are more used to eating a sandwich while staring at a screen. Wild feasting describes the trend for beautifully curated culinary experiences in natural environments with the incorporation of hyper-local and foraged ingredients. In Sweden, for example, you can tap into a network of do-it-yourself outdoor restaurants where you book a table in a scenic location, search for nettles, birch leaves, lingonberries and trumpet chanterelles, and then cook them on an open fire according to a recipe card provided by a Michelin-grade chef.

Why will it matter in 2024? A greater range of wild feasting opportunities will give urbanites a chance to properly connect over food. Leading the way is Noah Ellis, founder of the UK's Nomadic Dinners. “Since launching in 2018, we experienced compounded year-on-year growth for our feasting and foraging experiences,” he says. In 2024 he will be hosting a new series of fire feasts, including one set among the bluebells. Also tapping into the zeitgeist is TikTok star Alexis Nikole Nelson (aka the Black Forager) who will publish a book about wild food in 2024. And don’t forget, 2024 is the last year you will be able to eat at Copenhagen ’s legendary, foraging-focused restaurant Noma before it turns into a test kitchen and closes to the public. Another innovator is Holmen Lofoten’s Kitchen On The Edge Of The World series in the Norwegian Arctic Circle, where guests can participate in four nights of wild feasts cooked by top chefs. In 2024, these will include Lennox Hastie, José Pizarro and Heidi Bjerkan. Ingunn Rasmussen, owner of Holmen Lofoten, says: “Now, as when we were little kids, gathering around a bonfire in the wilderness, sharing stories, feasting under the stars in these magical, remote surroundings is one of the absolute highlights, both for our guests and for us.” Jenny Southan

19. Plan-free travel

What's the trend? Saying no to endless scrolling to plan every inch of a trip, and saying yes to spontaneity instead. The power of the algorithm-spawned era of Fomo travel is waning, with those once secret spots made Insta-famous becoming tired and cookie-cutter, and the drive to plan a trip around them losing momentum. The rising counter movement is travel with no plans at all.

Why will it matter in 2024? The plan-free appeal is going one step further in 2024. Booking.com recently reported that 50 per cent of UK travellers want to book a surprise trip in 2024, where everything, even the destination, is unknown until arrival. And it’s possible to do it via travel companies such as Black Tomato, whose Get Lost service offers customers the ability to simply select a preferred environment – polar, jungle, desert, mountain or coastal – and leave its team decide everything else. “While we launched Get Lost several years ago, post-pandemic we’ve seen a notable and rising uptick in bookings and enquiries,” says Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant. Journee offers a similar surprise element, with travellers only finding out where they’re going at the airport. The service, which includes a full itinerary and access to a team via Whatsapp, is particularly popular with solo female travellers, while overall demand has grown so much that the London -based brand recently launched trips in the USA. Lauren Burvill

20. Frontier tourism

What’s the trend? To go above and beyond. Or below and under. As crossings of the tumultuous Drake Passage to Antarctica rack up millions of TikTok views and traffic jams form on Everest, canny travellers are seeking more individual, less obvious experiences that combine thrill-seeking with more meaningful self-empowerment.

Why will it matter in 2024? One person’s frontier is another’s backyard, of course, so frontiers are entirely subjective here. For some, this could mean being the first to camp under the stars in a remote landscape, or hike an ancient pilgrimage trail that’s been off the map for centuries. It’s still possible to bag a rare place on a Kamba African Rainforest Experience in the Republic of the Congo, being one of just 12 people to explore a game park the size of Belgium. Black Tomato, meanwhile, is designing an intrepid new expedition to the remote Mitre Peninsula in Argentina, along with a trip in Peru navigating the Sacred Valley of the Incas by raft. “This sort of adventure goes beyond bragging rights and is more akin to self-empowerment and the gratification of pushing our own horizons,” says Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant. The Ultimate Travel Company is also heading to Peru, a country repositioning itself for luxury travellers, with stays at Puqio, its first tented exploration camp,, in the remote Colca Valley in the Southern Peruvian Andes. Wilderness camping is also pegging out fresh terrain in Kyrgyzstan, with yurt stays on the steppes trending for 2024, according to Wild Frontiers, as is Mongolia ; while Albania, Mongolia, Pakistan and the Empty Quarter of Oman are all on the radar for an increasing number of travellers. And while the space-age pods of White Desert have already sold out for New Year’s Eve 2024 and 2025, latter-day frontiersfolk can take the path less travelled and explore the frozen continent’s southern coast (99 per cent of visitors go from South America to the northwest) with The Ultimate Travel Company’s new Ross Sea cruises, seeing the Ross Ice Shelf and Transantarctic Mountains. Don’t forget to pack your penknife. Rick Jordan

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Agent was very helpful to book my tickets to India. She understood my requirements and accordingly gave me options to book the tickets. I would like to utilize the services next time as well.

Date of experience : March 29, 2024

Awesome ETravel

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Date of experience : February 29, 2024

Thank you so much Etravel trend for…

Thank you so much Etravel trend for going out of your limits to help me in making my mothers travel a smooth . Great experience working with you Sujatha . I suggest my friends to try out .

Date of experience : March 28, 2024

So fast & cheap itineraries

ETravel (Sujatha) helped me to find a cheap and best itinerary for my family to travel to India during peak summer. Her response is so quick and keep informing about the progress. Clearly understood my expectations and found the suitable itinerary. I strongly recommend to my other friends as well. Thank you ETravel Trends.

Date of experience : March 18, 2024

I recently had the pleasure of booking…

I recently had the pleasure of booking my first flight with an infant through ETravel Trends. From start to finish, their service exceeded my expectations and made our travel experience with our baby smooth and stress-free. I was impressed by their customer service. As a first-time parent traveling with an infant, I had many questions and concerns, but they helped me provide clear information and guidance every step of the way. One of the highlights of our experience with ETravel Trends was their assistance in securing bassinet seats for our flight. They were responsive to all of my inquiries and made sure that all of our needs were met. Their professionalism and dedication to customer satisfaction truly set them apart. I highly recommend ETravel Trends to anyone traveling and looking for the best price. We will definitely be using ETravel Trends for our future travel needs.

Date of experience : March 05, 2024

Amazing experience with ETravels

It's was an awesome experience working with Sujatha through Etravels. She was so dedicated to make sure I got all possible options for my travel to India and made sure all my requests were taken care by clearing and re-booking. Most of all, her patience and making sure I am listened was the best experience with ETravels. Thank you Sujatha for the amazing experience and making my life easier! Highly recommended 👌

Date of experience : February 16, 2024

ETravelTrends- reliable travel advisor …

ETravelTrends had made my travel booking so easy . They walked me through various options - shortest route / cheapest option / most comfortable & preferred option from all different perceptive . It made my booking so easy and comfortable. Looking forward on using them for my future needs too .

Date of experience : January 19, 2024

Had a great experience with Ragunaath…

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Date of experience : December 09, 2023

Thank you for helping us to book the…

Thank you for helping us to book the tickets with very little effort and best possible price. Really appreciate your continuous updates and sharing different airlines options. We will share this experience with our friends to use your service.

Date of experience : November 29, 2023

Best itinerary at lowest price

The entire ticket booking process was very smooth. The customer service rep was very knowledgeable and knows exactly what to ask and came up with the best itinerary that met my travel requirements. They were very responsive and always available to ensure my satisfaction. I will definitely return back to them for any future travel.

Date of experience : November 20, 2023

Great and timely service

Great and timely service, high recommended ETravel Trends for international travel needs

Date of experience : March 11, 2024

Booked during peak

I have booked my ticket recently. Sujatha has been very helpful in getting the better deal and she has been amazing with her qucik response every time during my enquiry. 5 stars to etravel trends.

Date of experience : November 01, 2023

One of the best customer care and hassle-free travel booking company

I am absolutely thrilled with the exceptional service provided by ETravel Trends! Their attention to detail, seamless booking process, and dedicated customer support made my travel experience a delight. I highly recommend ETravel Trends for an stress-free travel bookings.

Date of experience : November 15, 2023

Thank you Sujata and Regu for ensuring…

Thank you Sujata and Regu for ensuring that we get our best price .

Date of experience : February 04, 2024

They provide us best fare available on…

They provide us best fare available on the day of booking and clear our queries regarding booking

Date of experience : November 25, 2023

Sujatha was helpful in the entire…

Sujatha was helpful in the entire ticket booking process. Providing suggestions and views. Supper happy.

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Good experience with booking tickets with you

Date of experience : March 04, 2024

Excellent customer service

Excellent customer service, very patient towards customers, and supportive staff who provided multiple options. Definitely would use this service again!

Date of experience : November 26, 2023

They were prompt in finding best travel…

They were prompt in finding best travel deal and booking.

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Agent was very helpful to book my tickets to India. She understood my requirements and accordingly gave me options to book the tickets. I would like to utilize the services next time as well.

Date of experience : 29 March 2024

Awesome ETravel

ETravel is quite supportive. Also they are very helpful to find the deal based on the customer needs. They helped us very patiently. Any day recommend ETravel for all your travel needs as they are awesome!

Date of experience : 29 February 2024

Thank you so much Etravel trend for…

Thank you so much Etravel trend for going out of your limits to help me in making my mothers travel a smooth . Great experience working with you Sujatha . I suggest my friends to try out .

Date of experience : 28 March 2024

So fast & cheap itineraries

ETravel (Sujatha) helped me to find a cheap and best itinerary for my family to travel to India during peak summer. Her response is so quick and keep informing about the progress. Clearly understood my expectations and found the suitable itinerary. I strongly recommend to my other friends as well. Thank you ETravel Trends.

Date of experience : 18 March 2024

I recently had the pleasure of booking…

I recently had the pleasure of booking my first flight with an infant through ETravel Trends. From start to finish, their service exceeded my expectations and made our travel experience with our baby smooth and stress-free. I was impressed by their customer service. As a first-time parent traveling with an infant, I had many questions and concerns, but they helped me provide clear information and guidance every step of the way. One of the highlights of our experience with ETravel Trends was their assistance in securing bassinet seats for our flight. They were responsive to all of my inquiries and made sure that all of our needs were met. Their professionalism and dedication to customer satisfaction truly set them apart. I highly recommend ETravel Trends to anyone traveling and looking for the best price. We will definitely be using ETravel Trends for our future travel needs.

Date of experience : 05 March 2024

Amazing experience with ETravels

It's was an awesome experience working with Sujatha through Etravels. She was so dedicated to make sure I got all possible options for my travel to India and made sure all my requests were taken care by clearing and re-booking. Most of all, her patience and making sure I am listened was the best experience with ETravels. Thank you Sujatha for the amazing experience and making my life easier! Highly recommended 👌

Date of experience : 16 February 2024

ETravelTrends- reliable travel advisor …

ETravelTrends had made my travel booking so easy . They walked me through various options - shortest route / cheapest option / most comfortable & preferred option from all different perceptive . It made my booking so easy and comfortable. Looking forward on using them for my future needs too .

Date of experience : 19 January 2024

Had a great experience with Ragunaath…

Had a great experience with Ragunaath from ETravel Trends. He patiently listen to our needs and got the best deal for my multi-city trip to India via Paris. Will definitely recommend him to my friends.

Date of experience : 09 December 2023

Thank you for helping us to book the…

Thank you for helping us to book the tickets with very little effort and best possible price. Really appreciate your continuous updates and sharing different airlines options. We will share this experience with our friends to use your service.

Date of experience : 29 November 2023

Best itinerary at lowest price

The entire ticket booking process was very smooth. The customer service rep was very knowledgeable and knows exactly what to ask and came up with the best itinerary that met my travel requirements. They were very responsive and always available to ensure my satisfaction. I will definitely return back to them for any future travel.

Date of experience : 20 November 2023

Great and timely service

Great and timely service, high recommended ETravel Trends for international travel needs

Date of experience : 11 March 2024

Booked during peak

I have booked my ticket recently. Sujatha has been very helpful in getting the better deal and she has been amazing with her qucik response every time during my enquiry. 5 stars to etravel trends.

Date of experience : 01 November 2023

One of the best customer care and hassle-free travel booking company

I am absolutely thrilled with the exceptional service provided by ETravel Trends! Their attention to detail, seamless booking process, and dedicated customer support made my travel experience a delight. I highly recommend ETravel Trends for an stress-free travel bookings.

Date of experience : 15 November 2023

Thank you Sujata and Regu for ensuring…

Thank you Sujata and Regu for ensuring that we get our best price .

Date of experience : 04 February 2024

They provide us best fare available on…

They provide us best fare available on the day of booking and clear our queries regarding booking

Date of experience : 25 November 2023

Sujatha was helpful in the entire…

Sujatha was helpful in the entire ticket booking process. Providing suggestions and views. Supper happy.

Good experience with booking tickets…

Good experience with booking tickets with you

Date of experience : 04 March 2024

Excellent customer service

Excellent customer service, very patient towards customers, and supportive staff who provided multiple options. Definitely would use this service again!

Date of experience : 26 November 2023

They were prompt in finding best travel…

They were prompt in finding best travel deal and booking.

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10 must-know travel trends for 2023

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After a particularly turbulent time for the industry, (the pandemic cost the global tourism industry $935 billion in the first 10 months of 2020 alone), travel is gaining momentum again. But while travel is back on the cards, the landscape has changed. Travel brands are being forced to guess what consumers want now, and what will happen next. leaving travel brands to piece together what consumers want now, and what will happen next.

So whether you’re in the midst of planning travel packages, strategizing your next big media campaign, or deciding on what content to lead with to drive new bookings, here are the key travel trends you need to know for 2023. 

Key travel trends for 2023

• Staycays are here to stay
• Millennials are driving demand for pet-friendly vacations 
• Gen Zs are going it alone
• Millennials are splashing the cash
• Covid fears are waning
• Gen Zs are being seriously #influenced
• Baby boomers are craving familiarity
• Italy, the Caribbean, and Singapore are on travelers’ lust list
• Sustainability is hot on the agenda for millennials
• Booking flexibility is non-negotiable

1. Staycays are here to stay

The world has opened up, and so has the appetite to travel abroad. You may think that marks the end of the domestic vacay, but this isn’t the case. Around 90% of consumers say they plan to take a domestic vacation in the next 12 months.

It seems that staycations have captured the hearts of travelers, many of whom may have holidayed at home for the first time due to Covid travel restrictions.

So what is it about domestic travel that consumers love so much? Being close to nature, the beach/coast, and visiting family/friends are among the top reasons for their vacation. What’s more, 58% of domestic vacation planners say their top reason to holiday closer to home is to enjoy themselves and relax, showing that sometimes the simple things are the most important right now.

2. Millennials are driving demand for pet-friendly vacations 

Passport, keys, sunglasses, furry friend? According to our latest data from GWI Travel, over 1 in 10 millennials say they plan to travel with their pets. 

During the Covid lockdowns we saw a huge spike in consumers buying puppies, and now many new dog-owners are finding themselves with an extra passenger in tow. And it’s not just domestic vacations where dogs are getting in on the action. Eurotunnel reported a record-number of pets traveling on its services in August 2022, and new airline Akasa Air have pre-empted demand by announcing it will allow “domestic dogs and cats” on all flights. 

3. Gen Zs are going it alone

After 2 years of restrictions, Gen Zs are after a little adventure. Over a third of Gen Z say they plan to travel by themselves, showing there’s an appetite to be bold post-pandemic. TikTok is awash with videos with the hashtags such as #solotravel, #solotraveldiaries and #solotraveltips that provide inspiration, useful content and honest reviews of what it’s like to travel alone. 

Our freshest travel data set showed 35% of Gen Z think ‘safety of solo travelers’ was an important factor if they were booking a vacation/trip tomorrow, suggesting solo travel could be a lucrative market for brands to hone in on for 2023. Budget airline EasyJet is already tapping into this market, announcing that it’s extending its solo traveler discount after seeing a huge uptick in demand. 

4. Millennials are splashing the cash 

You may be forgiven for thinking that baby boomers are the most likely to push the boat out when it comes to vacations, but there’s a new big spender in town: the millennial. 

17% of millennials say they look for options toward the top range, or reach for the top-range option, which is the highest of all generations. They’re also the most likely to say they’re taking a domestic vacation as a luxury/treat for themselves or others. So if you’re a luxury travel brand, millennials are a key segment to win over. Whether it’s flight upgrades, premium room options, or duty free, you can count on millennials being front of the queue.

5. Covid fears are waning

After a confusing and worrying time for many, consumers’ confidence in travel is slowly building with Covid concerns no longer a top priority. When asked which factors were most important when choosing a destination, Covid-19 status/restrictions was outranked across all generations by factors such as fun/excitement, sights/attractions and cost/value for money. 

32% of travelers said Covid-19 entry requirements would be an important booking factor, and 28% said the same for Covid-19 case numbers, however, this pales in comparison to free cancellation/rebooking and hygiene standards which came out at 38% and 36% respectively. So while consumers are still conscious of Covid risks, they’ve got other priorities on their mind. Messaging on flexible booking policies and positive hygiene reviews are likely to be more persuasive to lead with than Covid-related assurances. 

6. Gen Zs are being seriously #influenced

What influences consumers’ decision on where to vacation? Across all generations, recommendations from family and friends came out on top, with 39% of respondents saying this influenced their decision. This was highest among Baby Boomers and Gen Z, but for Gen Z, there’s another factor that plays a huge role: social media.

60% of Gen Z say social media, whether in the form of ads or posts by friends/family or celeb/content creators, influences their decision about where to go on vacation. This is a clear indication to brands that ads and influencers are a particularly effective way to engage with Gen Zs and promote their travel offering. 

Want to know where to target them? According to our latest social media use by generation report, Instagram is the platform where ads resonate the most for Gen Z, with 24% of this generation saying they’ve clicked on a promoted post/ad on the site in the past month. 

7. Baby boomers are craving familiarity

Unlike Gen Z, baby boomers are less concerned with finding trendy or insta-worthy hotspots, and more about visiting destinations they know and trust. 

The most distinctive destination influencer for this generation is previous vacations they’ve been on. This group is much more likely than other generations to rely on their own past experiences.

In fact, 32% say they’d rather take a vacation somewhere they’ve been before. 

After the disruption of the pandemic, and with the cost of living crisis beginning to bite, who can blame them for hedging their bets? 

Other important factors for baby boomers include recommendations from family/friends (46% say this) and value for money (54% say this), which again highlights their desire to make low-risk decisions and book with confidence.

8. Italy, the Caribbean, and Singapore are on travelers’ lust list

Where are international vacationers planning to go? Most travelers are planning to visit locations within their own region. Italy is the top destination travelers in Europe are considering, with 29% saying they plan to visit, closely followed by Spain and Greece. 

A third of international vacation planners in North America say they plan to visit the Caribbean in the next 12 months, followed by Mexico and Canada. Brands should focus their attention here when promoting offers and packages to North American audiences. 

In APAC, Singapore topped the list of most sought after destinations, with interest at an all time high due to pent-up demand from the pandemic. Singapore Airlines recently announced an expanded flight schedule to keep up with growing demand from travelers. The second and third most popular destinations for APAC vacation planners are Australia and Japan. 

9. Sustainability is hot on the agenda for millennials

A travel trend that’s impossible to ignore is sustainability, but it’s safe to say some generations are more concerned than others. Of all groups, millennials care most about the carbon footprint of their travel, with 37% saying they’re very/extremely concerned. Gen Zs aren’t far behind, but only 18% of baby boomers say the same. 

When it comes to taking measures to limit their environmental impact, millennials are the most likely to pick a travel provider with a good sustainability/environmental policy and say they try to use local providers for services while on vacation. Brands already responding to this demand include Skyscanner, which recently expanded its Greener Choices tool (which helps travelers find lower-emission flights) to include electric vehicle booking options, helping travelers to travel in a more eco-conscious way. 

However, we also know that millennials are also the most likely of all groups to indulge in luxury travel so there’s an interesting tension here between intention and action. While they may be most concerned about their carbon footprint, that doesn’t stop them traveling. According to our latest Core data, millennials are the most active group of travel buyers .  

10. Booking flexibility is non-negotiable

Covid restrictions and the recent surge in flight cancellations left many travelers frustrated, and in some instances, out of pocket. Consumers are becoming increasingly wary of cancellations and delays, and as such, when asked which factors were most important if booking a trip tomorrow, free cancellation/rebooking came out on top (38% said this).  

Easy cancellation/rebooking also scored highly, showcasing consumers’ desire for greater flexibility when planning their vacation. Despite travel restrictions being lifted, consumers aren’t prepared to give up the peace of mind that free and flexible booking policies afford them. 

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Falling Domestic Fares and an A.I. Arms Race: What Travelers Can Expect in 2024

At the start of what promises to be a very busy year, we look ahead at what you’re likely to encounter.

Credit... Chanelle Nibbelink

Last year, after mandatory coronavirus restrictions were lifted around the world, international tourism recovered to 90 percent of prepandemic levels, according to the World Tourism Organization .

But it was also a year of upheavals, with disasters — both natural and man-made — disrupting travel, from wildfires to labor unrest and technological breakdowns .

With 2023 in the rearview mirror, we look ahead at what travelers will face in 2024.

Airline Prices: Will They Finally Drop?

A record 4.7 billion passengers are expected to fly globally in 2024, up from the previous record of 4.5 billion in 2019, according to the International Air Transport Association . Analysts at American Express Global Business Travel say that average ticket prices across all regions are not expected to change significantly. But in the United States, domestic and international airfares are expected to move in opposite directions.

Hayley Berg, lead economist for the booking platform Hopper , anticipates that for the next six months, domestic airfare will cost less than in 2023 and prepandemic years. Travelers booking domestic flights in February can expect to pay an average fare of about $276 round-trip — an 8 percent decrease from the same month last year. Reasons for the falling prices include increased airplane capacity — the number of seats on a given route — and a drop in the cost of jet fuel.

“January will be the cheapest month of the year to book travel until the fall shoulder season in September and October,” Ms. Berg said. “Airfare will rise into late spring as the spring break and summer travel period heat up.”

International airfare departing from the United States is up 10 percent for 2024 compared with 2023, according to Kayak , a travel search engine. But airline capacity, Ms. Berg said, is rising and might eventually dampen that increase in prices.

Overall, the outlook for airfare this year is a return to normalcy, said the aviation analyst Robert W. Mann Jr.

“Revenge travel” and the volatility in airfare that has characterized the last few years are “basically in the rearview mirror,” he said. And ebbing demand for leisure travel might mean more excess capacity, further driving prices down.

— Christine Chung

A.I.: Will It Change My Vacation?

It is hard to believe that it has only been about a year since travelers started dabbling in ChatGPT-created itineraries. This year will bring even more experimentation and innovation. “A.I. is like a teenage intern,” said Chad Burt, co-owner of the travel adviser network Outside Agents , “better, smarter, faster than you, but you need to lead them.”

The expanding use of A.I. could influence how we book online, what happens when flights are canceled or delayed, and even how much we pay for tickets.

“In 2024, we will see a new breed of intelligent travel agents built on top of chatbots,” said Oren Etzioni , professor emeritus of computer science at the University of Washington. That means travelers will begin interacting with sites like Airbnb, Expedia and Priceline by typing out questions in addition to ticking boxes to search for lodging, restaurants and amenities like swimming pools.

A.I. will also power what happens behind the scenes at airlines and airports, said Gilbert Ott, director of partnerships at Point.me , which helps travelers find flights to buy with rewards points. For example, it could improve automatic rebooking onto new flights when customers miss connections or weather snarls runways. At United Airlines, for example, smarter software can offer rebooking options and issue food and lodging vouchers when a flight is canceled, rather than just rebooking a flight.

On the ground, A.I. software will be able to inform more human-made decisions, like how to most efficiently reposition baggage carts and staff in response to tight connections or flight delays.

Finally, A.I. systems trained on bigger and more up-to-date data sets will let airlines’ dynamic ticket-pricing algorithms better use data like weather predictions and customers’ searches to charge as much as they can while still filling planes. At the same time, companies like the online travel agency Hopper , which says it uses 70 trillion data points in its pricing prediction model, continue to work the problem from the other side, in a kind of A.I.-powered arms race between the airlines and customers.

— Julie Weed

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Biometrics: Will They Replace My Passport?

In the year ahead, the use of biometrics — an individual’s unique physical identifiers, such as fingerprints and faces — will be expanded at airports in the United States and abroad, a shift to enhance security, replace physical identification such as passports and driver’s licenses, and reduce the amount of time required by travelers to pass through airports. Biometric technology will be seen everywhere from bag drops at the check-in counters to domestic security screening.

In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration is expanding its program allowing passengers to opt in for a security screening relying on a facial recognition match with their physical identification — a photo taken in real time is compared against a scan of a license or passport and assists the T.S.A. officer in verifying a traveler’s identity. This program is currently available at 30 airports nationwide, including Salt Lake City International Airport and Denver International Airport ; the T.S.A. said it will expand to more than 400 airports in the coming years.

T.S.A. PreCheck travelers who are flying on Delta Air Lines may not even need to show their identification at all during bag drop and security, if they opt in to Delta’s digital ID program.

The program, which compares a photo taken at the airport to one in a database of trusted travelers (compiled by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency), takes about 40 seconds, said Greg Forbes, Delta’s managing director of airport experience. The pilot program is now available at five airports, including La Guardia Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.

Internationally, Singapore’s Changi Airport plans to adopt facial recognition technology for departing passengers, no longer requiring them to show their passports .

Neville Pattinson, head of North America business development for biometrics for Thales, a global technology company, said travelers will start to get increasingly familiar with using biometrics.

“We see much less interaction needed by the traveler, making it less stressful and more seamless,” Mr. Pattinson said. “We’re seeing biometrics really help the travel industry cope with the volumes of travelers going up and the need to really process people quicker.”

Destinations: What’s Hot This Year?

London, Rome, Tokyo, Cancún and Las Vegas, some of the most visited destinations in 2023, are still among the top places travelers are searching to go to this year, according to the travel sites Kayak and Hopper .

Beach destinations like the Cayman Islands and French Polynesia are also trending destinations for 2024.

“Americans are looking for fun in the sun,” said Laura Lindsay, a global travel trends expert at the travel search engine Skyscanner . “Our data shows that they are seeking out destinations with equal opportunities for relaxation and outdoor adventures.”

After the extreme weather events of 2023 and overcrowding at popular destinations, travelers are also looking for cooler, less crowded spots.

Those hoping to avoid the kind of crippling heat that struck southern Europe last summer are showing interest in Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark, say travel advisers, and airlines like Air Canada and American Airlines are adding new routes to meet the demand.

“Two of my favorite places in the region are Bergen and Flam in Norway, with some amazing food, markets and landscapes,” said Joshua Smith, the founder of Global Citizen Journeys , a travel company that caters to millennials.

While interest in Scandinavia is rising, Mr. Smith said the priority for most of his clients is to book major destinations like Italy and France while there are still accommodations. Once places are sold out, he expects rapid growth in Scandinavia bookings.

Mr. Smith is also recommending Malta. “From its history and architecture to the food, Malta maintains the comfort of Europe with solid tourism infrastructure, but without the crowds.”

Another alternative that travel advisers recommend is Slovenia. “Because it’s less known, it is much cheaper and less crowded,” said Laurel Brunvoll, the owner of Unforgettable Trips , a Maryland-based travel agency.

While Ms. Brunvoll’s clients are eyeing destinations off the beaten path, they are also booking popular places like Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Britain. More distant destinations, including Egypt and India, are also gaining traction as well as polar excursions and world cruises, she said.

In North America, one of the most anticipated events is the total solar eclipse on April 8. Popular places to view the path of totality include the Mazatlán coast of Mexico; Cape Girardeau, Mo., with its hiking trails, bike paths and nature center; and scenic Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Texas is also expected to be an epicenter for the event and, with its range of scenery, festivals and other activities in places like Burnet, Sulphur Springs and Lampasas, could draw up to 700,000 visitors, according to the eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler , who has been keeping track of visitation probability in various areas.

Hotels: Will They Finally Beat Rentals?

In cities from New York to Vienna , new short-term-rental restrictions — designed to improve housing availability for residents — are poised to boost the bottom lines at hotels. In New York in November, shortly after Airbnb and the like were limited to stays of 30 days or longer, hotel occupancy was up 6 percent and rates were up 8 percent, according to the commercial real estate firm CoStar.

However, travelers working remotely continue to favor rentals, which remain strong in rural areas where there are more rentals than hotels .

“We’ve seen the strongest demand in small and midsize cities, coastal and mountain locations and areas outside of major urban centers,” said Jamie Lane, the senior vice president of analytics and chief economist at AirDNA , a market research firm that specializes in short-term rentals. “Hotel supply is primarily in larger urban centers or along interstates,” he added.

Though rentals are expected to account for just over 15 percent of lodging demand in 2024, compared to about 12 percent before the pandemic, they have profoundly challenged hotels. In response, hotels have adopted more residential features.

“Hotels have taken a page from the short-term-rental playbook and said, ‘We want our restaurants open to the public and we want rooms not to be beige boxes,’” said Jan Freitag, the national director for hospitality analytics at CoStar. “On the amenities side, the room that used to be a place to crash now has to serve as an office.”

With features such as kitchenettes and expanded living spaces, extended-stay hotels are booming. New brands expected to debut this year include MidX Studios from Marriott, LivSmart Studios by Hilton and Hyatt Studios .

“We’ve never seen ourselves as in competition with hotels,” said David Whiteside, the global chief operating officer at Onefinestay , which rents high-end homes and apartments with concierge service. It was acquired by Accor Hotels in 2016. “There will be times when a hotel is the perfect fit for a family or individual, and times when a home, villa or chalet would be the better option.”

Meanwhile, hotels are leaning into what distinguishes them most: the human element.

Makarand Mody, an associate professor of hospitality marketing at Boston University, noted that “certain travelers appreciate the service of hotels, which is where they outshine rentals.”

Points: Should I Use Them?

The question of whether to save or to spend miles takes on new urgency this year as lawmakers consider the Credit Card Competition Act . The legislation targets transaction fees — usually 2 to 3 percent of a sale — that retailers pay to credit card companies such as Visa and Mastercard. The fees are partially used by the companies to run loyalty programs that award points to cardholders that can be redeemed for things like flights and hotels.

The act proposes allowing retailers to choose a cheaper system that would reduce the fees. Critics, including banks and airlines , which make billions selling co-branded credit cards, maintain that a cheaper system, backed by retail giants like Walmart and Target, would upend rewards programs.

Whether the legislation will succeed is unknown.

“This has been one of the biggest lobbying battles of all time, pitting two huge industries, retail versus banking,” said Brian Kelly, the founder of the Points Guy , a travel site that helps users maximize reward points and opposes the act.

Does the legislation threaten your points? Not immediately, said Leigh Rowan of Savanti Travel , a personal travel management service. “Assuming it passes, we still have a long runway ahead between then and when the bill will be enacted,” he said. “There’s not a rush to do anything in 2024.”

Still, experts perennially advise spending over saving points.

“Never hoard,” said Mr. Kelly, explaining that airlines and hotels have the leeway to change their redemption values overnight, and to keep up with the growth of points, they tend to increase the total needed to get a flight or hotel room. “Over time, the points you have today generally lose value.”

Mr. Rowan suggests diversifying your credit cards by switching from one airline card, for example, where you can only redeem points with that airline, to a more robust card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card that has redemption partnerships with multiple airlines, hotels and rental car companies.

“Diversification will help regardless, but especially if this act goes through,” Mr. Rowan said.

Trains: Should I Travel by Rail?

Train lovers and travelers concerned about their carbon footprint have a lot to choose from this year — especially in Europe. While some European governments are mulling short-haul flight bans , many passengers are already opting for rail, where new connections are numerous.

Nightjet , part of the Austrian federal railway, ÖBB, started running a sleeper train between Berlin and Paris in December, while the French rail operator, S.N.C.F., started overnight service between Paris and Aurillac , in south-central France, the same month. Sleeper trains between Paris and Vienna and Paris and Nice are also already in service. And the Italian rail operator Trenitalia has recently started running a weekly high-speed connection between Rome and the station serving the Pompeii archaeological park.

Other new European connections include a sleeper service between Brussels and Prague , coming in late March, and an overnight train between Brussels and Bratislava, Slovakia , expected late this year or early next. Trenitalia is also working on high-speed service between Paris and Barcelona, with a possible connection to Madrid, as well as a direct link between Milan and Ljubljana, Slovenia; no start date has been set for either service.

Looking for a luxury experience? The Orient Express La Dolce Vita will offer itineraries through Italy beginning in November. Backed by the French conglomerate Accor, the service will emphasize design and fine dining, and will take visitors to places like Palermo, Portofino, Rome and Siena.

Asia-bound travelers also have luxury options with two new itineraries on the Eastern & Oriental Express . Each route starts and ends in Singapore and takes travelers on a three-night trip through Malaysia. In March, Japan will offer extended bullet train service from Tokyo to Fukui prefecture , home to a 13th-century Buddhist temple, coastal cliffs and a dinosaur museum.

In the United States, Amtrak’s new fleet of high-speed trains could soon enter service in the Northeast Corridor, although no start date has been set. The trains will reach 160 miles per hour, up from the current 150 m.p.h.

As of last month, Brightline — a privately owned intercity operator — has been running 16 round-trip trains every day between Orlando, Fla., and Miami. Looking ahead, Brightline is planning a high-speed route between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, a project that won $3 billion in federal support late last year. Organizers hope the service will begin in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The Middle East: Are Tourists Returning?

Travelers appear to be slowly returning to some Middle East nations despite the continuation of the Israel-Hamas conflict that all but decimated the region’s tourism since it began on Oct. 7. Travel operators said that bookings to countries including Egypt, Jordan and Oman are growing, welcome news for an area that’s dependent on tourist dollars and one that had received a record number of visitors since the height of the pandemic.

“The Middle East was on track to be one of our biggest leaders in post-pandemic travel recovery, and with this momentum swinging back, it shows just how powerful its appeal is to travelers,” said James Thornton, the chief executive of Intrepid Travel, a global tour company.

Intrepid’s bookings for tours in Oman — and Tunisia in Northern Africa — have experienced explosive demand, more than doubling from last year, the company said.

Closer to the conflict, booking figures in Egypt are rising, travel operators said, with hopes pinned on Nile River tours, a tourist mainstay. Beach holidays in coastal destinations such as Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh are also picking up, said Khaled Ibrahim, a Cairo-based consultant for Amisol Travel Egypt and a member of the Middle East Travel Alliance .

And in Jordan, Intrepid’s bookings for family tours this year have increased 22 percent from last year.

In Israel, tourism has not yet rebounded, and its absence is hurting local businesses, said Harry Rubenstein, who runs Harry’s Baked, a tour company with excursions in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Ramle. He said he had a few tours this month, but nothing scheduled beyond next week.

“There aren’t any conventional tourists visiting now,” Mr. Rubenstein said.

Eyal Carlin, Israel’s tourism commissioner to North America, said international visitors had recently begun trickling into Israel to volunteer. He added that he expected this type of travel, the majority of which is faith-based, to remain “steady” over the next several months.

Additionally, airline service to Israel has not returned to prewar levels: The number of available inbound flights from January through March is down about 31 percent compared with the same period last year, according to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company. In the United States, Delta Air Lines has paused flights until March 29, and American Airlines has discontinued service through April 4. United Airlines has suspended its flights indefinitely, said Josh Freed, a United spokesman.

Luxury and Wellness: Is the Boom Real?

After the travel frenzy of 2023, all signs point to increasing interest in far-flung destinations, villa rentals, private jet bookings and personal pilgrimages in 2024.

“The lust for luxury is real,” said Jack Ezon, the founder of the high-end travel agency Embark Beyond . But, he added, mindfulness is poised to replace heedless indulgence. “Consumers today are focused on sustainability, investment value and craftsmanship when considering a luxury purchase,” he said.

“Travel provides the glue that pulls the family close together and unites it around a shared passion,” said Tom Marchant, a co-founder of Black Tomato , which plans pricey bespoke trips. Compared to 2019, 2023 bookings were up 64 percent, and demand remains strong heading into the new year.

This year, travelers are expected to choose faraway places and board small ships, according to Virtuoso , the consortium of luxury travel agencies. In June, the new 264-passenger Seabourn Pursuit from the luxury cruise line Seabourn will visit the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia (10-day voyages start around $10,000 per person). Black Tomato is planning private group treks to untrammeled destinations like the Mitre Peninsula in Argentina’s Patagonia region, priced at more than $60,000 per person.

Among luxury eco-conscious newcomers, Ki’ama Bahamas , slated to open in the fall, promises to be the first fully solar-powered residential club in the Bahamas. This month, Lepogo Lodges in South Africa will open the carbon-neutral Melote House , accommodating up to 16 guests and funneling profits back into the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, where it is situated (nightly rates from $12,000).

Wellness travel, a market valued at over $600 billion, is expected to grow to $1.1 trillion by 2025, according to the Global Wellness Institute, a nonprofit that tracks the industry.

“Medical wellness and longevity sciences have taken over the wellness market,” said Beth McGroarty, the director of research and communications at the Global Wellness Institute. Medical procedures like bone density testing, biometric screening and stem-cell therapies are cropping up at resorts alongside low-tech programs that focus on sleep, breathing and social connection.

Travelers will have no shortage of new destinations to feed their hunger for health. In the spring, the new Ranch Hudson Valley will open near Tuxedo Park, N.Y., a spinoff of the original in Malibu, Calif., offering three-night-minimum stays and featuring colonics, cryotherapy and guided hikes (from $3,280 per person). SHA Mexico opens near Cancún in late January, with programs that address sexual health, stress reduction and sleep (minimum four-day stays start at $5,770).

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Rebooting customer experience to bring back the magic of travel

In the 2020 report, “ The travel industry turned upside down ,” McKinsey & Company partnered with Skift Research to document the unprecedented impact that COVID-19 had on the travel sector. 1 Seth Borko, Wouter Geerts, and Haixia Wang, “ The travel industry turned upside down: Insights, analysis, and actions for travel executives ,” September 22, 2021, McKinsey.com. One year later, we find that the travel sector is bouncing back—yet recovery still has a long way to go.

Although 2021 performance has improved considerably, the Skift Recovery Index shows it is still 35 percent below pre-pandemic levels globally. Furthermore, different geographies tell vastly different recovery stories as a result of varying travel restrictions, COVID-19 case counts, and the strength of domestic travel markets. North America shows strong recovery performance, while many Asian countries are showing lower recovery scores as they remain far more cautious in opening their borders (Exhibit 1).

In this report, McKinsey and Skift Research assess the current traveler experience and find mixed signals. While surveys and customer satisfaction rating analyses show many travelers are satisfied with their experiences—some, surprisingly, more so than before COVID-19—a deeper look at the data reveals troubling undercurrents.

Despite high satisfaction ratings, negative sentiment is on the rise. 2 “ US consumer sentiment during the coronavirus crisis, McKinsey survey results ,” May 13, 2021, McKinsey.com. Furthermore, operational capacity is strained, staffing challenges are widespread, airline complaints are up, rental cars are hard to come by, and hotel amenities and services remain substantially pared down.

Given the seeming contradiction between performance and satisfaction, the true situation may simply be that leisure travelers are happy to be on the road again after a year of being stuck at home. As travel volumes increase and business travelers return, there is potential for a wave of customer dissatisfaction—at a time when loyalty is up for grabs.

Will travel players manage to reboot customer experience before travelers’ “honeymoon phase” comes to an end? Or will thinning customer patience shock the system?

Would you like to learn more about our Travel, Logistics & Infrastructure Practice ?

Customer experience is the challenge of the recovery.

Whether it’s more tailored products, greater digital parity with analog services, or faster turnaround, customer expectations of what great customer experience (CX) looks like have shifted significantly. COVID-19 only accelerated these trends, leaving the travel ecosystem in a game of catch-up.

In this changing landscape, travel companies that prioritize CX can gain loyalty, build resilience, and future-proof their businesses.

Yet while travel executives may believe their companies deliver strong CX today, our research indicates there is room for improvement. Common challenges include inconsistency in CX across products, services, and digital; difficulty predicting customers’ sentiment without having to ask them; and time lags in going to market with updates, releases and enhancements.

This report explores the critical role of CX in the travel industry at this pivotal moment in time. Travel executives can ask themselves:

• Do you believe your customer experience is consistently high across product, service and digital? Research shows that you can aim higher.
• Do you know the sentiment of your customers without ever having to ask them? Research shows that you can understand your customers more deeply.
• Do you move as fast today as you did when the pandemic first struck? Research shows that you can move faster.
• Ultimately, how can you be more intentional about unlocking the value of customer experience and bringing back the magic of travel?

Travel companies are still absorbing COVID-19’s financial impact, and investing in CX now may seem too great a burden for many of them. But companies that prioritize CX during a downturn stand to outperform their competition for years to come—as McKinsey research on the 2007–09 downturn has shown. 3 Dago Diedrich, Nicholas Northcote, Tido Röder, and Karolina Sauer-Sidor, “Strategic resilience during the COVID-19 crisis,” March 2, 2021, McKinsey.com. Indeed, wise investment in CX may be key to the industry’s survival, and flourishing, in a post-pandemic world.

There are mixed signals around the current customer experience

As travel volumes are starting to return in many parts of the world, stories have begun to surface about problematic travel experiences. 4 Elaine Glusac, “6 ways to tame airline nightmares,” New York Times , August 24, 2021, nytimes.com; Hannah Sampson, “Tourists in Hawaii are driving U-Hauls because rental cars are so expensive,” Washington Post , May 3, 2021, washingtonpost.com. Has the travel experience in fact gotten worse? The answer is not clear cut as there are mixed signals around the current customer experience.

On the surface, traveler satisfaction does not appear to have declined during the pandemic

Perhaps surprisingly, Skift Research’s Traveler Tracker survey found that more than 80 percent of leisure travelers were satisfied with their Summer 2021 flight and hotel experiences—indeed, nearly half rated their trips as better than those they’d experienced pre-COVID-19 (Exhibit 2). 5 Skift Travel Tracker, July 2021. Similarly, a Travelsify analysis of over 60 million hotel guest reviews found minimal changes in review scores, and a Transparent analysis of vacation rental property ratings found that current scores are comparable to 2019 levels. 6 Travelsify Hotel Brand DNA®, January 2018 to December 2019 and January 2020 to July 2021; Transparent analysis from January to August 2019, 2020 and 2021.

These surprising “satisfaction” rating findings may be the result of leisure travelers simply being happy to be on the road again.

Despite steady satisfaction ratings, negative sentiment is on the rise

As time passes, travelers may become less willing to lower their expectations and accept sub-par service under the guise of “safety.” A sentiment analysis of Tripadvisor reviews from the United States, Europe, and Asia found the emotional intensity of customer reviews increased considerably from 2019 to 2021 (Exhibit 3). Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the pandemic-induced impacts to hotel operations, the shift in sentiment was driven primarily by more negative views on cleanliness, food standards, and service.

Business travelers may not be as understanding as leisure travelers have been

Business travelers typically travel more frequently than leisure travelers, and often have higher expectations; they have long complained at higher rates than leisure travelers, and COVID-19 has only exacerbated this divide. The American Customer Satisfaction Index shows that 38 percent of business passengers complained to the airline, double the rate of leisure travelers. 7 American Customer Satisfaction Index, ACSI Travel Report 2020–2021, April 27, 2021, theacsi.org. Particularly as corporate travel volumes return, companies may see a decline in satisfaction.

There is a potential for a wave of dissatisfied customers at a time when loyalty is up for grabs

In fact, a McKinsey consumer survey found that customers are twice as likely to try new brands and experiences as a result of COVID-19 and 75 percent of US consumers tried a different store, website or brand during the pandemic. 8 “ US consumer sentiment during the coronavirus crisis, McKinsey survey results ,” May 13, 2021, McKinsey.com. This is particularly important in the travel sector with its strong reliance on loyalty programs.

Now is the time for companies who have maintained their satisfaction and performance levels to reprioritize CX and gain an even greater competitive advantage.

A travel boom is looming. But is the industry ready?

Three strategies to transform your customer experience.

This report presents three strategies for travel entities to use to transform CX during the recovery. First, aim higher than your competitors, and aspire to bring back the magic of travel. Second, look forward , using a robust measurement toolkit to understand your customers better. Last, move fast , leveraging a nimble, agile organization to implement insights swiftly).

Aim high—aspire to bring back the magic of travel

The travel industry once set the gold standard for CX, with the offer of memorable journeys and adventures. Travel companies should aspire to bring back the magic of travel by first expanding their view of CX from being human-centered to include digital as well.

Then travel companies can build an emotional connection that exceeds customer expectations. Travel brands must sell the way they make their guests feel : well rested in advance of an important meeting; awestruck at a beautiful destination; recharged after a getaway; appreciated after a heartwarming, personal farewell as they disembark from a plane on the way home. Companies can build these emotional connections by leveraging the science behind delight: While satisfaction is a rational assessment of reality minus expectations; delight is emotional, and is experienced as a result of joy and surprise. 9 Adapted based on research by Chitturi et al. (2008), Kim et al. (2015), Oliver et al. (1997), and Zeithaml et al. (1996). Travel companies can aspire to delight, not just satisfy.

Look forward—understand your customers better

To deliver on ambitious aspirations, travel companies need a deep understanding of their customers. This can be challenging because, as COVID-19 demonstrated, customer needs and expectations are constantly shifting. Travel companies can build a more robust measurement toolkit by leveraging data already at their fingertips. The next frontier of measurement is knowing what your customers want and need without asking.

A more mature toolkit should be holistic and aim to measure the majority of customers by leveraging internal and external data such as social media, booking and mobile systems, and operational systems. Now more than ever, travel companies cannot afford to spend on low-impact interventions, so a toolkit should be prioritized and pinpoint impactful touch points along the end-to-end journey. It should also be predictive and anticipate satisfaction and lifetime value in real time. For instance, companies can apply machine learning to large and dispersed data sets, creating predictive models of sentiment and behavior. Finally, a toolkit should be prescriptive and use data to guide interventions that maximize ROI.

Move fast—implement insights quicker

Real-time insights are only impactful if companies can act on them quickly. As more travel companies invest in measurement toolkits and CX systems, the next frontier lies less in the data and insights, and more in the speed at which that data can be put to use. For many travel companies, COVID-19 was a crash course in agility. As global travel resumes, it is important to harness the crisis-induced momentum through two organizational strategies: breaking down silos to ensure that bureaucracy does not diminish CX, and iterating journeys with customers and employees.

CX is more than a feeling, more than a department, more than a phase in the customer journey. Rather, it is a customer-centric way of doing business, one that requires analytical leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous iteration to deliver great user experience.

Travel companies, with their legacy of strong emotional relationships with consumers, have much to gain from fostering excellent CX, aided by the power of modern digital systems to measure impact and predict behavior. Those who fail to take advantage of this moment may risk falling behind. With changing consumer preferences after COVID-19, CX is an area where businesses can shine: building performance uplift and standing out from the competition—while bringing back the magic of travel for customers.

Vik Krishnan is a partner in McKinsey’s San Francisco office; Kevin Neher is a senior partner in the Denver office; Maurice Obeid is a partner in the New York office; Ellen Scully is a consultant in the Seattle office; and Jules Seeley is a senior partner in the Boston office.

The authors would like to thank Filipa Douma, Jasperina de Vries, Haixia Wang, Seth Borko, and Wouter Geerts for their contributions.

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TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY

2024 Travel Trends: Buckle Up for Industry Shifts

The Silicon Review 24 January, 2024

With 2023 drawing to a close, tour operators, travel agencies and other stakeholders in the tourism industry are taking the time to conduct the usual year-end review and reflect on their goals, achievements, strengths and weaknesses, taking stock of the progress they’ve made in the past 12 months. According to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), global tourism experienced steady growth throughout the year, getting close to pre-pandemic levels. 

Now, with a new year of travel lying ahead, it’s important for both companies operating in the field and consumers looking forward to exploring the world in the following months to stay abreast of the trends that are set to shape the hospitality and tourism sector in 2024. 

Off-the-beaten-path travel destinations  

In recent years, there’s been a notable change in destination preferences, with more travelers shifting away from popular locations, which many believe to be overrated and overcrowded, and leaning towards more off-the-beaten-path places. Lesser-visited destinations like Romania, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Tunisia, Namibia or Guyana have seen a significant growth in tourist numbers in 2023 and the trend is expected to continue in 2024. 

People seem keener on exploring new and often remote locations that are not swarming with tourists and give them the opportunity to enjoy more authentic experiences. They’re also becoming more skilled at uncovering hidden gems and utilizing services like Holafly eSIM and other tech solutions to make their trips run smoother. 

Sustainable tourism  

In a day and age when concerns over climate change and the state of the planet dominate public conversations, it comes as no surprise that sustainability has become an increasingly important issue in many industries. With tourism being responsible for 8% of the global carbon emissions, the sector is facing intense scrutiny and growing pressure to tackle environmental impacts. 

At the same time, people have become more aware of how their travel habits affect the planet and would like to travel more sustainably and ensure that the places they visit remain in pristine condition so that future generations can enjoy them as well. A report from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) shows that in 2023, almost 69% of travelers looked to make more sustainable travel decisions. This goes beyond avoiding harm to natural environments and reducing their carbon footprint, to incorporating practices and active measures meant to contribute to the preservation and development of the local economies, cultures and communities they visit. 

Experiential travel  

The way travelers view and experience their trips and what they focus on during their holidays is also changing. The rush to visit as many destinations as possible in a short period and check as many attractions and activities off the bucket list is no longer the norm when it comes to travel adventures. 

These days, people prefer to travel at a slower pace and take the time to fully immerse themselves in the culture of a specific country or place and experience the local lifestyle. This means prioritizing quality over quantity and planning less frequent but longer trips that allow them to connect and engage with the destination’s culture, people, cuisine, history and environment in a more meaningful way. 

Transformational travel  

In a similar vein, transformative travel places a special focus on experiences and their transformative power. Traveling to unwind or disconnect or to enjoy adrenaline-fueled adventures is a great way to explore the world, but people want to get more out of their travels than a bit of relaxation and some nice memories. 

This has led to the emergence of the transformational travel trend. While this type of travel gives people the possibility to enjoy all the usual holiday activities, the focus lies on personal growth and well-being. As the name implies, transformational trips are about going on journeys that push one out of their comfort zone and encourage introspection and personal development. 

Surge in European tourism  

Wondering where people will be traveling next year? By the looks of it, tourism demand on the Old Continent is poised to grow in 2024, after registering a record number of visitors this year. Europe has recovered approximately 95% of 2019 levels in terms of international tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2023, with Italy taking Mexico’s place as the most popular international travel destination for the first time in the past decade.  

Other European countries like France, Spain, and Germany are also at the top of travelers’ preferences and are expected to see a considerable influx of tourists in the months to come. So, if you’re planning a trip to Europe in 2024, make sure you start preparations in advance if you want to find the best deals on flights and accommodations and check out the benefits of using an eSIM card for Europe to stay connected across borders. 

Technology continues to change the way people plan and experience their trips. Nowadays, tech devices and internet connectivity have made it easier than ever for people to research different destinations, make travel arrangements and explore new places. 

Automated booking systems, although not a new concept, are anticipated to gain more ground as we move forward. If back in 2020, the online travel booking market was estimated at $432 billion, figures are expected to rise to $833 billion by 2025. Automation streamlines the booking process, providing greater convenience for customers and increased profits for service providers.  

Navigating the Evolving Landscape

The tourism sector has undergone notable shifts in recent years, and faced numerous challenges, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, with the health crisis already behind us, global tourism is ready to resume its development, and current trends seem to paint the picture of a thriving and increasingly complex travel market. 

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What travel trends will we see in 2024? TPG experts weigh in

The past year was another year of change in the travel industry, from major loyalty program updates (not all of them good) to evolutions in what travelers want out of their vacations. We saw trends predicted in early 2023 play out, such as the rise in popularity of all-inclusive resorts and a move toward pay-to-play elite status programs.

Many of those trends have continued into 2024, and the industry continues to adjust to increased travel demand while having to address issues such as climate change and overtourism.

2024 TPG Travel Trends Report

We might finally see the end of revenge travel, but if all indications are correct, 2024 (like 2023) will continue to outpace 2019 in travel volume. The desire for up-and-coming destinations and new experiences is still on the rise, as is the use of new technology in the industry.

Check out highlights from the second annual TPG Travel Trends Report below, which covers the state of travel today and the trends to keep an eye on. Whether you are a seasoned traveler or just starting out, there are takeaways in this report for everyone.

View the full 2024 TPG Travel Trends Report in PDF format.

Where travelers are going

Top destinations of 2024.

Each year, TPG releases a list of the best places to travel , including destinations from all over the world that our team of in-house experts and contributors believe are the most exciting places to visit in the coming year.

For 2024, there's no question as to why France topped our list.

Paris is set to host the 2024 Olympics (though events will also be taking place at stadiums throughout the country), Strasbourg will be UNESCO's 2024 World Book Capital, and this year will mark 80 years since the D-Day landings in Normandy (with commemorative events being held throughout the region).

Other top destinations featured in the report include:

• San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico
• Assam, India
• Destinations along the eclipse path in the U.S.
• Queensland, Australia

Experiences worth traveling for

Specific destinations aren't the only tourism driver for 2024. Concerts, festivals and other major events (such as the eclipse that will be seen in the U.S. this year) have led to major spikes in demand around the world as travelers prioritize experiences.

Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour" was a major cultural moment in 2023, and with more international legs of her tour kicking off in 2024, the impact her concerts have on local economies and the travel industry at large will continue.

Concerts aren't the only experience driving travel. "Set-jetting" to destinations showcased in popular TV shows is seeing a return to popularity, reminiscent of the flock of tourists who visited Croatia when the iconic "Game of Thrones" show was at its peak in the mid-2010s. And for families, long weekends at regional theme parks are growing in popularity.

But as destinations continue to experience high travel demand, some are taking steps to curb overtourism.

Big boats turn slowly, as they say, and the cruise industry is no different. Many of the trends we saw on the rise in 2023 are continuing into 2024. Mainstream cruise lines are launching larger ships to serve more passengers, and luxury lines continue to provide more intimate experiences.

But a trend we're seeing take shape on the horizon is the increase in private beach escapes. Multiple mainstream cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, have plans to open new private beaches and islands to spice up itineraries throughout 2024 and into 2025.

Where travelers are staying

In the hotel sphere, new brands are continuing to pop up with a focus on residential-style accommodations and technology upgrades. These new luxury-minded brands are set to compete in a space that has historically been dominated by Airbnb.

More space and residential amenities will also be available to families and friend groups who travel together in 2024.

The rise in multigenerational trips, extended-family vacations and friend getaways has led to a bigger appetite for more space when booking accommodations. When it comes to actually offering that additional space, family-friendly resorts in Orlando are ahead of the curve.

How travelers are getting there

As the demand for travel continues to grow, so does the number of flights to in-demand destinations. Airlines are adding what can be called "super-haul" flights — currently the longest flights in the world — some clocking in at over 18 hours of flight time. Think New York to Singapore or London to Perth, Australia.

Also on the rise are nontraditional carriers such as Sun Country Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Avelo Airlines and Breeze Airways. More often than not, these carriers offer budget airfare, no frills and service to underserved markets across the U.S.

As the U.S. competes for its share of global travelers, airports are getting makeovers thanks in part to federal infrastructure funding. Major hubs across the country have projects on the books or already in the works, such as Los Angeles, Newark, Salt Lake City and Denver — with more to come in the years ahead.

Along with airport renovations come new traveler amenities — aka airport lounges — and already in 2024, we've seen shiny new lounges launched in New York City, Denver and Washington, with more on the way. Lounge overcrowding became such an issue that many card issuers changed program guidelines to curb the number of travelers with access. Looking ahead, lounge operators will continue to look for ways to offer services for travelers, such as Delta Air Lines' "grab-and-go."

Qualifying for airline elite status has changed, with spending requirements now making up a large portion of the qualification process. On American Airlines, you could technically reach elite status through cobranded credit card spending without flying a single flight. Similarly, Delta Air Lines' recent program changes rely solely on Medallion Qualification Dollars.

Another trend that's gaining popularity in the travel industry is the use of AI. Chatbots have become an increasingly popular way to answer basic customer inquiries, and service robots have been spotted in airport lounges. Expect to see more experimentation in the coming years as brands look to increase productivity while not sacrificing sales.

How travelers are paying

Credit cards are getting more expensive — not unlike other expenses, from groceries to housing. Annual fees for popular travel credit cards have been rising in recent years, and that trend will likely continue throughout 2024.

Additionally, credit card benefits are shifting to include more and more statement credits that are merchant-specific with plenty of restrictions — making some cards feel more like metal coupon cards.

Bottom line: Looking ahead for 2024

All signs point to another year of growth across the travel industry. As the Department of Transportation keeps an eye on overall airline performance, travelers can start to gain back confidence in on-time performance and airlines handling service issues more efficiently.

Airlines, hotels and cruise lines have all invested in ways to accommodate even more travelers with bigger planes, new routes, residential-style lodging and larger ships. But with the continued boom in travel, devaluations to loyalty programs, higher credit card annual fees and harder-to-use benefits do pose a challenge to some travelers looking to use points and miles to fund their experiences.

That said, there's still a lot to look forward to across the travel industry. Expect technology enhancements to play a larger role in travel experiences, from planning to booking and arrival, as travelers seek out new and unique experiences around the world.

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Sustainable Travel Trends: How to Explore the World While Protecting It

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Imagine a world where every traveler leaves a positive impact on the places they visit. Where we can explore our planet’s wonders without harming it. This is the future of sustainable travel.

Sustainable travel is about more than just reducing your carbon footprint. It’s about being mindful of your impact on the environment, local communities, and cultures . It’s choosing to travel in ways that support responsible tourism and sustainable development.

In this article, we’ll explore the latest sustainable travel trends and show you how to explore the world while protecting it. From choosing eco-friendly accommodations to supporting local businesses, there are many ways to travel more sustainably.

Let’s dive right in.

Eco-Friendly Accommodations

The first step to a sustainable adventure comes down to where you choose to stay. Gone are the days when eco-conscious travelers had to choose between roughing it in a tent or staying at a luxury resort that isn’t exactly earth-friendly.

Today, you can find a wide array of eco-friendly accommodations that combine comfort with sustainability . From treehouse hotels perched in lush forests to cozy, solar-powered cabins overlooking pristine lakes, there’s an option for every type of adventurous traveler.

Slow and Mindful Travel

Today’s sustainable adventurers embrace the philosophy of “slow travel.” It’s all about taking your time to savor every moment and minimize your environmental impact. Whether you’re hiking through rugged terrains or exploring quaint villages, this approach allows you to immerse yourself in local cultures and truly appreciate the beauty of your surroundings . 

Slow travel encourages you to tread lightly on the planet while forging meaningful connections with people and nature.

Sustainable Transportation

Getting from one breathtaking destination to another doesn’t have to compromise your commitment to sustainability. Green travel is on the rise, and eco-friendly transportation options have become more accessible. 

Electric bike tours, carpooling, and even electric camper vans are all the rage. These modes of transportation reduce your carbon footprint and offer unique opportunities to explore the world at a slower, more intimate pace.

There’s more: EVs are becoming the responsible choice when hitting the road for a travel adventure. With expanding charging networks, they offer reliability and convenience. Beyond preserving the environment, EVs save on fuel costs, making them cost-effective for long journeys.  Learn How to Plan an Epic Electric Car Road Trip here.

Culinary Adventures with a Twist

For many travelers, food is an essential part of the adventure. Sustainable food tourism is a growing trend , allowing eco-conscious explorers to taste local delicacies while supporting environmentally friendly practices. 

From farm-to-table experiences to foraging tours led by expert guides, sustainable foodies have endless options. 

Plus, you can even join local communities in cooking classes or help harvest fresh produce. It’s a mouthwatering way to dive deep into the culture of your destination while promoting sustainability.

Giving Back with Responsible Tourism

Sustainable travel isn’t just about what you take; it’s also about what you give back to the places you visit. Responsible tourism practices have become a fundamental part of every eco-adventurer’s journey. 

Engaging with local communities and participating in volunteer activities or conservation efforts allows you to leave a positive mark. By supporting local artisans, learning about the culture, and contributing to conservation initiatives, you’ll make your travel experience even more meaningful.

Pack Light and Smart

With sustainable travel, what you pack—and what you leave behind—matters. Minimalism is key, and packing light makes your adventures more manageable and reduces your environmental footprint. 

Opt for eco-friendly travel gear, like reusable water bottles, solar chargers, and versatile clothing that can adapt to various weather conditions. Plus, it’s always a good idea to bring your reusable shopping bag and cutlery to minimize waste and reduce single-use plastic consumption.

Go Off the Beaten Path

Traditional tourist hotspots are often overrun and suffer from the environmental strain caused by massive visitor numbers. Sustainable travelers have turned to uncharted territories, seeking hidden gems that offer unique experiences and remain untouched by mass tourism. 

Off-the-beaten-path destinations are more sustainable because they’re less frequented, which helps preserve their natural beauty and cultural authenticity.

Consider Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom with stunning landscapes and a strong focus on sustainability. Or explore Madagascar, known for its biodiversity and otherworldly landscapes. Albania, in the Balkans, boasts pristine beaches and historical sites. 

Head to the Faroe Islands for dramatic cliffs and remote villages. Namibia’s desert landscapes are otherworldly, and the Far North of Sweden offers the Northern Lights without the crowds. 

These destinations provide adventurous travelers with unforgettable experiences far from the tourist masses.

Sustainable Adventures for Everyone

You might think that sustainable travel is exclusively for rugged backpackers or seasoned environmentalists, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

Sustainable adventures are accessible to everyone, from families with young children to solo travelers looking for a unique experience. Many travel agencies and tour operators now focus on eco-friendly trips, ensuring that the less adventurous can embark on sustainable journeys with ease.

The Future of Sustainable Travel

As technology advances, eco-conscious travelers can look forward to even more efficient, sustainable, and innovative options. From electric planes to cutting-edge eco-accommodations, the possibilities are endless.

Emerging trends and advancements are already reshaping the way we explore the world while treading lightly on the planet.

1. Electric Aviation: Electric aircraft are on the horizon, with companies like Boeing and Airbus developing electric propulsion systems for short-haul flights. This technology could significantly reduce aviation emissions and noise pollution.

2. Hydrogen-Powered Transportation: Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are gaining traction, offering longer ranges and quicker refueling times compared to traditional electric cars. Hyundai’s NEXO is a prime example, emitting only water vapor.

3. Sustainable Accommodations: Smart hotels and resorts are incorporating cutting-edge energy management systems, IoT technology, and renewable energy sources, ensuring eco-friendliness without compromising guest comfort.

4. Green Mobility Apps: Advanced mobility apps provide travelers with real-time information on eco-friendly transportation options, making it easier to choose low-emission options, from electric bikes to shared electric scooters.

5. Virtual Reality Tourism : Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) will enable immersive, eco-conscious travel experiences without physical travel, reducing the environmental footprint.

As these technologies mature, travelers will have a wealth of options to explore the world while minimizing their impact on the environment.

As we conclude our exploration of sustainable travel trends, remember this: every adventure you embark on is an opportunity to leave a positive legacy. By choosing eco-friendly accommodations, slow travel, responsible tourism, and embracing sustainable technologies, you’re preserving the planet for this and future generations. 

Every footprint you leave should tell a story of responsibility, connection, and the enduring beauty of our shared planet.

Luke is a passionate environmental advocate based in upstate New York. When he's not sharing tips on sustainability and wellness, you can find him hiking with his dog, Max.

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Global travel trends for 2024 revealed in American Express report

A merican Express Travel® has released its much-anticipated 2024 Global Travel Trends Report, offering insights into the inspirations and trends shaping travel decisions worldwide.

The report, based on survey data from travellers in countries including Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States, sheds light on the priorities and preferences of modern travellers.

The report identifies four major trends influencing travellers' booking decisions:

• For the love of the game: Sports enthusiasts are increasingly planning their trips around athletic events, whether it involves their favourite sport, team or international competitions.
• Planning big: Many travellers are opting for major, expedition-style adventures, seeking transformative experiences such as visiting the Galapagos Islands or trekking with gorillas.
• Going solo: There's a growing trend for travellers to embark on solo trips, attracted by the ease of planning and the ability to tailor itineraries to their preferences.
• On a whim: Travellers are craving flexibility in their plans, leaving room for spontaneity during their journeys.

Insights from the report

Some key insights from the report include:

• A significant desire among Millennials and Gen Z to travel for sporting events, with 67% expressing interest in attending such events in 2024
• Top destinations include New York, Miami and Paris, indicating a global interest in attending live sporting events
• Transformative trips, particularly those considered once-in-a-lifetime experiences, are high on travellers' wish lists, with 65% expressing more interest in major trips compared to previous years
• The appeal of solo travel is evident, especially among younger demographics, with 76% of Millennials and Gen Z respondents planning solo trips in 2024.

Flexibility in itineraries is increasingly valued, with 78% of respondents expressing interest in spontaneous trips and 68% preferring to leave unplanned time to immerse themselves in local culture.

As travellers prioritise experiences and personalisation, the insights from the Global Travel Trends report service are a valuable resource for both travellers and industry professionals, offering a glimpse into the evolving landscape of global travel preferences and behaviours.

"Global travel trends for 2024 revealed in American Express report" was originally created and published by Hotel Management Network , a GlobalData owned brand.

The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.

The Biggest Travel Trends to Expect in 2024

By Condé Nast Traveller and Sarah Allard

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

If 2022 travel trends were all about a return to travel, then 2023 was the year we went further than ever before . Travelers took to the skies, rails, roads, and seas to cross off goals on their bucket lists with Arctic adventures, luxury yacht cruises , and even the first tourist trip into space.

In 2024, travelers will be putting what’s important to them front and center of their plans, valuing deeper experiences that leave a positive impact, time spent with loved ones, and wellness moments that last well after checkout. We’ll be choosing destinations carefully, slowing it down to enjoy the silence and the stars, indulging in our love of food in new and interesting places, and immersing ourselves in wellness practices that help us live longer.

These are the 20 travel trends likely to guide how we see the world in 2024.

A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller UK .

1. Astro tourism

What’s the trend? Astronomy, of course, is a field of study that has been around since the dawn of civilization, and the act of gazing up at the stars has long been a source of soul-soothing wonder. Today, the more society falls deeper into an ever-expanding virtual world, the more we feel a need to broaden our horizons in the real universe. Astro tourism is the act of traveling with the aim of catching sight of astronomical phenomena—disappearing to lands devoid of any pollution, crowds, and traffic, where we can focus solely on the skies above and while away hours gazing at the stars, planets, and constellations overhead.

Why will it matter in 2024? Increasingly, wellness-centric hotels and spas are creating the space for guests to gaze upwards, watching for comets, spying constellations, and identifying patterns in the glittering expanse. In the UK, Port Lympne has opened the Lookout Bubble, a glass dome allowing guests to sprawl out on king-sized beds and study the stars. Further east on the Arabian Gulf, Zulal Wellness Resort is surrounded by the expanse of the Qatari desert—the ultimate destination for pollution-free astromancy, with dedicated workshops and stargazing sessions for families and children looking to learn more about the cosmos.

Safari company Desert & Delta organizes trips for travelers looking to soak up the stars across Botswana and Namibia, where guests can sleep in tents at remote locations such as the Makgadikgadi Pans, one of the world’s largest salt flats, and spend nights with uninterrupted star vistas. Similarly, Tswalu is a South African safari camp with star beds set on a sleep-out deck in the Korannaberg mountains. And 2024 happens to be a big year for the skies, from mind-boggling eclipses to spectacular meteor showers.

Plus, scientists are predicting the best displays of the Northern Lights in 20 years, according to the Guardian , as we approach the next solar maximum (the sun’s peak of its 11-year activity cycle). — Olivia Morelli

2. Eco diving

What’s the trend? A rise in divers choosing their travel destinations based on the sustainability of the scuba centers , and having a more positive and regenerative impact on the ocean once there.

Why will it matter in 2024? In 2022, UK marine ecology charity The Reef-World Foundation found that 95% of divers wanted to book with sustainable operators, but struggled to do so. In response to this, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (a.k.a. Padi) launched its Eco Center accreditation on World Earth Day in 2023, with the United Nations Environment Program and Reef-World itself. The steps required to earn this green status are so rigorous, including sharing evidence of conservation activities and a real reduction in environmental footprint, that Padi advised operators to allow at least 12 months to hit the criteria—taking us to Earth Day 2024.

After an initial figure of just 11 worldwide, there are now 100 accredited operators, and Padi has set a goal to reach 660 by 2030—a tenth of its membership. “South East Asia currently has the highest density (more than 20), along with the Caribbean ,” says Julie Andersen of Padi. So what does this mean for divers and their trips? “The type of conservation work done and reported on depends on the Eco Center,” Andersen explains. “Those in the Caribbean offer coral replanting programs, key for regenerating coastlines. In Baja, Mexico , they’ve developed citizen science courses, collecting data for whale conservation.”

There are also a number of new Padi courses being launched for any diver to take anywhere, including the Global Shark and Ray Census in August 2024, as well as the relaunch of the Coral Reef Conservation Specialty course before December. — Becky Lucas

3. Home swapping

What’s the trend? Increasingly, discerning travelers are looking to stay away for longer stretches, while the rise of remote jobs means that working and living abroad has never been more appealing. The catch? Forking out on hefty accommodation fees while you’re at it. Enter home swapping: the perfect solution to guarantee yourself a (free) home abroad while you offer up your own in exchange for weeks or even months at a time.

Olivia Morelli

Caitlin Morton

Stacey Lastoe

Why will it matter in 2024? As the cost of traveling continues to climb, home swapping is an affordable alternative to splashing out on expensive hotels or Airbnbs. And while the concepts of couch surfing and house exchanges have existed for decades, several slick new platforms are redefining what home swapping looks like today.

Twin City , which operates in cities like as Lisbon and Los Angeles , has curated a community of over 1,100 carefully vetted users in just eight months. For an annual subscription fee of about $189, members can find Twins to connect with through the platform, and are encouraged to exchange local recommendations for their city as well as their homes, enabling members to feel as if they’re swapping with a trusted friend rather than a stranger.

Meanwhile, Kindred , a home-swapping platform where members rack ​​up credits for each night that they exchange homes, raised $15 million in funding this year to expand operations across the US and Europe, and currently has more then 10,000 homes in over 50 cities. Members simply pay a cleaning and service fee for each stay, while the cost of the stay itself is free.

Travelers can skip out on membership fees entirely and head straight to TikTok, where Gen Z appears to be spearheading the home-swapping movement on social media. Inspired by the film The Holiday , trending tags #houseswap and #homeswap have garnered more than 23 and 20 million views respectively, with users utilizing the platform as a means to advertise their homes, discover like-minded peers to swap with, and document their adventures along the way. — Gina Jackson

4. Train stations are the new food destinations

What’s the trend? Train stations around the world are usually passed through as quickly as possible, having not been designed for commuters to stay and hang out. Nowadays, as travel delays increase and visitors want more local experiences, it pays for train stations to welcome travelers with shops, restaurants, and bars for them to explore. In an effort to create a more dynamic visitor experience, historic train stations are being revamped, with bespoke food and drink offerings as an integral part of the redesign.

Why will it matter in 2024? As train stations are renovated to accommodate more travelers and update old infrastructure, local restaurants and bars are being added to attract more customers. In 2023, the new Moynihan Train Hall in New York City became home to The Irish Exit, a bar from the team behind the acclaimed Dead Rabbit, and Yono Sushi by trendy BondST, plus outposts of beloved NYC restaurants Pastrami Queen and Jacob’s Pickles, with Mexican hotspot La Esquina coming soon. As part of its renovation, Toronto’s Union Station launched Union Market in May 2023 with favorite local food retailers Manotas Organics, Chocolatta Brigadeiro’s, Patties Express, and Kibo.

In the UK, Platform 1 , a new bar and restaurant, opened in November underneath Glasgow Central Station . The cave-like space, with its historic brick arches, serves street-food-style dishes and craft brews made in the on-site microbrewery, plus there’s an outdoor beer garden. Meanwhile, in Somerset, Castle Cary station is in the process of a revamp, with nearby hotel The Newt creating a creamery, cafe, and co-working space, which is set to open in 2024.

Also on tap for the next few years is the completed renovation of 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, with plans for a 20% increase in concession space that will focus on local purveyors. — Devorah Lev-Tov

5. Sports tourism

What’s the trend? Sports tourism has evolved in the past few years with a new generation of sports fan emerging, thanks to glossy TV documentaries ( Formula 1: Drive to Survive , we’re looking at you). Now, we’re taking our fandom out of the house and following a host of different sports in destinations across the world, planning trips that hinge around seeing games, races, and other activities in exotic locales, and extending trips on either side to see the sights too.

Why will it matter in 2024? A little event known as the Olympic and Paralympic Games anchors the 2024 sports calendar. It kicks off in Paris in late July and runs until early September , during which time more than a million tourists are expected to check in across the French capital. The games have inspired city-wide projects such as the €1.4-billion clean-up of the Seine, which, should all go well, will allow public swimming in the river for the first time in a century.

Elsewhere, the Tour de France starts in Italy for the first time, with competitors speeding off in Florence before heading to Rimini on the Adriatic coast and then north to the Apennines through Emilia-Romagna. New bike routes in the area have been released by tour operators such as Ride International Tours and Ride Holidays for cycling enthusiasts keen to join in the fun. — Sarah James

6. Coolcationing

What’s the trend? For the vast majority of folks, summer holidays used to be about following the sun, seeking the heat—watching the mercury climb and hitting the sands. With the intense, record-breaking temperatures of recent years, however, many are considering traveling in the opposite direction: booking "coolcations" in temperate destinations, which also benefit from being less crowded.

Why will it matter in 2024? It's official: 2023 is the hottest year on record . Little wonder that many travelers are thinking twice before booking literal hotspots like the South of France and Sicily, prone to heatwaves , in July or August. A survey for luxe travel network Virtuoso found that 82% of its clients are considering destinations with more moderate weather in 2024: destinations such as Iceland , Finland , and Scotland , according to Intrepid Travel , along with Latvia, which is surging in popularity. “We’re seeing an increase in those holidaying further north,” says Andrea Godfrey of Regent Holidays . “Scandinavia and the Baltics are both getting noticed more: They offer a more pared-back style of holiday but have some lovely beaches, forests, and lakes for both relaxation and adventure activities.”

Cooler temperatures are particularly well suited to family travel too. “We’re getting far more inquiries from families for destinations that offer summer sun, but also respite from the high temperatures being experienced in beach resorts across the Med,” says Liddy Pleasants, founder of family specialist Stubborn Mule Travel . “Kayaking in Norway, with its midnight sun, for instance, and cycling or hiking in Slovenia, which is also very good value.” — Rick Jordan

7. Gig tripping

What’s the trend? For years, athletes and wellness gurus were the big headliners at retreats. But rock stars are, well, the new rock stars of travel. Call it the Taylor Swift Effect. Destination concert business is up more than 50%, led mostly by Taylor Swift, says Janel Carnero, a travel advisor at Embark Beyond . In the US, tickets for Swift’s Eras Tour cost thousands and were still impossible to score. Music fans are realizing they can pay less and have a more memorable experience by seeing their favorite pop icons perform in say, Amsterdam or Milan . (Remember when everyone went to see Beyoncé early in Stockholm ?) Tours from performers such as Pearl Jam, U2, Doja Cat, and Madonna will anchor trip itineraries, while music festivals—Glastonbury sold out in less than an hour—will be major catalysts for travel.

Why will it matter in 2024? New music festivals, including Untold in Romania's Cluj-Napoca, are introducing travelers to less-popular destinations, says Alexandrea Padilha of Fischer Travel . And it’s no longer just about the music, says Carnero. “It’s the social aspect of sharing experiences with friends,” she adds.

Hotels and travel companies have taken note and are creating the equivalent of backstage VIP experiences for guests. Global adventure collective Eleven has recently introduced Music with Eleven. The program’s dedicated team of music-industry insiders (including Chris Funk, guitarist from the Decemberists) design custom itineraries that might include sitting in on a recording session at Flóki Studios, just outside the Arctic Circle at Deplar Farm in Iceland. And Rhythm & Sails  hosts musicians on its catamarans. The company’s music director, Anders Beck of the jam band Greensky Bluegrass, curates the line-up of artists who perform sessions onboard and in ports as you island hop around the Caribbean . — Jen Murphy

8. Resorts will help you biohack your health span

What’s the trend? Longevity is the latest wellness buzzword thanks to best-selling books such as  Outlive  and the hit Netflix documentary  Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones . Between 2021 and 2022, venture-capital investment in longevity clinics more than doubled from $27 million to $57 million globally, according to analysis from longevity research and media company Longevity.Technology. Now, the science of extending life and optimizing health has become the focus at hotels. Blue Zones retreats are the new boot camps, and even sybaritic resorts are offering the latest biohacks. Poolside vitamin IV, anyone?

Why will it matter in 2024? Since the pandemic, feeling good trumps looking good. “People have become aware of the critical importance of developing a more proactive, preventive approach to health on all levels,” says Karina Stewart, co-founder of Kamalaya , a wellness retreat in Koh Samui, Thailand . This means a new willingness to go beyond diet and exercise and embrace sci-fi-sounding bio-regenerative treatments such as ozone therapy and hyperbaric oxygen chambers, both on offer at Kamalaya's new Longevity House.

Luxury hotel brands are embracing the trend too. Six Senses Ibiza recently teamed up with biotech company RoseBar to offer guests full diagnostic testing. Maybourne Hotel Group is collaborating with wellness tech pioneer Virtusan to help guests boost performance. And Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea administers treatments such as stem cells and NAD+ (a.k.a. the fountain of youth) through its partnership with Next Health . At 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay in Kauai, guests are welcomed with a B12 shot and the resort’s new wellness-specific rooms come with recovery-boosting mod cons including infrared light mats. If the trend continues, the secret to longevity may be as easy as taking more holidays. — Jen Murphy

9. Peak season gets the cold shoulder

What's the trend? There’s been a dramatic recent increase in shoulder season travel to Europe’s most popular destinations (particularly France , Spain , the UK , and Italy ), which is set to continue in 2024. Luxury travel specialists Original Travel has launched new shoulder season itineraries to locations traditionally in demand during the summer—including the crystalline seascapes of Sardinia and Corsica—after seeing 14% more bookings for September 2023 than for August 2023. Pegi Amarteifio of Small Luxury Hotels of the World shares similar insights: “Comparing phone reservations in 2023 against 2019, we’ve seen a 33% increase for March to May and a 58% increase for September to November, a pattern reflected across our other booking channels too.”

Why will it matter in 2024? A combination of social, economic, and environmental factors is driving this trend into 2024. The cost of living crisis means a heightened focus on value. For 62% of respondents to Booking.com’s 2024 travel trends survey, this is a limiting factor for 2024 travel planning, so much so that 47% of respondents are even willing to take children out of school for cheaper off-peak travel. Shoulder season travel is also becoming more attractive due to rising temperatures, and more feasible due to flexible working. Layered on top of these practical considerations is an emotional motivation too: Travelers are craving authenticity more than ever, seeking a tranquil and local feel when abroad, rather than beaches that resemble a Where's Waldo? scene. — Toyo Odetunde

10. Private group travel

What’s the trend? The post-pandemic desire to gather friends or family and embark on a shared holiday experience shows no sign of abating. In fact, it’s on the increase in luxury travel, as people appreciate the benefits and savor the moment, from three-generation family groups to 50-something empty-nesters keen to rekindle life-long friendships. Just don’t take Succession ’s family outing to Tuscany as a role model.

Why will it matter in 2024? “While some predicted group travel would peak post-pandemic, we’ve seen it have a lasting, positive impact with private group bookings continuing to be a dominant trend,” says Tom Marchant of Black Tomato , for whom group travel now accounts for 30% of bookings. The company has just launched its See You in the Moment series to cater for the demand. It uses a mood board of over 35 experiences themed around key flash points, from The Meal (a backcountry feast served on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon , for example) to The Challenge (rafting down the Apurímac in Peru , perhaps), all designed to create lasting memories. For Scott Williams , meanwhile, multi-generational travelers are thinking big: Why take one house when you can take a whole estate, such as Meli on Paxos in the Greek Islands, which sleeps 17?

Other groups are taking to the water, with Red Savannah reporting an increase in bookings for Turkish gulets, Egyptian dahabiyas, and Indonesian phinisis. Scott Dunn have seen an increase in bookings amongst groups of friends, with 30% of respondents in a recent survey saying they were planning trips for 2024 that included ski trips to France, adventure travel in South and Central America, and beach breaks on Antigua and Barbados.

Empty-nesters are also a growing force, with groups of couples in their 50s to 70s hiring villas in the shoulder season for cultural weeks away, and all-female groups—mainly aged between 50 and 65—who are proactive in wanting to renew long-term friendships. “We had one repeat group that included several cancer survivors,” says Sarah-Leigh Shenton at Red Savannah. “A hammam afternoon in Turkey was a deeply bonding experience and they’ve since traveled to Jordan and Sicily together.” — Rick Jordan

11. AI aims to be your sidekick

What's the trend? Early last year, after OpenAI’s ChatGPT broke the record as the fastest-ever growing consumer app, travelers started playing around with AI chatbots to get inspiration on where they could go. More recently, major travel booking platforms have started to integrate AI chatbots into the booking experience. But if 2023 was the year of AI chatbots wanting to plan your trips , 2024 will be all about how AI aspires to be your travel sidekick. A wave of new AI-powered features and products aims to support travelers on the ground, all while raising concerns around the potential negative impacts as AI becomes more widely integrated with our travels.

Why will it matter in 2024? AI will start to make more real-time interventions in our travels in 2024. One practical example is live translation , which Samsung plans to launch on its 2024 Galaxy devices. Imagine calling somewhere you want to visit to get information without worrying about whether staff speak the same language as you. Another example is greater AI personalization in popular apps you already use. Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has recently touted the company's increasing use of personalized AI algorithms , which will learn about your habits and make suggestions based on what you’re doing.

For the true early adopters, real-time travel interventions could also mean ditching your screen entirely and clipping a screenless personal translator and travel assistant to your chest. This is the unusual idea behind the new talking and projecting AI Pin from Humane , a start-up backed by investors including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, that promises to function a bit like the universal translator from Star Trek . Will anyone want to actually wear the pin or will it go the way of previously hyped devices such as Google Glass? It certainly raises a host of ethical questions about privacy and data protection. Yet the more that AI products successfully help in addressing on-the-go problems, the more travelers will come to rely on them too. — JD Shadel

12. Skip-gen travel

What’s the trend? Skip-gen travel describes when grandparents holiday with grandchildren, in other words, “skipping” a generation. “In the past few months, I've had around twice as many enquiries as usual for grandchild/grandchild bookings,” says Clio Wood, founder of family retreat company &Breathe . “There’s been a rising trend of grandparents taking their grandchildren away,” agrees Ollie Summers, head of sales at luxury travel operator Scott Dunn . “Often to places that have a sentimental meaning to them.”

Why will it matter in 2024? Several travel agencies have created itineraries to cater specifically for this demand in 2024. “Skip-gen safaris are emerging as a micro-trend from the UK, reflecting a niche traveler group now well established in the US luxury market,” says Liane Goldring of Mahlatini Luxury Travel . “The grandparents are usually in their 70s and still active enough to fully embrace a fully guided safari adventure.” Original Travel, meanwhile, has relaunched its Bonding Holidays Collection , featuring trips focused on discovering something new together, such as its 14-day Family Ranching itinerary in the American West. Some of this growth can be attributed to big-ticket lockdown promises coming to fruition. Now, parents are also keen to make the most of the time and childcare support of their typically retired parents. Plus, the global ratio of living grandparents to grandchildren is higher than ever, thanks to a combined increase in life expectancy and drop in the number of children per person. We’re even said to be living in the “the age of the grandparent.” Don’t expect this trend—or your grandparents—to slow down anytime soon. — Becky Lucas

13. Train travel gets glam

What’s the trend? Rising climate consciousness has fueled a rail travel revival, and so the luxury train niche is reaching new heights of popularity, extravagance, and ambition. Travel booking platforms are reporting growing demand for luxury rail trips , where the journey is, yes, the destination. In fact, new design-forward train lines increasingly rival the finest hotels for the culinary experiences and bells and whistles on offer.

Why will it matter in 2024? A new wave of rail lines and itineraries launching in 2024 puts an emphasis on deeper immersion into the culture and landscapes of the destinations, which are more and more off the beaten track. Responding to growing demand for luxury train travel among its user base, specialist platform Railbookers plans to launch arguably the most geographically extensive and expensive luxury train itinerary around. With prices per person starting at $113,599, the 80-day Around the World by Luxury Train voyage will cross four continents and 13 countries. Beginning in August, the slow journey will string together existing luxury rail trips including Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Jasper, and India’s Maharajas Express from Delhi to Mumbai.

In Asia, the previously paused Eastern & Oriental Express is making a grand comeback starting in February, with carriages getting an upscale revamp and its legendary route being retraced through Malaysia's landscapes. Meanwhile, Japan is a hot destination for its scenic train journeys such as the exclusive Train Suite Shiki-shima, which quickly closed applications for its 2024 trips due to demand.

And in Europe, six new train lines will commence or terminate in Rome under Accor's La Dolce Vita umbrella, with suites designed by starchitects Dimorestudio, building on the cultural legacy of the famous Orient Express . — JD Shadel

14. Restaurateur-owned hotels

What’s the trend? Restaurants and hotels are the two keystones of the hospitality industry. And naturally, the two are often intertwined on one premises. Until recently, though, most hotels weren’t started or owned by restaurateurs. Yet as food-focused travel keeps increasing, with people hankering for the next hot reservation and planning entire trips around engaging with a culture through its food, it makes sense that restaurateurs are adding hotelier to their personal bios—and ensuring their new properties have impressive food offerings. We’d be remiss not to mention Nobu, which began as a restaurant in 1994 and in 2013 launched its global hotel brand , as a harbinger of the trend.

Why will it matter in 2024? Just as design brands (RH, West Elm) have opened hotels in recent years, now restaurateurs are getting in on the action. In the US, restaurateur and 12-time James Beard award nominee Sam Fox has just launched the Global Ambassador in Phoenix, Arizona, with five restaurants. Santa Barbara’s Good Lion Hospitality is relaunching Petit Soleil , a Californian wine country boutique hotel, with a new bar and restaurant slated for next spring. The Lafayette Hotel & Club was debuted last summer in San Diego by Arsalun Tafazoli, founder of a local hospitality group that operates 16 bars and restaurants. The hotel has five restaurants and bars, with two more opening by the end of the year. In Dallas, Harwood International, which owns a dozen or so restaurants in the area, opened Hôtel Swexan in June.

In the St. Gallen region of Switzerland, two hotels were recently added to beloved restaurants: the revamped Mammertsberg  and  Gasthaus Traube . In Slovenia, AS Hotel is a new place to stay launched by Sebastijan Raspopović, son of chef Svetozar Raspopović-Pope of renowned restaurant Gostilna AS in Lublijana. Aside from a restaurant by Raspopović-Pope, the hotel also has an eatery by Michelin-lauded chef Ana Roš. Finally,  R48 , and its lauded Chef’s Table, was opened in Tel Aviv last spring by R2M Hospitality Group, which also runs restaurants CoffeeBar and Herzl 16. — Devorah Lev-Tov

15. Silent travel

What’s the trend? In an age of overstimulation, silence might be just what we need from our travels in 2024. Offering a chance to restore and reset, silent travel represents a more mindful kind of trip, one that doesn’t leave you needing a holiday to recover from your holiday. Silent meditation retreats are an increasingly popular wellness trend, but silent travel also encompasses secluded nature resorts, sleep retreats , quiet hotels , silent walking tours and even silent disco and concert experiences.

Why will it matter in 2024? Saturated with stress and screen time, many of us are looking for ways to disconnect. The silent walking trend that recently took TikTok by storm reflects a growing impulse to escape the noise of our tech-fueled lives and embrace the quiet, with promising implications for wellbeing. One 2015 study suggests silence may help to stimulate brain development, while another found that two minutes of silence during or after relaxing music increased the music's calming effects. With the Global Wellness Institute forecasting a 21% increase in wellness tourism in the next two years, what better counter to the chaos of our always-on lives than silence? Silent travel is also part of a move towards more sustainable tourism. Quiet Parks International , for example, offers unique nature experiences in dedicated quiet spaces, reducing noise pollution for the surrounding wildlife.

Silent travel opportunities abound in 2024. Kick off the year with a silent retreat in Portugal (with Innate ) or Italy (with Mandali ). More adventurous silent-seekers can trek the peaceful Japanese Kumano Kodo trail, or explore Finland’s Arctic landscape with a Silence & Nature Tour . For a tailor-made silent experience, Black Tomato’s Blink camp offers luxury accommodation in the world’s most remote settings, while its Get Lost program promises to help you find yourself by getting lost in a far-flung location. — Tasha Kleeman

16. Urban gardens

What’s the trend? Never mind the biophilic office and those pot plants you forget to water: Whole cities are going green as architects and planners create leafy microclimates amid the grey concrete to help keep us cooler, connect communities and even feed us.

Why will it matter in 2024? Having trees and gardens in our cities is a pretty good idea. King Nebuchadnezzar certainly thought so, which is why his Hanging Gardens of Babylon made it into travel’s first-ever bucket list—the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World—back in the 2nd century BC. Nowadays, planting trees creates much-needed shade, stores carbon, and increases biodiversity, but it also makes our cityscapes so much nicer.

While Valencia, an early adopter of urban greening with its 12km-long Turia Garden in 1986, is the 2024 European Green Capital, France is busy planting trees like there’s no tomorrow. Go to Paris for the 2024 Olympics and you’ll spot budding new forests growing in Place du Colonel-Fabien, Place de Catalogne, and in the Charonne district, while Bordeaux ’s Grandeur Nature project includes urban cooling islands, micro-forests, and rain gardens.

Meanwhile, on Cyprus—an island that experienced temperatures of 111°F in 2023—the new Salina Park opens in time for summer shade in the seaside city of Larnaca. In Brazil , Rio’s Hortas Cariocas is a groundbreaking achievement that will be completed by the end of 2024: the largest urban vegetable garden in the world, connecting 56 community gardens across favelas and schools.

And in London , the £1-billion Google building in King’s Cross will show just what can be done with one structure. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the “landscraper”—only 11 stories high but stretching out longer than the Shard is tall—is hoped to provide a blueprint for future urban projects: running along the rooftop is a multi-level garden, with wildflowers, lawns and decked seating areas, set with more than 55,000 plants and 250 trees. Can you dig it? — Rick Jordan

17. Back-of-house tours

What’s the trend? Greener hotels giving us a look behind the scenes to show us—not just tell us— they're sustainable. Not just a look-see at solar panels or composting, but experiential tours that help us appreciate why it matters to support socio-economic uplift through tourism. In South America, Blue Apple Beach invites visitors to get up close and personal with the community work it does in Colombia through its impact fund. Founder Portia Hart wanted more than token-gesture carbon offsetting, where locals themselves could decide how money was spent. In Africa, guests of the Bushcamp Company contribute to initiatives through the Luangwa Conservation and Community Fund. A popular excursion in Zambia is visiting the boreholes that are installed with outreach funds. Each pump provides fresh drinking water to hundreds of people a day, and visitors who spend time with those gathered get a very tangible insight into how such provisions funded by hospitality can literally change lives in regions most affected by a warming planet.

Why will it matter in 2024? Transparency is on the up as the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive comes into force and greenwashing is coming close to being officially outlawed. A year of droughts, floods, and heatwaves also reminds us we need to make better-informed choices in our travel planning—and all the better if we can also get a crash course on the science and sociology of positive impact. Experiences that go beyond explaining responsible practices, but demonstrate a deep respect for communities on the climate-change frontlines and help make their challenges relatable to visitors are especially helpful. — Juliet Kinsman

18. Wild feasting

What’s the trend? Have you ever noticed how food always tastes better outdoors? But in today’s modern world, many of us are more used to eating a sandwich while staring at a screen. Wild feasting describes the trend for beautifully curated culinary experiences in natural environments with the incorporation of hyper-local and foraged ingredients. In Sweden , for example, you can tap into a network of do-it-yourself outdoor restaurants where you book a table in a scenic location, search for nettles, birch leaves, lingonberries, and trumpet chanterelles, and then cook them on an open fire according to a recipe card provided by a Michelin-grade chef.

Why will it matter in 2024? A greater range of wild feasting opportunities will give urbanites a chance to properly connect over food. Leading the way is Noah Ellis, founder of the UK's Nomadic Dinners . “Since launching in 2018, we experienced compounded year-on-year growth for our feasting and foraging experiences,” he says. In 2024, he will be hosting a new series of fire feasts, including one set among the bluebells. Also tapping into the zeitgeist is TikTok star Alexis Nikole Nelson (a.k.a. the Black Forager) who will publish a book about wild food in 2024. And don’t forget, 2024 is the last year you will be able to eat at Copenhagen ’s legendary, foraging-focused restaurant Noma before it turns into a test kitchen and closes to the public.

Another innovator is Holmen Lofoten’s Kitchen On The Edge Of The World series in the Norwegian Arctic Circle, where guests can participate in four nights of wild feasts cooked by top chefs. In 2024, these will include Lennox Hastie, José Pizarro, and Heidi Bjerkan. Ingunn Rasmussen, owner of Holmen Lofoten, says, “Now, as when we were little kids, gathering around a bonfire in the wilderness, sharing stories, and feasting under the stars in these magical, remote surroundings is one of the absolute highlights, both for our guests and for us.” — Jenny Southan

19. Plan-free travel

What's the trend? Saying no to endless scrolling to plan every inch of a trip, and saying yes to spontaneity instead. The power of the algorithm-spawned era of FOMO travel is waning, with those once secret spots made Insta-famous becoming tired and cookie-cutter, and the drive to plan a trip around them losing momentum. The rising counter movement is travel with no plans at all.

Why will it matter in 2024? The plan-free appeal is going one step further in 2024. Booking.com recently reported that 50% of UK travelers want to book a surprise trip in 2024, where everything, even the destination, is unknown until arrival. And it’s possible to do it via travel companies such as Black Tomato, whose Get Lost service offers customers the ability to simply select a preferred environment—polar, jungle, desert, mountain, or coastal—and leave its team to decide everything else. “While we launched Get Lost several years ago, post-pandemic we’ve seen a notable and rising uptick in bookings and enquiries,” says Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant.

Journee offers a similar surprise element, with travelers only finding out where they’re going at the airport. The service, which includes a full itinerary and access to a team via Whatsapp, is particularly popular with solo female travelers, while overall demand has grown so much that the London-based brand recently launched trips in the US. — Lauren Burvill

20. Frontier tourism

What’s the trend? To go above and beyond. Or below and under. As crossings of the tumultuous Drake Passage to Antarctica rack up millions of TikTok views and traffic jams form on Everest, canny travelers are seeking more individual, less obvious experiences that combine thrill-seeking with more meaningful self-empowerment.

Why will it matter in 2024? One person’s frontier is another’s backyard, of course, so frontiers are entirely subjective here. For some, this could mean being the first to camp under the stars in a remote landscape, or hike an ancient pilgrimage trail that’s been off the map for centuries. It’s still possible to bag a rare place on a Kamba African Rainforest Experience in the Republic of the Congo, being one of just 12 people to explore a game park the size of Belgium.

Black Tomato, meanwhile, is designing an intrepid new expedition to the remote Mitre Peninsula in Argentina, along with a trip in Peru navigating the Sacred Valley of the Incas by raft. “This sort of adventure goes beyond bragging rights and is more akin to self-empowerment and the gratification of pushing our own horizons,” says Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant. The Ultimate Travel Company is also heading to Peru, a country repositioning itself for luxury travelers, with stays at Puqio, its first tented exploration camp, in the remote Colca Valley in the Southern Peruvian Andes.

Wilderness camping is also pegging out fresh terrain in Kyrgyzstan, with yurt stays on the steppes trending for 2024, according to Wild Frontiers, as is Mongolia; while Albania, Mongolia, Pakistan and the Empty Quarter of Oman are all on the radar for an increasing number of travelers. And while the space-age pods of White Desert have already sold out for New Year’s Eve 2024 and 2025, latter-day frontiersfolk can take the path less traveled and explore the frozen continent’s southern coast (99 per cent of visitors go from South America to the northwest) with The Ultimate Travel Company’s new Ross Sea cruises, seeing the Ross Ice Shelf and Transantarctic Mountains. Don’t forget to pack your penknife. — Rick Jordan

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Why Café Carmellini's Table 31 Is New York's Best Seat

Pull up a chair at Chef Andrew Carmellini's must-try new Manhattan eatery.

Meals end with handmade chocolates served in equally off-kilter vessels designed by the Haas brothers . “We call those the Cocoa Monsters, so the meal begins and ends with a monster cartel,” Carmellini says. There are two hand-sculpted trees in the middle of the room to recall the palm courts of Gilded Age New York, but also Duck-Duck-Duck Tortellini on the menu. “Goose,” Carmellini says. “You want to say ‘goose.’ Which is playful, yes, but there is foie gras, too.”

The restaurant, on the ground floor of the Fifth Avenue Hotel , a building designed by McKim, Mead & White, has double-height ceilings, but as at all of Carmellini’s restaurants, there is nothing precious about it. You feel fancy but at home, too, cozy enough to feel you can ask Chef a few questions. And people do. The kitchen is deliberately open, and people wander in to talk to Carmellini. He’s the man cooking in his signature cap. “It’s almost like you’re at my apartment, where people love to gather around the kitchen. I like to come in and out and say hello,” he says. “From the first time I walked into the space, in 2017, it felt so classic. The McKim, Mead & White design of the building and the intimate scale of the room, done by Martin Brudnizki, definitely gave me a mood for cooking in a certain way.”

It’s an approach he describes as “unabashedly Eurocentric.” He wants the room, with its “sexy but not too dark lighting,” and the food to set a mood for guests: “You want to go out for the night and get a sense of the city. Restaurants are the places to do that. You want to feel good when you’re out to eat.”

Carmellini recognizes that there are multiple reasons someone might be eating here on a given night. “For business, I’d say table 31. It faces the kitchen,” he says. “For a date? I’d go upstairs to one of the balcony corner tables. But not if it’s a first date. For that, request number 11.” Then order a martini and wait for the Chicken Monster to arrive.

Editor-in-Chief Stellene Volandes is a jewelry expert, and the author of Jeweler: Masters and Mavericks of Modern Design (Rizzoli).

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Money blog: How much harder is it to get a mortgage if you're self-employed?

We've enlisted expert help to investigate whether it's more difficult to secure a mortgage if you're self-employed. Read this and more in the Money blog, your place for personal finance news. Leave a comment on stories we've covered, or a question for our experts, in the form below.

Friday 5 April 2024 09:12, UK

• How much harder is it to get a mortgage if you're self-employed?
• Uber users to get new alert when they get in car
• British Savings Bonds announced in the budget go on sale - but experts aren't convinced
• What makes up the cost of a £6 pint - and how much is profit?
• How to make your money work harder while it's sat in your current account
• Eight big price hikes this week - and six boosts to Britons' pockets
• All the places kids can eat cheap or free this Easter

Ask a question or make a comment

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

The price of oil has continued to shoot up this morning - meaning the cost of petrol at the pumps in Britain is at risk of rising further in the coming weeks.

A barrel of Brent crude topped $91 (£72.10) at one point this morning - its highest level since October.

The price has since eased back slightly to $90 (£71.30) a barrel, but that is still the highest it has been in months.

It comes as tensions ramp up in the Middle East amid fears of a wider escalation of the Israel-Hamas war.

Investors have also been growing increasingly jittery about global supplies after another Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian oil refinery earlier this week.

Meanwhile, London's FTSE 100 is down 1% this morning amid the geopolitical tensions - though oil and gas stocks have risen 0.3% (no surprise there).

On the currency markets, £1 will buy you $1.26 US or €1.16, down slightly on yesterday's rates.

By Ollie Cooper, Money team

We've all heard consumer advice that's repeated so often it almost becomes cliché. So, every Friday the Money team get to the bottom of a different "fact" and decide whether it's a myth or must.

This week it is...

'It's harder to get a mortgage if you're self-employed'

We've enlisted the help of Pete Mugleston , managing director and mortgage expert Online Mortgage Advisor, and to help us get to the bottom of this one, he's outlined two examples. 

"By looking at the two hypothetical individuals, Person A and Person B, I aim to outline the differences and nuances of securing a mortgage under two very different circumstances," he says.

Person A: Self-employed - annual income £60,000

Person A is a self-employed professional with an annual income of £60,000. 

They run their own business, providing services directly to clients and managing their finances independently. 

"In the realm of mortgage applications, self-employed individuals like Person A face a unique set of challenges, especially if they do not have the required proof of accounts readily available," Pete says. 

When it comes to securing a mortgage, lenders typically rely on financial documents to assess an applicant's income stability and affordability.

"For self-employed individuals without the necessary proof of accounts, the road to mortgage approval can indeed become more arduous."

Without the required documents such as two to three years of certified accounts, SA302 forms and business accounts, Person A might find themselves facing several obstacles...

"One potential hurdle is the possibility of a larger deposit requirement - lenders often view self-employed applicants without sufficient financial documentation as higher risk," Pete says.

"To mitigate this risk, they may request a more substantial deposit, possibly ranging from 20% to 25% of the property's value."

For the average UK property, with the value sitting at around £263,600, that deposit could range between £52,700 and £65,900 - a far cry from the more reasonable 5-10% deposit.

However, in some cases, lenders may consider Person A's past and projected future earnings. 

If they can demonstrate a history of consistent income through bank statements, contracts of future work or other evidence, this may strengthen their case. 

"However, this process can be complex and may not guarantee approval," Pete says. 

Lenders also assess the stability of income for self-employed individuals. 

Unlike salaried employees with predictable monthly earnings, self-employed individuals may experience fluctuations in income due to seasonality, market changes or other factors. 

"This variability can raise concerns for lenders, who want assurance that the borrower can consistently meet mortgage repayments," Pete says.

"Without the required proof of accounts, Person A's journey to securing a mortgage may involve more stringent requirements, additional scrutiny of income, and a potential need for a larger deposit."

Person B: Employed full-time - annual income £40,000

Now let's turn our attention to Person B, who is employed full-time with an annual income of £40,000. 

Person B holds a traditional job, receiving regular payslips and tax deductions through the PAYE system. 

"In the eyes of mortgage lenders, Person B represents a more straightforward case compared to Person A, despite earning £20,000 less per annum," Pete says.

"For employed individuals like Person B, the process of obtaining a mortgage tends to be smoother. 

"Person B can easily provide payslips, P60 forms and other employment-related documents to verify their income." 

These documents offer a clear and consistent picture of earnings, making it easier for lenders to assess affordability.

"With a reliable income stream and documented financial history, Person B may qualify for standard deposit requirements, typically ranging from 5% to 20% of the property's value."

Lenders can conduct a straightforward affordability assessment for Person B based on their documented income. The process usually involves multiplying their annual salary by a standard factor (often four to 4.5 times) to determine the maximum mortgage amount.

"In comparison to the self-employed Person A, Person B's path to mortgage approval is generally smoother, with fewer hurdles related to income verification and deposit requirements," Pete says. 

While employed individuals like Person B benefit from easily verifiable income and standard procedures, self-employed individuals such as Person A face a more challenging path, particularly in circumstances where they have less than the required proof of accounts.

In summary...

This one is no myth. 

"For self-employed individuals, the key lies in meticulous financial preparation, including maintaining accurate accounts, saving for a potentially larger deposit and providing additional evidence of income stability," Pete says. 

You can also seek professional help if required. 

With all that in mind, the money must here if you are self-employed is to be well-prepared!

The next time you order an Uber, you might notice something different.

The company is introducing a new safety feature that will remind you to put your seatbelt on.

When your trip starts, the driver's Uber app may sound an alert so you don't forget.

At the same time, your own Uber app will receive a push notification, with another reminder to buckle up.

"You can expect to receive these reminders on a regular basis," Uber says.

"Wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest ways to help keep you and any fellow riders safe. We understand that some riders may have medical exemptions from wearing a seat belt."

Carers will be entitled to unpaid leave under a new law hailed as a "huge step forward" for more than two million people. 

Under the Carer's Leave Act, which comes into force on Saturday, employees who are carers can take up to a week of unpaid leave every 12 months - equating to five days for most people.

They will be entitled to this leave to give or arrange care for a dependent (who has a physical or mental illness or injury meaning they will need care for more than three months), who has a disability, or who needs care due to old age.

Charity Carers UK has said past research found about 600 people a day give up work so they can care due to a lack of flexibility and support. 

The new law is aimed at giving people more flexibility to balance work and caring. 

Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said too many "skilled and valued workers are leaving employment due to the stress of balancing work and unpaid care".

Tens of thousands of people are facing crippling tax demands from HMRC for taxes their employers failed to pay. 

It's a campaign that has driven people to the brink of bankruptcy and devastated families.

At least 23 victims have taken - or attempted to take - their own lives.

For the first time, two people who tried to end their lives have shared their story with Sky News.

The following article contains references to suicide that readers may find distressing.

We've all found ourselves stuck on a delayed train and wished we'd chosen any other route to get home. You might even be on one right now.

Well, thanks to a new study you can at least take note of routes you might want to avoid.

It has listed the worst offending companies on the UK's rail network by looking at official data from the Office of Rail and Road between January 2021 and September 2023.

It looked at trains that were cancelled or delayed by 15 minutes or more during that time period.

The research found Avanti West Coast had 15.36% of its services delayed or cancelled. 

The study's second worst offender, with 12.32% of all trains either cancelled or seriously late, is Grand Central Rail . 

And  CrossCountry was the third least reliable operator, with 12.26% of trains arriving 15 minutes or more late, or being cancelled altogether. 

Axel Hernborg, founder of Tripplo , which conducted the study, said: " It's no secret that the UK's rail network is a far shout from those within mainland Europe in terms of efficiency and reliability, and these findings simply underscore that."

Look at the table below for the full list of the 10 least reliable train operators, as ranked by the travel website. The column on the right shows the number of minutes customers lost in delays.

By Faith Ridler, news reporter

At the start of the year, I set myself what felt like an impossible challenge - to make enough cash to finally go on my dream holiday to Japan – all through side hustles.

After a few false starts – and a lot of cat sitting – I discovered Vinted, a second-hand selling app which had the very convenient side effect of helping me declutter my very tiny London flat.

I set up my account at the very end of January, listing a few items that were spilling out of my wardrobe – jackets, dresses and shoes I hadn’t worn once since purchasing them.

I also listed some craft supplies that had become a hobby graveyard on my cluttered desk during COVID lockdowns.

To my surprise, pretty much everything sold.

And to date, I've made the hefty sum of around £1,500. 

This was more than enough for my flight to Japan, a new suitcase, and a hotel for my arrival in Tokyo this summer.

Here are the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way…

Do your research

The biggest piece of advice I could give you if you’re thinking about selling on Vinted is to make sure you know the value of what you're selling.

I was surprised to find through my own selling experience that some brands hold their value much better than others. 

For example, a dress I bought for £40 from a brand called Louche sold (after some weeks) for only £4.

On the other hand, a Lucy & Yak T-shirt I bought for £30 sold used for £20.

You may ask, how do I know what something is worth?

The best way to investigate this is to check what other people are doing on the app. That way, you don’t list things too cheaply and end up losing out.

Other items I found hold their value are Nintendo Switch games, some of which I sold on for face value after completing a playthrough myself.

An important note – make sure you check which items you can sell through Vinted before listing. If you have listings deleted too often, you can get your account banned. You can find this information through the app itself.

No printer? InPost lockers are your friend

A key element of Vinted selling is physically posting the items, which can become a bit of a headache if you don’t know the ins and outs of the app.

I fell victim to the many shipping options at the start of my selling journey – until a kind friend mentioned you can actually switch off methods not available in your area in the Postage tab of Settings.

My advice would be to have a good look at what you can offer for delivery, and make sure those are the only options available for people buying items through your page.

If – like me – you don’t have a printer, you can turn off every option but InPost lockers.

These are postal lockers you simply need to scan a QR code to open and leave the parcel inside.

No label, no problem.

Learn how to haggle

This was something that shocked me about the app.

Although you set a price for your items, almost everybody will try to haggle the price down.

You can ask for people not to send offers in the description of the items, but I’ve had very limited success with that method.

What I find works best is to list the item for slightly more than you would accept, and just let people haggle down. You're still earning the best price, and the buyer goes away with a "deal".

Everybody wins.

Taxes and Vinted

When it comes to earning money through any method, you always have to consider the tax ramifications.

However, as Vinted explains clearly on its website , if the money you make on the app over a year is less than what you paid for the items initially, you pay no tax.

It adds: "The only time that an individual item might be taxable is when you sell it for more than £6,000 and there is a profit from the sale.

"Even then, you can use your capital gain tax-free allowance (which is £3,000) to reduce this profit."

Essentially, if, like me, you're simply decluttering your way to Japan, you're very unlikely to find yourself crossing paths with HMRC.

Trade groups have warned of higher food prices and empty supermarket shelves because of new post-Brexit border fees being introduced this month.

A maximum charge of £145 will apply on imports of plant and animal products, such as cheese and fish, entering the UK through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel from 30 April.

The fees are intended to cover the cost of operating new border control posts required after Brexit, and will not apply to goods brought into the UK for personal use, the government said.

But importers warned the new charges could lead to higher prices for consumers.

Read more here ...

Ted Baker is the latest in a string of high-street giants to call in administrators in recent years. 

But how does it affect you? 

Let's use Ted Baker as an example. 

Purchases and returns

You can still purchase online or walk into a Ted Baker shop and buy items, but you could run into trouble returning them. 

If the retailer stops trading, it may not be able to get your money back to you.

If that is the case, you would have to file a claim with Teneo (Ted Baker's administrator) to join a list of creditors owed money by Ted Baker – and even then there's no guarantee you'd get your money back.

You could also file a claim with your debit or credit card provider - but again, no guarantees. 

TL;DR: If you have one - use it as soon as possible. 

Teneo has made no changes to the way gift cards can be used at Ted Baker, but as is the case with all administrators, it can change the terms and conditions at will. 

As above, if you lose out on cash because of a company going into administration, you can raise it with the administrators themselves. 

Credits and debits

As we mentioned earlier, you can file a claim with your debit or credit card provider to recover lost funds - but how exactly does that work?

• Credit card:  If you bought any single item costing between £100-£30,000 and paid on a credit card, the card firm is liable if something goes wrong. If any purchase was less than £100, you may still be able to get your money back via chargeback
• Debit card:  Under chargeback, your bank can try to get your money back from Ted Baker's bank. However, be aware that this is not a legal requirement and it can later be disputed and recalled back to Ted Baker's bank

A US state is considering a bill giving employees the right not to respond to calls, emails and texts from their bosses outside of paid work hours.

The so-called "right to disconnect" would allow California's labour commission to fine employers for interrupting personal time, reports our partner network NBC News.

The bill makes exceptions for emergencies, scheduling and collective bargaining.

The state's Chamber of Commerce called the proposed legislation a step backwards for flexibility.

However, Professor Amira Barger told NBC the changes would help tackle an "epidemic of burnout" and were a "necessary adaptation" for the future of work.

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News & Insights

Here is What to Know Beyond Why Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT) is a Trending Stock

April 03, 2024 — 09:00 am EDT

Written by Zacks Equity Research for Zacks  ->

Allegiant Travel (ALGT) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.

Over the past month, shares of this travel services company have returned -6.8%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.5% change. During this period, the Zacks Transportation - Airline industry, which Allegiant Travel falls in, has gained 1.2%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?

While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.

Revisions to Earnings Estimates

Rather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.

Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.

Allegiant Travel is expected to post earnings of $1.29 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -57.6%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +2%.

The consensus earnings estimate of $6.75 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of -7.7%. This estimate has changed -0.7% over the last 30 days.

For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $10.23 indicates a change of +51.5% from what Allegiant Travel is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed -2%.

Having a strong externally audited track record , our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates , Allegiant Travel is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Revenue Growth Forecast

While earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.

In the case of Allegiant Travel, the consensus sales estimate of $657.5 million for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +1.2%. The $2.75 billion and $3.11 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +9.4% and +13.1%, respectively.

Last Reported Results and Surprise History

Allegiant Travel reported revenues of $611 million in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -0.1%. EPS of $0.11 for the same period compares with $3.17 a year ago.

Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $601.47 million, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +1.59%. The EPS surprise was +116.42%.

Over the last four quarters, Allegiant Travel surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.

Without considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.

While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S) and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.

The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an An is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.

Allegiant Travel is graded A on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.

Bottom Line

The facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Allegiant Travel. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor Stock

It's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom.

With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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