5 hot travel trends

2024 travel trends: what the experts predict

A look at the travel trends and destinations set to drive the tourism industry

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The year of 'surprise travel'?

• Lonely Planet's Best in Travel

Set-jetting continues to take off

Music tourism 'accelerates', palate-led holidays and uk getaways, cultural exploration and quaint cities, journeys with 'a sense of purpose'.

• Michelin Guide 'keys'

Fodor's 2024 'No List'

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'More and more surprise trip companies have popped up' 

"Surprise travel" may become the big trend of 2024, said David Farley on the  BBC . A survey of 27,000 travellers in 33 countries by  Booking.com  found that 52% are "keen" to book a surprise trip where "everything down to the destination is unknown until arrival". In the last decade, "more and more surprise trip companies have popped up", Farley added, and the "element of mystery" is "tempting travellers to seek a new way to see the world".

Mongolia and Nairobi included in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel

Mongolia is tipped as one of the top countries to visit 

In its "Best in Travel" report for 2024, Lonely Planet has predicted the world's top 50 countries, regions, cities, best value and most sustainable destinations. Looking at the top places to "unwind, connect, eat, learn and journey", there's "plenty to pack in" over the next year. Destinations highlighted in the report include Mongolia (country), Western Balkans' Trans Dinarica Cycling Route (region), Nairobi in Kenya (city), Spain (sustainable) and The Midwest, USA (best value).

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The new season of 'Emily in Paris' will inspire travel to the French capital

Travellers turning to their TV sets and movie screens for inspiration "shows no signs of stopping in 2024", said Expedia Group . In its "Unpack '24: The Trends in Travel" survey, more than half of travellers have researched or booked a trip to a destination "after seeing it on a TV show or movie", and one in four admit that TV shows and films "are even more influential on their travel plans than they were before". In fact, travellers say TV shows influence their travel decisions more than Instagram, TikTok and podcasts. 

In its "set-jetting forecast", the group predicts the "entertainment-inspired destinations" tourists will be heading to in 2024. The top picks include Thailand, inspired by "The White Lotus" season three; Romania, inspired by "Wednesday" season two; Malta, inspired by the new "Gladiator 2" film; and Paris, inspired by "Emily in Paris" season four. 

Taylor Swift performs at Lumen Field, Seattle, on the Eras Tour

Travel technology company Amadeus has released its fourth travel trends report. Using the latest data and industry-leading insight, travel in 2024 will be dominated by five trends: music tourism, business class fares unbundled, influencers becoming agents, artificial intelligence matures, and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft prepare for take-off. 

Music tourism is a trend that's expected to "accelerate" in 2024, Amadeus said. After the social isolation of the pandemic, when bands and musical artists were "grounded for months", a "boom" in concerts and festivals in 2023 tapped into "a desire for connection". When Taylor Swift announced her Asia Pacific tour dates for 2024, Amadeus research suggested that Swift's concert dates in Australia, Singapore and Japan had a "significant impact on travel searches and booking volumes to the countries".  

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa in Wiltshire is part of the PoB Hotels collection  

PoB Hotels ' "Cultivating Luxury" market trends report found that palate-led holidays and increased domestic getaways in the UK were among the key findings for 2024. Food and drink "undeniably take centre stage" in "capturing the attention" of domestic travellers, commanding an impressive 82% of their interests. A significant 54% of affluent high net worth individuals (HNWIs) plan to enjoy "three or more" leisure holidays within the UK in the upcoming year, reflecting a "notable increase on the previous 12 months". And a considerable 27% of affluent/HNW travellers anticipate taking UK trips "lasting three or more nights" in the coming year. 

Bydgoszcz in Poland is one of the 'quaint cities' attracting interest  

"Cultural exploration" will "more than ever" be a priority for travellers, Skyscanner said in its 2024 travel trends report. Expect "gig trippers" to jet off to see their favourite artists and "budget bougie foodies" to seek out the very best food experiences. When it comes to the destinations that are whetting would-be tourists' appetites, the metasearch engine and travel agency has seen an increase in searches for "quaint cities" such as Vigo in Spain (+1,235%) and Bydgoszcz in Poland (+313%). Meanwhile, the cost-of-living crisis remains "top of mind" with Skyscanner's "Everywhere" search tool being the "top search destination for travellers globally". 

'Off-grid' Peru is on Black Tomato's 2024 destination hotlist 

The founders of luxury travel company Black Tomato predict that travellers will be looking to journey with "a sense of purpose" in 2024. With ever increasing demands on time, and the desire to make travel truly count, travellers want to create "positive and lasting change" – not only in the destinations they visit, but in their own lives. 

"What we've uncovered," said Black Tomato, is that the feeling a trip ultimately evokes "greatly informs the destination booked". For groups "craving togetherness", journeys which "strengthen bonds and connection" are "prioritised". Black Tomato has picked out "off-grid" Peru, Morocco's Tangiers, the Mitre Peninsula in remotest Argentine Patagonia, and New Zealand's waterways on its 2024 destination hotlist.

The new Michelin Guide 'keys'

Which hotels will get a Michelin key? 

The Michelin Guide will award hotels with "keys" as part of a "new rating system" launching in 2024, said the Visit California PR Pulse Report. The system will be aimed at recognising hotels based on factors including "location, design, service, uniqueness and value". As it does for restaurants, the guide said it intends to independently recommend hotels that "constitute true destinations" and will propose a new selection of more than "5,000 remarkable hotels in 120 countries".

Venice is one of the destinations that has been impacted by overtourism

Most travel experts recommend places to go in their annual reports, but Fodor's has a "No List" of nine regions to "reconsider" in 2024. The travel guide company said it's not a "round-up of spots we revile", it's a "declaration of places we revere". However, the "frenzied admiration", and "incessant need to experience them", are "not sustainable". 

The 2024 No List focuses on three main areas of tourist impact: overtourism, rubbish production, and water quality and sufficiency. For overtourism, Venice in Italy, Athens in Greece, and Mount Fuji in Japan are highlighted. Rubbish production no-gos include San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in California, Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, and the Atacama Desert in Chile. While water quality and sufficiency has impacted Lake Superior in North America, the Ganges River in India, and Koh Samui in Thailand.

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These Trends Will Define How We Travel in 2023

From the economy to the environment, from health and wellness to food and friends, these factors are influencing how we travel the world this year..

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Instead of following the White Lotus fans to Sicily this year, why not head to Italy’s Polignano a Mare, which topped Booking.com’s list of most welcoming cities in the world.

Photo by Vincenzo de Simone/Unsplash

When we look at 2023, several factors will shape how we travel this year. Of course, there’s the economy and concerns about a possible recession. Add to that the rising cost of, well, just about everything due to inflation, and travelers are keeping closer tabs on their spending. But financial concerns aside, consumer surveys indicate that after nearly three years of being hampered by the pandemic, travelers aren’t holding back and are planning and booking trips with a vengeance this year.

As they plan their adventures, people are also looking to reconnect—with friends, family, and the world. And as they travel through that world, they are doing so with greater awareness of their impact on it. Health, wellness , and food are also top of mind as we think more intently about our mental health and overall well-being .

Given all of that, these are the six trends that will define how we travel in 2023.

In search of lesser-known locales

Booking.com rated Hualien City on the east coast of Taiwan as one of the world’s most welcoming cities.

Photo by Su San Lee/Unsplash

Travelers are ditching beaten paths for alternative, under-the-radar destinations. Whether it’s due to a heightened awareness of the worrying effect overtourism is having on some of the world’s most visited places, or to simply wanting to unearth a destination that feels fresh, new, and unique to the discoverer, either way, travelers in 2023 will be flocking to hidden gems. Think Lyon over Paris for food lovers and volcanic hikes in the Azores instead of Hawai‘i. According to Skift Research , 70 percent of millennials and Gen Zs report that they will be seeking travel experiences their family and friends haven’t heard of.

Airbnb’s “anywhere” searches—just add dates and the number of guests for far-flung suggestions—and filters for lodgings labeled off-the-grid, shepherd’s huts, and “OMG!” are tools that can help explorers find that next travel surprise. Another way to search for alternative destinations is through Booking.com’s new list of the world’s most welcoming cities (based on hotel and transit reviews), which includes an intriguing lineup of places such as Polignano a Mare, Italy; Hualien City, Taiwan; and Klaipeda, Lithuania.

Wellness that focuses on the healing benefits of nature

Forestis, a boutique wellness lodge in Italy’s Dolomites, channels ancient forest reverence.

Photo by Jeremy Austin/Forestis

The pandemic sent travelers fleeing to the wilds—or at least local parks—for solace in naturally socially distanced settings, while also triggering a new appreciation for the physical and mental health benefits of switching off and smelling the roses. We’ve come to recognize that nature is not just a pretty view, but a soul-restoring, endorphin-eliciting, stress-relieving outlet. Consequently, biophilic—or nature-loving—design can be found everywhere from the future Pittsburgh International Airport expansion , where baggage claim connects to outdoor gardens, to Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel in Sedona, opening this month with accommodations in 40 glass-walled cubes for maximum immersion in Arizona’s high desert.

Forest bathing , a practice that derives from the Japanese shinrin-yoku , or meditative walks in nature, and actual bathing are being integrated into back-to-basic wellness treatments and experiences . Commune with nature at Forestis , a boutique wellness lodge in Italy’s Dolomites, which channels ancient forest reverence in its Druid-inspired Wdya movement techniques , and alternate between hot pools, cold dips, and sauna visits at the new World Spa in New York City, a true urban sanctuary.

The rise of the thrifty traveler

Why buy brand-new gear when you can rent or buy gently used equipment for camping and other gear-intensive outdoor adventures?

Photo by Cristofer Maximilian/Unsplash

Whether it’s the pinch of an inflationary economy, a green rejection of consumerism, or the only way to slake wanderlust, travelers will venture boldly with smaller budgets. The virtues of thrift have already shown up in the stats on resale clothing—the secondhand apparel market is projected to grow three times faster than retail by 2026, according to the online reseller ThredUp . Travelers can now buy used Patagonia ski jackets at recent online startups like Out&Back Outdoor , rent camping equipment rather than buying it through outfitters like Arrive Outdoors , and see the world at bargain rates through growing hostel-meets-coworking brand Selina . In a survey, Hotels.com found nearly a quarter of global travelers plan to be more frugal in 2023.

Travelers will have more ecofriendly options

We can expect to start seeing more electric vehicles being offered by rental car agencies this year and beyond.

Photo by Michael Fousert/Unsplash

In 2023, the travel industry is finally starting to walk the talk on its climate goals. The vast majority of consumers (90 percent) are now looking for sustainable options when traveling, according to a survey of 11,000 global travelers conducted last year by Expedia Group Media Solutions. Half said they would pay more to take a sustainable trip. That’s a sizeable demand, and the industry is finally (really) working to meet it. Actors like England-based room2 hotels are modeling innovations like “whole life net zero” that accounts for emissions during construction and eventual demolition. Big-player Marriott International plans to implement a search filter for its hotels this year to identify those that are sustainable. G Adventures publishes a “ripple score” for each trip based on the amount of money that stays in a destination, which factors in things like local sourcing for food.

J. D. Power, which surveys consumers on rental car satisfaction, predicts that car rental agencies will offer more electric vehicles this year, in part responding to governmental financial incentives and in part to appeal to more environmentally focused renters. Decarbonizing aviation remains a more distant goal—the waste-oil-derived sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is key to making the industry net-zero carbon-producing by 2050, but greater investment in the technology is needed. Although airlines like Swiss are modeling hydrodynamic fuselage skin to reduce drag, and we will surely continue to see a parade of innovations in air travel. Actions like France’s ban on domestic flights that are 2.5 hours or less are pushing more people to train travel , a better environmental option.

Vacation homes with chef-worthy kitchens

Book a vacation rental and let your inner chef shine.

According to the World Food Travel Association , more than half of leisure travelers are food travelers, keen to experience food tours, cooking classes, winetastings, craft breweries, and local markets. All that provisioning from markets and wineries has led to increased demand for vacation homes to feature deluxe kitchens.

In a recent report, vacation rental company Vrbo found more than half of travelers seeking rentals with friends or family say cooking amenities are the most important criteria—often as a way to trim costs and to bond as a group. Airbnb’s new filter for “chef’s kitchens” turns up results like a Wisconsin lake estate with Viking kitchen appliances and a Spanish villa-style home in downtown Avila Beach along California’s Central Coast with a massive and airy gourmet kitchen. Vrbo said its top in-demand cooking amenities include outdoor kitchens, pizza ovens, and on-site gardens with fresh produce.

Hotels are creating unique spaces for gatherings and celebrations

Larger groups can book adjoining apartments at the Bode Nashville.

Courtesy of Bode

In its 2023 trends report, Hilton noted a rise of intimate group travel to celebrate milestones regardless of the date; think a 40th birthday–level celebration but on your 42nd birthday. Travelers still have a lot of making up to do in 2023, and while vacation rentals often ban parties, hotels are creating spaces within their properties carved out specifically for small groups of family or friends to gather and celebrate.

“COVID expanded multigenerational travel to include any kind of group, and hotels are finding ways to encourage those connections by creating floors that can be totally closed off,” says Jack Ezon, the founder of the luxury travel agency Embark Beyond in New York City. The Atticus Hotel in Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine region reports booming business for its five-bedded Bunkhouse room . Bode hotels in Nashville and Chattanooga were designed with friends in mind with adjoining apartments. And groups of four can take a shared dorm room at The Pad in Silverthorne, Colorado.

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Explore > Out Travel The System > No Normal: the hottest tips, trends and insights for travel in 2023

No Normal: the hottest tips, trends and insights for travel in 2023

When you’re looking for vacation inspiration, what do you do? Do you Google the best places to visit? Scroll through Instagram or Pinterest for ideas? Or do you ask friends and family for their recommendations? Whatever your method, you can now you can add one more resource to your list: our annual  2023 Travel Trends Report , which has some of the best insights, tips and ideas for travel next year.

Every year, we spend months mining through billions of data points to look at when, where, and how people are searching for trips and booking them. We also team up with third-party researchers to get insights into the traveler mindset beyond just what we’re seeing at Expedia to build a complete picture of what’s going to be hot for the upcoming year. The end result is the annual Travel Trends Report, which we’ve been publishing for five years now. But this year, for the first time, we teamed up with our sister brands Vrbo and Hotels.com to add even more science into identifying what’s motivating  vacations in 2023.

What we’ve discovered is that while 2022 was the year of going big, ticking off bucket lists, and taking the greatest of all trips, 2023 is looking to be a bit more relaxed and even more of a break from the normal (so much so that we’ve dubbed it the Year of No Normal). We’re seeing travelers who want to trade ultra-luxe resorts for simpler two- and three-star hotels so they can invest more time and money in discovering culture capitals across the globe and set-jetting to places that have caught their imagination via the silver screen. We’re also seeing a growing appetite for exploring more of America as well an interest in quirky wellness activities such as forest bathing, fruit harvesting, and laughter therapy.

To find out which destinations are trending for 2023, why you’ve got to make sure your next vacation rental has its own pizza oven, and why Jamaica will solve all your problems, check out the full episode now.

And if you are looking to book, don’t miss this season’s episode on  travel hacks . It’s your insider’s guide to the best credit cards for travelers, and how to double, triple, and even quadruple dip on earning membership points.

Want to learn more?

Listen to the podcast now, check out the complete transcript below, or catch the full conversation on  Spotify  or  Apple .

See the 2024 Travel Trends

Read The Transcript

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The Hottest 2023 Travel Trends: What Travelers are Prioritizing in 2023 and Beyond

As we prepare for the new year, a sense of optimism, hope, and adventure is in the air. I am excited for what’s to come in 2023, and in this podcast episode, we’re chatting about emerging 2023 travel trends. I look forward to these annual reports because it gives us a glimpse into what people are excited about, their mindset, and how interests have changed (or stayed the same). These subtle differences in our travel style make up who we are, influencing the destinations we choose to visit, how we spend our money, and the activities we partake in while traveling. Travel trend reports spark inspiration, help us stay in the know, and empower us to make informed decisions. 

In this podcast episode, we cover:

• Current trends in travel
• New trends in tourism 
• Hotel trends and more!

Stick around until the end because I share my travel predictions too!

Listen to the podcast episode .

Listen on Apple Podcasts  |  Google Podcasts | Spotify  |  Amazon Music  |  Pandora  |  Podlink

New Tourism Trends For 2023

Table of Contents

Culture Capitals 

Health and wellness travel, cowboy-cations , multi-generational vacations, solo travel, remote work revolution, hotel in-room technology, hotel day rates or pay by the hour , sustainable tourism  , travel deals, flight deals, and partnerships.

Expedia, Hotels.com, and VRBO released a 2023 Travel Trends Report where they surveyed thousands of people across several countries to identify travelers’ mindsets and what they are prioritizing in 2023. According to Expedia, travelers are focusing on what they want to do rather than what everyone else is doing.

We’ve changed a lot since 2020, and maybe going back to the old way of doing things just doesn’t fit anymore. There’s a renewed focus on exploring what inspires us vs. walking down the old beaten path. 

Visiting a destination because some list told us to doesn’t motivate us like it used to. 

From this report, I want to highlight (3) emerging travel trends 2023:

• Visiting culture capitals 
• Wellness and soft adventure
• Cowboy-cations  

After years of prioritizing the outdoors and open spaces, there’s a revival in city escapes. Travelers are interested in being in the center of all the action again. 

People travel to make connections in culture-rich capitals for food, art, and festivals. 

They want to be exposed to different cultures, perspectives, and other ways of life.

Food is an important part of a culture, and travelers are curious to experience regional flavors, dishes, and ingredients.

Immersive food and drink experiences like food, wine, beer trails, culinary walking tours, and market visits are on the rise. 

Travelers also want to sightsee, learn about the history, experience the local art scene, and interact with locals.

Listen to this podcast episode next: Where To Experience Culture and Art in Tempe, Arizona

Trending culture capitals include: 

• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Tokyo, Japan
• Dublin, Ireland
• New York City, USA

Heritage travel is also on the rise.

People want to know where their family came from, so they travel all over the world to visit the hometowns of their great-great-great grandparents.

Travel is part of our wellness journey. 

Beyond spa treatments and massages, travelers want to prioritize physical and mental wellness and more fitness options and healthy food options.

Travelers don’t want to abandon their wellness practices when they go on vacation; they want to maintain them.

They also want stress-free itineraries that focus on relaxation. 

That could look like chakra sessions or laughter therapy. 

We are big fans of “Yellowstone,” the TV show,  and we agree with VRBO’s findings.

Cowboy charm and outback farmhouses await! 

Rustic ranches, lodges, and farmhouses are becoming as sought-after as beach cottages and mountain cabins. 

Montana and Western USA come to mind.

Other Noteworthy Trends in the Tourism Industry

Making up for lost time, many people want to bring their grandparents and great-grandparents along for the ride.

This can include family reunions or simply inviting the grandparents to join.  

In Episode 109, I shared how my mom and I went on our first road trip with a baby to the Adirondacks, New York, to visit The Wild Center .

There are a lot of factors contributing to the rise in solo travel. More people are opting to travel solo because they found a good deal. While others want to avoid the hassle of coordinating with others.  

According to Embrace Journey Trave l , more 65+ year-old travelers are booking solo travel, as well as Gen Z and millennials.

Listen to Episode 70, where Gemma Thompson shares the best destinations for female solo travelers . Or read about the top destinations for Black female solo travel .

Having the freedom to work from anywhere, whether for an employer or for yourself, destinations and hotels cater to digital nomads. 

More countries are introducing digital nomad visas , like Curaçao and Iceland .

Get paid to move to a new city with Tulsa Remote – receive $10,000 to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and work remotely for one year.

There are also many interesting remote jobs — live and work at a winery, travel around in an RV, watch TV shows or TikTok for hours, and get paid. Jen on a Jet Plane has a fantastic newsletter that shares these cool opportunities weekly.

Read Next: Digital Nomad Podcasts To Listen To Right Now

We’ve seen more technology added to hotel rooms, including Peloton bikes at Hilton Hotels and Alexa (like tech) at Disney resorts.

Apps like HotelsByDay now offer users access to traditional hotel amenities for significantly cheaper.

• Day rooms for work
• Day rooms for relaxation 
• Parking passes 
• Pool passes
• Gym passes 

My 2023 Travel Predictions 

Road trips and the great outdoors will remain popular, including camping , glamping, and national parks. 

Listen to Episode 126 for how Lauren Gay is changing what we consider outdoorsy and how to enjoy the outdoors .

Olivia from O Christine has a fantastic beginner outdoor course, Get Outdoors 101 , that focuses on how to   confidently plan outdoor trips to have memorable experiences that let you truly unplug. 

More travelers also care about sustainable tourism. We want the brands we pick to work with to care about our planet, their staff, and their local communities. 

According to HotelPlanner , travelers are searching more for ‘eco-friendly’ hotels or ‘sustainable travel’ trips where part of the experience includes local philanthropic events like growing a community garden or cleaning up a beach.

There’s also a general sentiment that now is the time to book those wish list trips, big adventures, or even more luxury trips . Cliches like “life is too short” and “it’s now or never” resonate more than ever.

Events, festivals, and concerts are back. In 2023, I plan on attending conferences in Arizona, New Orleans, and Puerto Rico.

I also love seeing all of these brand partnerships.

For example, earn Delta SkyMiles at Starbucks. Link your accounts by visiting deltastarbucks.com .

For budget-conscious travelers, there’s an emphasis on finding destinations based on price instead of location. 

My favorite flight deal notification service, Thrifty Traveler Premium, sends you an email notification whenever airfare deals are spotted from your airport in the US or Canada. 

By  signing up for Thrifty Traveler Premium , visit places you never thought you could afford. Use the promo code  ‘TC10’ for $10 off your first year of Thrifty Traveler Premium .

Learn more by reading this Thrifty Traveler Premium Review .

Although many health and safety mandates have been lifted, there’s still an expectation for airlines, hotels, and attractions to continue doing their part to prevent the spread of germs. We expect cleaning measures to continue happening in the background.

Lastly, we want hotels, tours, and airlines to back up their high rates with quality service. Do you agree?

I hope this episode inspires you and gives you ideas for what’s possible for 2023 and beyond. 

Watch the episode here.

I want to hear from you; what travel trends have you spotted? 

Danielle Desir Corbett paid off $63,000 of student loan debt in 4 years, bought a house at 27, and has traveled to 27 countries, including her favorites, Iceland, China, and Bermuda. Go here to learn Danielle’s incredible story, from struggling financially and in debt to finding creative ways to earn more and live on her terms. Listen to The Thought Card Podcast , where Danielle shares how you can creatively travel more and build wealth regardless of your current financial situation. Reach out to Danielle by contacting: thethoughtcard (at) gmail (dot) com.

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2024 Travel Trends : Emerging Destinations and Experiences

" explore the future of travel with this comprehensive guide to the most exciting travel trends and emerging destinations in 2024. ", introduction.

As we look forward to 2024, the world of travel continues to evolve. Following the challenges faced in recent years, travellers are seeking not just new destinations, but unique, transformative experiences that leave a lasting impact. This post will uncover the top emerging travel trends for 2024 and highlight destinations set to rise in popularity. So, whether you're an intrepid explorer or a luxury lover, keep reading to discover the future of travel.

Embracing Slow Travel

The first major trend we've identified for 2024 is 'slow travel'. As the name implies, slow travel is about embracing the journey, spending more time in fewer places, and really getting to know a destination rather than ticking off tourist sights. We anticipate seeing more travelers renting local homes, learning the local language, and diving deep into local cultures.

While slow travel can be enjoyed anywhere, destinations that lend themselves to this trend include places with rich cultural heritage and a slower pace of life. Consider Portugal's Douro Valley, where you can enjoy the wine culture at a leisurely pace, Kyoto in Japan, with its serene temples and gardens, or the beautiful Mediterranean island of Sicily, known for its slow food movement.

The Rise of Microcations

On the flip side of slow travel, 'microcations' are set to become even more popular in 2024. These are short, focused trips that allow travelers to explore a new place in a short amount of time. Perfect for the time-poor traveler, microcations make the most of long weekends and public holidays.

Emerging destinations for microcations include European city breaks, like Gdańsk in Poland, a city teeming with rich history and colourful architecture, Aarhus in Denmark, known for its art scene and gastronomy, or for those in North America, exploring the stunning beauty of Joshua Tree National Park or the vibrant city of Austin over a long weekend.

Experiential and Immersive Travel

Experiential and immersive travel is about diving headfirst into the local culture, history, and people. This trend is not about simply seeing a destination but experiencing it. That might mean taking part in a traditional ceremony, learning a local craft, or dining with a local family.

Destinations that offer a wealth of cultural experiences include places like Morocco, where travelers can learn traditional pottery making in Fes, India, where one can partake in a traditional cooking class in Kerala, or Thailand, where you can learn traditional Muay Thai boxing in a local gym.

Digital Nomad Destinations on the Rise

The increasing acceptance of remote work has turned many individuals into digital nomads, people who work from wherever they have a laptop and an internet connection. For these globe-trotters, certain cities stand out as particularly inviting due to their quality of life, cost of living, and digital infrastructure. In 2024, expect places like Bali in Indonesia, Tallinn in Estonia, and Medellin in Colombia to continue being hotspots for digital nomads.

In Bali, the town of Ubud, in particular, is a haven for remote workers. With its wellness retreats, co-working spaces, and a welcoming community, digital nomads can enjoy a great work-life balance. Tallinn, with its advanced digital infrastructure, has positioned itself as a leading e-Residency destination. On the other hand, Medellin's spring-like weather all year round, affordable living, and fast internet make it a paradise for digital nomads.

Sustainable Travel: Eco-Friendly Destinations

As travelers become more conscious about their environmental footprint, destinations that prioritize sustainability are coming to the forefront. Countries like Costa Rica, with its ambitious decarbonization plans, and Sweden, known for its extensive recycling programs, are proving that sustainable tourism is not only feasible, but also incredibly rewarding.

Moreover, eco-lodges in locations such as the Amazon Rainforest or the national parks in Kenya offer immersive experiences that also contribute to the conservation of these pristine environments. Sustainability isn’t just about protecting nature; it’s also about respecting cultures. Therefore, visiting Indigenous communities under ethical, respectful guidelines is another growing trend.

Dark Sky Destinations: Stargazing Hotspots

With urban light pollution making it increasingly difficult to observe the night sky, dark sky destinations, areas specifically preserved for their starry nights, are becoming more popular. Places like the Atacama Desert in Chile, Mauna Kea in Hawaii, and Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in New Zealand provide unforgettable stargazing experiences.

In these spots, travelers can marvel at the Milky Way's brilliant core, observe distant galaxies, and witness meteor showers in pristine, dark conditions. More than just a visual spectacle, these destinations offer a profound connection with the universe and our place within it.

Culinary Tourism: Foodie Destinations

Food has always been a vital part of travel, but culinary tourism is becoming an industry in its own right. Destinations like Bangkok with its street food, Tokyo with the most Michelin stars in the world, and Lyon, France's gastronomic capital, are drawing travelers specifically for their culinary delights.

In 2024, anticipate a rise in experiences that dive deeper into the local food culture. This includes cooking classes with local chefs, visiting farmers markets, and even staying with families to learn traditional recipes. Such experiences provide a delicious insight into a region's culture and history.

Voluntourism: Giving Back While Traveling

Voluntourism, a combination of tourism with volunteer work, allows travelers to make a positive impact while exploring new locations. In 2024, travelers will continue to seek meaningful experiences that make a difference. Opportunities like teaching English in Vietnam, participating in wildlife conservation in South Africa, or helping with community projects in Peru allow tourists to give back in a hands-on way.

While this form of tourism can be incredibly rewarding, it’s also essential to ensure the projects are ethical and genuinely benefit the local community. Therefore, responsible voluntourism will be a key trend moving forward.

Solo Travel: Safe and Exciting Destinations for Single Travelers

Traveling alone doesn't mean being lonely. On the contrary, it offers a chance for self-discovery, and destinations that offer safety, friendliness, and lots of activities are ideal for solo travelers. In 2024, expect places like Japan, New Zealand, and Portugal to be favorites among those embarking on solo adventures.

Solo travel encourages self-growth, freedom, and the opportunity to make new friends from around the world. With the right destination, it can be one of the most rewarding ways to explore the globe.

There you have it, the top travel trends for 2024 and the emerging destinations to watch. Whether you're planning a slow travel escape, a quick microcation, or a deep cultural immersion, the future of travel looks bright and varied. Here's to another year of incredible journeys and transformative travel experiences.

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• 2024 Travel
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clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

The top travel destinations for 2023, according to experts

Italy will be hot again next year, along with a re-opened Asia, sunny beaches and the Mountain West

At the beginning of 2022, the outlook for travel felt uncertain. A new coronavirus variant had tripped up society again, and it was still a roll of the dice to plan a vacation — let alone take one. But once the omicron wave waned, travel roared back with a vengeance: Testing requirements fell, borders opened and it seemed as if every other person you knew went to Europe.

As we begin 2023, all signs show the collective appetite for travel remains huge, despite inflation and recession concerns. Industry experts are forecasting certain 2022 trends will carry over in the new year, such as people taking longer trips, going on more of them and spending more to take them.

Julia Carter, founder of Craft Travel , says her typical client would usually book one big trip a year. Now, two or even three are the norm, with one person already locked in for four major trips: Morocco, Switzerland, Botswana and a tiger safari in India. For Brittany Campbell, owner of Bucket List Holidays , most clients are booking trips for at least 10 days, and some as long as 32.

Our 10 best City Guides, according to readers

A notable change in the new year is a willingness to book long in advance again, even as far out as 2024 for clients of Susan Blume at Personal Escape Travel . That may be because more people are interested in taking bucket-list trips, which require more planning. Or it could be because many people couldn’t get what they wanted in 2022 thanks to high demand for travel, says Liz Einbinder, spokesperson for the biking and hiking tour company Backroads .

So where are people going in 2023? We asked dozens of travel advisers, tour operators and booking platforms to find out. Some of our findings won’t surprise you — “Europe is still very hot,” says Alisa Cohen, founder of Luxe Traveler Club — while other breakout destinations might. Zambia, anyone?

The absolute, undisputed most popular destination for 2023 is Italy. And if you thought everyone went in 2022, buckle up.

Fulvio De Bonis, president and co-founder of Imago Artis Travel , says they’re bracing for “way more” business in 2023.

De Bonis puts Italy travel trends into three categories: people, nature and sports. Travelers want to meet interesting locals, such as chefs or fishermen. They want to see beautiful places by going foraging in the mountains near Lake Como, for example, or hitting the beach. And they want to have exciting sports experiences , maybe by catching a soccer game or touring a team’s training facilities.

Shayna Mizrahi, founder and CEO of Vive Voyage , says her clients are also highly interested in connecting with Italian culture through cooking classes, boat excursions and artisan workshops.

For private tour operator Access Italy , the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como, Tuscany, Puglia and Sicily are clients’ most requested destinations. These classics are also the most popular for Imago Artis, but De Bonis notes that travelers want off-the-beaten-path experiences within these well-known places. They don’t just want to see Tuscany’s highlights; “there is a world outside of Florence,” De Bonis says, and travelers want to explore it.

Other European destinations trailing behind Italy next year (but still in hot pursuit) are Greece, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Our best Italy travel advice:

• Everything to know about traveling to Italy
• 7 Italy vacations that check every travel style
• A local’s guide to Rome

As the last region in the world to reopen during the pandemic, East Asia is expected to have a banner year for tourism, with Japan poised to be the fan favorite.

Although people want to go to the “Golden Triangle” — Tokyo , Kyoto, Osaka — Mike Salvadore, a travel agent with Travel Leaders, recommends adding a stop to see Japan beyond its best-known cities, such as mountainous Sapporo in the north or beachy Okinawa in the south.

If you’d like to go during cherry blossom season, you may be out of luck. Jeff Krevitt, vice president of marketing for the Americas for Inside Travel Group, which owns InsideJapan Tours , notes that this will be the first spring since 2019 that the country will be open to international travelers, so big crowds can be expected.

For a cheaper alternative with more availability, Rani Cheema, chief executive and travel curator at Cheema’s Travel , recommends traveling to South Korea to see the flowering cherry blossoms this spring instead.

Our best Japan travel advice:

• We visited Studio Ghibli’s long-awaited theme park. It’s a sensory delight.
• Everything you need to know about traveling to Japan
• Staying in a historical Japanese temple is an extraordinary experience. Here’s how to do it .

Southeast Asia

Behind Japan, Southeast Asia is also high on travelers’ wish lists, with Thailand, Bali and Vietnam at the top.

The travel subscription service VIP Traveler has seen a 200 percent increase in interest in Bali, perhaps following Indonesia’s newly launched digital-nomad visa .

It could also be that Bali appeals to the growing number of travelers interested in trips focused on wellness. Salvadore says most of his clients want to go to Ubud, Bali’s lush jungle town near the center of the island. But some have been open to suggestions to try the lesser-visited eastern coast or northwestern Bali, “which is a little bit more secluded but also really beautiful,” Salvadore said.

Our best Asia travel advice:

• Asia is slowly reopening to travelers. Here’s where you can go.
• Traveling to a newly reopened Asia allowed me to be myself again
• Marijuana is now legal in Thailand. What does that mean for tourists?

The Caribbean

A perennial sunshine-filled favorite that tends to be easy for Americans to reach, the Caribbean will remain sought-after in 2023.

“A lot of people will go to the typical places like the Dominican Republic or Jamaica or the Bahamas,” Salvadore said, but eastern Caribbean countries are some of his favorites, such as Barbados, Saint Lucia, Anguilla, Antigua and Grenada.

Our best Caribbean travel advice:

• 6 Caribbean vacations that check every travel style
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Jonathan Alder, owner of the luxury travel company Jonathan’s Travels , has booked more Egypt trips for clients in the past two years than he has over the entire decade, and requests are picking up speed in 2023. “We’ve had one after another after another after another,” he said.

Some of the renewed interest may be attributed to the anticipated opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, says Jasmine Padda, Egypt destination expert for Kensington Tours . She also pointed to the increase in major cruise lines adding sailings in the region.

Carolyn Addison, head of product for the luxury travel company Black Tomato , credits Egypt’s trending status to people who want to check classic trips off their bucket lists.

“We have lots of people who are like: ‘I’ve always wanted to see the pyramids. I’ve always wanted to cruise the Nile,’” she said.

The American West

Jen Moyse, VP of product for the travel app TripIt , says that although international travel is having a moment, Americans will continue to return to iconic cities at home that are still rebounding from the pandemic.

Of the Top 5 most booked domestic destinations on the travel booking platform Hopper , four are out west: Las Vegas, Denver, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

For Skyscanner bookings, Las Vegas and Los Angeles took the top spots for most booked flights in the new year, with San Francisco, Honolulu and Denver also making the Top 10.

The vacation rental platform Vrbo says demand for homes in western U.S. destinations is on the rise, as customers look for trips in the great outdoors.

Our best travel advice on the American West:

• How to do Montana like a local, beyond Glacier and Yellowstone
• A hater’s guide to Las Vegas
• UNESCO at 50: 24 World Heritage sites to see across America

Mexico has been breaking tourism records throughout the pandemic and will return as a powerhouse destination in 2023. Its most popular and easy-to-get-to beach destinations are major contributors to that success.

“People are welcoming that beach vacation,” Cohen said. “They want to go to Mexico and just relax.”

Cancún, on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, is the most booked international destination next year for Hopper, Skyscanner and the airfare search engine Skiplagged . However, demand for cultural capitals will also continue to rise.

Oaxaca is the second-most popular destination for the travel company Modern Adventure, and Mexico City ranks high as well.

Our best Mexico travel advice:

• 6 Mexico vacations that check every travel style
• Where to drink natural wine in the heart of Mexico
• A local’s guide to Mexico City

Another carry-over from 2022, Costa Rica is attracting travelers — including families, honeymooners and retirees — with its abundance of affordable flights, outdoor adventures, wildlife and coastline.

For customers of travel planning company Zicasso , the most sought-after places to visit are Arenal, Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, Tortuguero and the Osa Peninsula, which lines up with our expert recommendations .

The most booked 2023 itinerary for Road Scholar, a group tour company for senior travelers, is a Costa Rica vacation that hits many of those places, as well as Punta Leona, on the central Pacific coast, and Sarapiqui, a renowned birdwatching region in Costa Rica’s Caribbean lowlands.

The Galápagos Islands

Another dream trip becoming a reality for travelers in 2023 is the Galápagos Islands. The biggest seller for Astonishing Travel owner Heidi Bocianowski, the Pacific Ocean archipelago appeals to people who want to see something new every day, including black lava rock, red sand and rare wildlife.

Brian Tan of Zicasso says customers are keen on combining a trip to the Galápagos with other South American highlights.

That may be Patagonia, which has been “by far one of the most popular destinations” for Craft Travel founder Carter. It helps that travelers can once again cross between Chile and Argentina by road. Carter has been planning combination trips for clients to Torres del Paine National Park on the Chilean side, with the charming villages of El Calafate and El Chaltén on the Argentinean side.

7 travel mistakes to avoid in 2023

African safaris

Keeping with the once-in-a-lifetime theme, Brian Pentek, owner of LuxeLife Travel , says “Africa is huge” for his clients.

Most are going in multigenerational groups who use the trip as graduation presents or family reunions. They may be going to Cape Town, South Africa, as well as Botswana (for game reserves) or Rwanda for gorilla trekking.

In addition to safaris, Salvadore incorporates ways for his clients in Africa to experience local culture, check out the food and drink scenes, and enjoy bush camping instead of staying in luxury lodges. In 2023, he’s sending travelers to Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, a country listed as one of the top up-and-coming travel spots in a summary compiled by Scott Dunn luxury travel planners.

The most booked destinations for Niarra Travel also include South Africa, Victoria Falls (which sits on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe) and Kenya, while trips to the Serengeti in Tanzania dominate reservations for Deeper Africa . One of the company’s owners, Karen Zulauf, said she has noticed upcoming travelers are more interested in adding active excursions, such as “walking safaris, mountain biking, horseback riding, you name it.”

For those who have already done a traditional safari vacation, Carter recommends Namibia, a country seeing a resurgence in interest, where travelers can go on self-driving road trips (vs. ones with a guide) between eco-lodges or take small planes to some of the world’s most remote places, such as the Skeleton Coast and Hoanib Valley.

Gorillas are Rwanda’s main attraction. Dian Fossey would hate that.

Even before the North African country drew international attention in the World Cup, Morocco was emerging as a major travel hot spot. It’s the most booked country for Intrepid Travel , and “we expect Morocco to continue to be incredibly popular in 2023, given the increase in flights into the destination and the ability to get out and have great experiences in one-week, 10-day or two-week itineraries,” said the company’s CEO, James Thornton.

That’s also true for Modern Adventure. Liz Boudreau, vice president of experiences for the company, says it has had a 53 percent increase in bookings compared with 2022.

If you’re worried about your travel budget, consider visiting as a work exchange volunteer, like Washington Post reporter Andrea Sachs tried in Fez.

Small cruises

Cruises are making a strong comeback, even for travelers who might not consider themselves cruise people. But instead of taking megaships, they’re looking for smaller options operating expedition trips (think Antarctica and Alaska) or luxury voyages, mainly river cruising in Europe and Egypt.

For destinations with the highest interest, such as Portugal, Emma Cakmak, owner of the cruise-focused company A Passport to Travel , is warning clients that May through September is practically sold out across all the top cruise lines, although there’s some availability in low-end stateroom categories.

If you’re striking out, keep shopping around. As they notice demand climb, some cruise lines seem to be “bringing on significant capacity as they move into” 2023, said Priceline CEO Brett Keller.

Our best cruise advice:

• One side effect of cruise covid rules: Norovirus has plummeted
• CDC stops reporting coronavirus cases on cruise ships
• Virgin Voyages gets its sea legs

An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Susan Blume as Stephanie Blume. The error was updated.

More travel news

How we travel now: More people are taking booze-free trips — and airlines and hotels are taking note. Some couples are ditching the traditional honeymoon for a “buddymoon” with their pals. Interested? Here are the best tools for making a group trip work.

Bad behavior: Entitled tourists are running amok, defacing the Colosseum , getting rowdy in Bali and messing with wild animals in national parks. Some destinations are fighting back with public awareness campaigns — or just by telling out-of-control visitors to stay away .

Safety concerns: A door blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet, leaving passengers traumatized — but without serious injuries. The ordeal led to widespread flight cancellations after the jet was grounded, and some travelers have taken steps to avoid the plane in the future. The incident has also sparked a fresh discussion about whether it’s safe to fly with a baby on your lap .

Top Travel Industry Trends (2024-2027)

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The travel and tourism industry is growing at an annual rate of 4.41% .

By 2026, the projected market value will be just under $1 billion.

Here are seven trends driving the future of the travel space.

1. Travelers go it alone

One website reports that 25% of all American millennials plan to travel by themselves each year.

Statistics show that the number of people traveling solo increased by 42% even before the pandemic.

According to Travel Market Report , Intrepid Travel is a small-group travel company that plans trips for 75,000 people per year.

Data shows that more than 50% of the travelers booking with them are going alone.

Overseas Adventure Travel, another small-group travel company, has seen such a boom in solo travel that they’ve upped the number of single spaces they have available in 2021, a 76% increase over 2019.

Solo travelers are big on social media too.

2. Travelers crave local experiences

The "experience economy" is huge in the travel industry.

But fewer and fewer people may be settling for commonplace vacation activities in the coming years.

Instead, “consumers [will] pursue authentic experiences , distancing themselves from mainstream tourism providers and venturing into pastimes that feel more meaningful”.

Data insights company AirSage marks this as an emerging trend because “people no longer want boring and conventional travel experiences as much as they used to. Instead, they would rather pay for vacations that are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities”.

Airbnb is betting on this trend.

Their website has offered the opportunity for consumers to book “experiences” since 2016.

But they also added online experiences in 2020 for people who are seeking to connect with locals without leaving their homes.

Other companies are banking their entire business model on this trend.

Withlocals offers “personalized traveling” — the opportunity for travelers to book private tours and activities with locals around the world.

Camping (and glamping) trips have also become a popular way for people to travel while experiencing the local culture and staying safe amidst the pandemic.

Outdoorsy has been called the “Airbnb of RV rentals”.

And their sales exploded to $1 billion in 2020. That’s 400% growth since 2019.

Under Canvas runs seven glamping camps in wilderness locations across the United States aimed at exploring the local landscape and inspiring human connections.

The company reported a “surge" in demand in 2020 and had "strong" advanced bookings during 2021.

3. Travel tech adoption accelerates

As with nearly all businesses, technology is presenting the travel industry with seemingly endless opportunities.

The pandemic has only increased the speed of tech adoption in the travel industry.

A McKinsey survey showed that, because of COVID-19, “companies have accelerated the digitization of their customer and supply-chain interactions and of their internal operations by three to four years".

One example: room service robots.

Two Chinese hotel giants invested in ExcelLand, a manufacturer that already had 3,000 robots in operation.

BTG Homeinnes is looking at these robots as a way to control costs and safeguard guests.

Hotels, airlines, booking sites, and others are using chatbots like never before.

Travelers can chat with providers during every stage of their journey.

And, they won’t (always) feel like they’re talking to a robot. Advances in AI have made this type of communication hassle-free.

United Airlines has launched an “ Agent on Demand ” service that allows travelers at the airport to video chat with a customer service representative simply by scanning a QR code.

More and more airlines and airports are deploying facial recognition technology.

Corporations and government entities tout this technology as a boon for travel safety.

But many privacy advocates have put a halt to this emerging trend. They warn that this type of surveillance could easily turn dystopian.

With all of this new tech, companies are also continuing to capitalize on an older piece of technology — the smartphone.

Stats show that travelers who book tours and activities on their phone spend 50% more than those who book elsewhere.

4. Consumers blend business and leisure travel

The latest statistics say there are nearly 5 million digital nomads in America.

The concept of being location-independent, traveling and working remotely, has become even more popular since the start of the pandemic.

The hospitality industry is starting to cater specifically to digital nomads.

Aruba is opening its beaches up to travelers who’d like to work remotely, calling the marketing campaign “ One Happy Workation ”.

Visitors can stay for up to 90 days. And do not need any governmental documentation.

Barbados and the Cayman Islands will also let you work remotely from paradise for an extended period of time.

Booking.com reports that the "workation" trend is going strong.

More than 50% of travelers say they would extend their business trip to enjoy personal time at their destination.

In 2020, hotels began catering to locals who needed a quiet place to work.

The Hamilton Hotel in Washington, DC, is just one example. It’s WFH-Work From Hamilton program offers rooms on a 6:00 am to 7:00 pm schedule.

5. The travel industry gets serious about sustainability

Recent data shows that more than half of US travelers believe there aren’t enough options when it comes to sustainable travel .

A poll conducted on behalf of Exodus Travels went even deeper into consumers’ attitudes .

• 91% of travelers see the importance of taking ethical trips
• 56% believe in buying souvenirs from local merchants
• 44% want to support local businesses at their destination

Sustainable travel involves minimizing impact on the local cultural environment.

And also taking an eco-friendly approach to the physical environment.

Nearly 70% of travelers say they are more likely to book accommodations if they know the property is planet-friendly.

Many in the travel industry have recently made commitments to preserving the environment.

For example, India-based ITC Hotels Group has LEED certified each of its hotels.

As of 2023, hotels in the state of California will no longer be allowed to provide single-use toiletries in plastic bottles to their guests.

Marriott International has made a pledge to remove these types of plastics from all their hotels, too. But the pandemic has put a temporary stop to that plan.

A recent report from Skift made this summary statement regarding sustainable travel in the future:

“[It’s a] less flashy way of viewing and traveling the world . . . with an emphasis on safety, sustainability, and profound experiences while getting from point A to B without wrecking the climate and local quality of life in the process”.

6. Electric Air Travel Goes Mainstream

Speaking of sustainability, it looks like flying Teslas are finally here.

And they have the potential to make a big impact on at least three large industries:

The aircraft manufacturing industry, with over $200 billion in annual revenue between the top 3 manufacturers alone (Boeing, Airbus and Lockheed).

Commercial airlines, with $838 billion in annual revenue (pre-COVID).

And the ride-hailing and taxi industry, which was valued at $219.68 billion in 2022.

Electric vehicles are cheaper to run , less expensive to maintain , and better for the environment than vehicles powered by conventional fossil fuels.

That’s just as true for aircraft as it is for cars.

When it comes to electric aircraft, there are two main types: fixed-wing airplanes and eVTOLs.

Fixed-wing electric airplanes are just what they sound like. There aren’t any 747-sized electric airliners yet, but smaller commuter planes are in production.

Eviation is leading the charge. This startup produces a 620-mile range, 9-seat commuter plane called the Alice.

According to the company, flying the Alice is dramatically cheaper than a regular internal-combustion powered airplane.

For a 100-mile flight, conventional fuel for a similar-sized Cessna would cost about $400. In Eviation’s electric Alice, it would only be about $10 .

Eviation recently merged with Clermont Aerospace after a $108.5 million valuation.

At the same time, AeroTEC and MagniX are teaming up to retro-fit existing airplanes with electric motors - with similar improvements to efficiency.

There are also electric-hybrid airplanes in development.

For example, the Project 804 by United Technologies.

As well as the Aero by Zunum, a startup backed by Boeing and JetBlue.

And the E-Fan X by Airbus and Rolls-Royce. This project was shut down in April 2021, but only after achieving its three main initial research goals (according to Airbus).

That covers fixed-wing electrics.

The other major kind of electric aircraft is the eVTOL.

eVTOL stands for “electric vertical take-off and landing”.

Non-electric VTOL examples include anything from helicopters to drones and Harrier Jump Jets.

eVTOLs tend to be smaller than their non-electric cousins, and designed for shorter flights across cities.

Some look like passenger-carrying quadcopter drones. While others have a fixed-wing component like regular airplanes.

Search interest in eVTOLs has been exploding lately as startups and major aircraft manufacturers demonstrate new eVTOL models.

In July 2020, Airbus conducted the first public flight of its autonomous 4-seat CityAirbus multicopter eVTOL. The CityAirbus has a projected range of about 60 miles (or 15 minutes).

Airbus also has Vahana , in development by its Silicon Valley innovation arm, Acubed .

For its part, Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences has been developing solutions for an air-taxi service in partnership with Uber. Including an autonomous electric passenger air vehicle.

Separately, Boeing is also reportedly partnering with Porsche to develop another eVTOL.

And Tokyo-based “flying car” manufacturer SkyDrive raised a series B of 3.9 billion yen (about $37 million) and conducted its first public manned demonstration of the SkyDrive SD-03.

The SD-03 is the world’s smallest eVTOL, requiring only as much space on the ground as 2 parked cars.

That small footprint is one of the main advantages eVTOLs have over traditional fossil-fuel powered VTOLs like helicopters.

eVTOLs like the ones mentioned above use multiple smaller electric motors with rotors spread out across the aircraft. Whereas a typical helicopter uses one main internal-combustion engine with two huge rotors stacked above. (Plus a smaller one in the tail.)

eVTOLs’ multi-motor design is called a “distributed electric propulsion” (DEP) system.

DEP systems have numerous advantages. They make piloting easier, reduce the footprint required for take-off and landing, and increase safety through redundancy (if one motor fails, there may be 7 more still running).

They also reduce noise emissions, as the rotors don’t have to spin as fast.

Noise and vibrations within the cabin are lower as well.

Thanks to these advantages, dozens of eVTOL manufacturers are currently vying to capture a share of the nascent “urban air mobility” market: eVTOLs used to fly over traffic.

Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Mexico, and Brazil have all been experimenting with urban air mobility initiatives.

But with all those benefits, why hasn’t electric air travel caught on before?

Two words: energy density.

In other words, the amount of stored energy in one pound of “fuel” — whether gas, diesel, kerosene or batteries.

Currently, conventional fossil fuels have more energy density than batteries. That’s why electric cars are generally heavier than their gas-powered counterparts. They have to be, in order to store enough power.

For aircraft, this added weight poses an obvious problem.

But it’s a problem we’re getting closer to solving.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that an energy density of 400 Wh/kg (watt-hours per kilogram) is the crossover point for lithium-ion batteries to beat kerosene jet fuel. Once battery technology reaches that level, the sky’s the limit for electric aircraft.

Today, the energy density of industry-leading Tesla batteries is currently about 260 Wh/kg. (Up from 124 Wh/kg in 2007.)

So when might we get to 400 Wh/kg?

Very soon, according to Musk.

(Though he has also said that Tesla has no near-term plans to make electric aircraft.)

That’s it for the top seven trends driving the travel and tourism industry forward into 2024 and beyond.

Through these trends, we can see a dynamic relationship between the travel industry and consumers.

It’s a push-and-pull that’s sure to continue in 2025 and companies that can adapt quickly to the changing wants and needs of travelers are the best suited for future success.

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5 Hot Travel Trends to Inspire Your Summer Vacation

Summer is the perfect opportunity to pack your bags and cash in on your hard-earned vacation time , for a trip that’ll leave you feeling relaxed, recharged, and like you’re glowing from the inside out . We recently caught wind of the top bucket list destinations and dream vacations from Crimson Hexagon , a social analytics firm. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 1.2 million social media posts about aspirational travel. Crimson Hexagon searched the most popular hashtags associated with these types of posts and outlined five things people care most about when talking about their ideal travel experience. Keep reading to see how your summer vacay plans stack up, or use this info to get totally inspired to book your next trip.

1. Top destinations have scenic water views . Whether it’s cruising the mountainous California coast in a slick SUV with your S.O., diving into a giant lake in the middle of Texas with your friends, or inhaling the fresh scent of saltwater while relaxing solo on the shores in Maine, travelers say that waterfront views are where it’s at. Sea, bay, shore, and coast are the top scenic views associated with bucket list travel. Not sure where to soak ‘em in this summer? Consider lesser-known spots, like the barrier islands off of Florida’s southwestern shores. They’re considerably less packed than other well-known destinations through September.

2. When it comes to cities vs. nature, nature wins . Major metros like Paris, Rome, and New York City are ideal when it comes to indulging in culture, top-ranked restaurants, and museums, but warm weather has people psyched to experience mother nature. Data shows that 6.8 percent of all bucket list posts use the terms “nature” or “natural.” Join in on the fun by climbing mountains, floating down rivers, exploring state parks, or unwinding on a quiet beach instead of fighting through the sweaty city crowds. Limited sunshine and long days call for spending as much time in nature as possible.

3. Water activities rule the list . Boating, tubing, swimming, and diving all took top spots on this travel list (and really, who doesn’t want to spend their summer vacay soaking up the sun on the water?). Round out your time in the water with surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, or waterskiing to take your activities to new heights. Not only will your core get a killer workout from these fun summer activities that don’t feel like exercise, but you’ll be able to enjoy the sights from a different perspective.

4. People chat about their travel plans most on Mondays and Fridays . Well, no surprise here. Whether you’re spending Monday morning dishing the deets about your weekend with friends and coworkers (and already planning your next adventure) or daydreaming about your upcoming getaway on Friday, it seems like we are all just working for the weekend. Le sigh.

5. Just *thinking* about travel can make you happier. Can’t book that paid time off anytime soon? You might be relieved to know that even thinking about travel brings happiness: 56 percent of overall bucket list conversation is joyful. Use this knowledge as a superpower to summon it while planning your next adventure. Remember, travel doesn’t always have to be an intercontinental jet set. It can be as easy as grabbing a couple of your gal pals and heading to breakfast a few towns over, or bringing your S.O. to a part of your city where neither of you have been before. Have fun dreaming up ideas and putting them on your calendar — even if it’s weeks or months away.

Are your summer plans spot-on with these bucket list trends? Show us how yours stack up by tagging us in your vacay pics @BritandCo !

(Photos via Getty)

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The year’s biggest summer travel trends, according to Pinterest

Pinterest is home to over 1 billion travel-related searches and 10 billion travel saves in one year, making it an interesting playground for discovering the year’s new trends.

A new report by Pinterest identified the new summer travel trends that travelers — and especially younger Gen Z travelers — are seeking out more than ever.

Adventure travel is here to stay

Travelers are seeking ways to satisfy a craving for adventure. Searches for adventure activities on Pinterest increased 45 percent from 2023, and the natural world is once again top-of-mind for many travelers. Adventure travel also brings a sense of personal growth and presents a different sort of challenge for many, making it a fun, bucket-list travel experience.

Luxury safari lodge interest has grown 110%, with trending adventure travel destination Tanzania growing 60% year over year, largely in part due to its safari adventures. Water park rides rose 170 percent, while train journeys and hiking trails also rose 900 and 94 percent, respectively. Additionally, activities like mountaineering, trekking, adventure camping and caving grew in interest by around 40 percent.

Travelers are also more interested in traveling to the Amazon rainforest: Searches for travel within the Amazon grew 120% from 2023.

Travelers are seeking quiet wellness escapes

Travelers on Pinterest are getting more and more interested in leaving behind the hustle and bustle culture for something quieter and more serene. Searches for “quiet life” skyrocketed 530% year over year, and searches for quiet travel have also shown an increase in interest.

Quiet places and calm places have risen 50% and 43% each. Travel journal pages increased by 155%, showing a greater interest in recording travel experiences and in wellness travel and activities.

Additionally, travelers are seeking out more information on village vibes (145% increase), cabins in the mountains (180%), countryside (60%), national parks (250%) and glamping aesthetics (260%) than they did last year.

Trending quiet life destinations include Okinawa, Japan (35% increase) and the English countryside (31% increase).

Travelers are seeking out the unexplored

Along with an interest in slower, less crowded travel experiences also comes a different sort of travel inspiration: seeking out mysterious places that provide a sense of wonder and exploration.

Interest in places on Earth that don’t feel real grew 240% year over year. Additionally, calming nature grew 340%; exploring abandoned places grew 230%; beautiful places in the world grew 150%; ancient cities grew 75% and haunted places grew 155%.

Top trending mysterious destinations that are seeing newfound popularity include Machu Picchu, which saw 190% growth in searches, and Edinburgh, Scotland, which saw a 56% growth.

Trending Gen Z summer destinations

Jasper, Canada, is this summer’s hottest destination for Gen Z travelers, who desire greater connection with the world around them, outside of their phones. Home to Jasper National Park, it’s a breathtaking place that promises ample exploration and adventure travel opportunities, along with great photography opportunities. Searches for Jasper grew 155% year over year.

Interest in learning about other destinations also grew from last year. London lifestyle grew 340%; South African food in particular rose 320%; Santorini party grew 300%; Goa nightlife grew 270%; and summer in Brazil rose 250%.

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Travel Off Path

These Are 5 Of The Biggest Summer Travel Trends According To Pinterest

Posted: April 30, 2024 | Last updated: April 30, 2024

Hiking & Trekking

Solo Travel

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Wellness Travel

Dale Peterson

Dale is a full-time traveler and writer with over 6 years of experience. She's traveled to more than 55 countries around the globe and specializes in covering solo travel and digital nomadism.

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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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What are the top 5 trending global destinations for summer 2024?

When you think fun in the summer sun, surely you think of … Germany? According to the   Mastercard Economics Institute ’s annual report on travel trends , released today, the nation best known for Bavarian castles and beer fests snagged two spots on the list of the top 10 trending travel destinations globally for this upcoming summer.

The report, which also revealed all-time highs in passenger traffic and longer vacation stays , ranked the ten cities that gained the most share of flight bookings for June through August 2024. Beyond Germany’s strong showing, beach vacations and tropical destinations populated the list, with ninth-ranked Frankfurt joined by Oranjestad, Aruba (10), Corfu, Greece (8), Bangkok, Thailand (7), and Bali, Indonesia (6).

As for the top five, some of the demand is driven by sporting events, but the desire for good value also remains strong. Here’s a countdown of the top trending destinations based on aggregated and anonymized Mastercard flight-booking data provided by third-party partners.

05 Cancun, Mexico

The perennially popular Caribbean resort landed in the top five based mostly on the strength of its appeal to American travelers, clocking nearly a 2-percentage-point gain in flight bookings. Four other Caribbean destinations — Aruba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana and Santiago — claimed spots in the top 10 for American tourists.

04 Nice, France

Paris may be hosting a certain storied global sports competition this summer, but its effects will be felt as far south as the Côte d’Azur. Nice, host of several football matches, is also a destination of choice for Parisians fleeing hordes of sports fans. One survey found that hotel bookings for Parisians traveling to other French regions is up 49% for July.

03 Tirana, Albania

If Croatia was for years the “dupe,” or duplicate, destination for Italy — the same Mediterranean sun, picturesque ruins, bustling nightlife — Albania is the dupe of increasingly pricey Croatia. The capital, Tirana, is about an hour from budget-friendly resorts on the Adriatic coast and two hours south of the hiker-friendly Albanian Alps. It’s particularly popular with travelers from northern Europe.  

02 Tokyo, Japan

Japan kept its borders closed to tourists for nearly two and half years during the pandemic and only lifted all of its COVID-19 border measures a year ago. Tourism has surged since then, with 3 million visitors in March , the highest since record-keeping began, in 1964. A historically weak yen doesn’t hurt either. In fact, Japan was the top destination when the MEI looked at travel over the past 12 months.

01 Munich, Germany

Not to downplay the year-round appeal of beer and bratwurst, but the Bavarian hub’s anticipated boom in tourism could be attributed to its hosting of the opening match of the European Football Championships in June. Indeed, the growth is mostly coming from within Europe.

Travel trends 2024: Breaking boundaries

Through March 2024, consumer spending on travel remains strong, and passenger traffic has soared. In its annual report, the Mastercard Economics Institute anticipates this momentum will continue as consumers prioritize meaningful experiences and allocate more of their budgets to travel. 

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Automotive, Travel, and Traffic Safety Information

Nearly 44 Million Travelers Leaving Town for Unofficial Start of Summer

Second highest memorial day holiday travel forecast since aaa began tracking in 2000.

WASHINGTON, DC (May 13, 2024) – AAA projects 43.8 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Memorial Day holiday travel period*. This year’s total number of travelers is a 4% increase over last year and comes close to matching 2005’s record of 44 million Memorial Day travelers.  

“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel. “We’re projecting an additional one million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we’re exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead.”   

Road trips are expected to set a record. AAA projects 38.4 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, the highest number for that holiday since AAA began tracking in 2000. The number of drivers this year is up 4% compared to last year and 1.9% higher than in 2019. Traveling by car is appealing for many people because of the convenience and flexibility it provides. AAA car rental partner Hertz says Orlando, Denver, Atlanta, Boston and Las Vegas are the cities displaying the highest rental demand , with the busiest pick-up days projected to be Thursday, May 23 and Friday, May 24.  

This Memorial Day weekend drivers can expect similar gas prices as last year when the national average was roughly $3.57.  Pump prices rose this spring but have held somewhat steady in recent weeks. Prices may creep higher as the summer driving season gets underway. The wildcard remains the cost of oil, and unlike last year, there are now two wars – in the Middle East and Ukraine – that could roil the oil market.  

Airports are bracing for a spike in travelers. AAA expects 3.51 million air travelers this holiday weekend, an increase of 4.8% over last year and 9% jump compared to 2019. This will be the most crowded Memorial Day weekend at airports since 2005, when 3.64 million flew for the holiday as the travel industry finally rebounded post 9/11. This Memorial Day weekend, air ticket prices are comparable to last year. AAA booking data shows a 1% to 2% increase in prices for domestic flights. Several factors play into how much travelers pay for airfare, including destination, number of stops, and fare class. For example, passengers who book nonstop flights with seat selection and carry-on bags included will likely pay more than those who select basic economy with a layover.  

  Nearly two million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises, and trains. AAA projects 1.9 million people will take these other modes of transportation, an increase of 5.6% compared to last year. “This category took the biggest hit during the pandemic with fewer people taking public transportation or not cruising at all,” Twidale said. “Now – five years later – we’re back to 2019 numbers. Travel demand has been soaring, and long holiday weekends create the perfect windows for getaways.”  

Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion by Metro 

INRIX , a provider of transportation data and insights, says drivers leaving Thursday or Friday should hit the road early to avoid mixing with commuters. Travelers going back home on Sunday or Monday should avoid the afternoon hours when return trips will peak.   

“Travel times are expected to be up to 90% longer than normal. Travelers should stay up to date on traffic apps, 511 services, and local news stations to avoid sitting in traffic longer than necessary,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX.  

Please note that the times listed below are for the time zone in which the metro is located.   

For example, Atlanta routes = ET and Los Angeles routes = PT

Source: INRIX   

Source: INRIX  

Top Destinations 

This Memorial Day weekend, travelers are seeking theme parks and entertainment venues in Orlando, New York, Las Vegas, and Southern California. Seattle, Anchorage, and Vancouver rank high because of the popularity of Alaska cruises this time of year. Florida beaches and cruise ports will also be packed. European cities dominate the international list. The top 10 domestic and international destinations below are based on AAA booking data.  

Travel Trends   

As travelers make plans for summer and beyond, AAA Travel has identified the following trends:  

• Bucket Lists : Travelers taking once-in-a-lifetime trips  
• Milestones : Families booking anniversary, retirement, and family reunion trips  
• Asia : More travelers interested in visiting Asia, especially Japan   
• Solo Trips : More people, especially women, interested in traveling by themselves  
• Luxury Vacations : More travelers seeking high-end cruises and tours  
• Trains : Many travelers interested in rail vacations across New England, Canada, and Europe  
• Adventure in Nature : Travelers booking trips to Antarctica, Africa, and South Pacific  

  Travel Agent Survey  

A recent survey of AAA travel agents highlights topics travelers are frequently discussing when booking trips:  

• Travel Insurance : 51 % of agents say more travelers are interested in protecting their trips  
• 77% of agents say ocean cruises  
• 70% of agents say all-inclusive vacations  
• 67% of agents say river cruises  

Holiday Travel Forecast Methodology   

In cooperation with AAA, S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPGMI) developed a unique methodology to forecast actual domestic travel volumes. The economic variables used to forecast travel for the current holiday are leveraged from SPGMI’s proprietary databases. These data include macroeconomic drivers such as employment, output, household net worth, asset prices, including stock indices, interest rates, housing market indicators, and variables related to travel and tourism, including gasoline prices, airline travel, and hotel stays. AAA and SPGMI have quantified holiday travel volumes going back to 2000.   

Historical travel volume estimates come from DK SHIFFLET’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/Monitor SM . The PERFORMANCE/Monitor SM is a comprehensive study measuring the travel behavior of U.S. residents. DK SHIFFLET contacts over 50,000 U.S. households each month to obtain detailed travel data, resulting in the unique ability to estimate visitor volume and spending, identify trends, and forecast U.S. travel behavior, all after the trips have been taken.  

The travel forecast is reported in person-trips. In particular, AAA and SPGMI forecast the total U.S. holiday travel volume and expected mode of transportation. The travel forecast presented in this report was prepared the week of April 15, 2024.   

*Memorial Day Holiday Travel Period   

For this forecast, the Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Thursday, May 23 to Monday, May 27, 2024.   

AAA Travel Agent Survey Methodology 

AAA clubs distributed surveys to a random sample of their travel agents between March 18 and March 29, 2024 to understand recent traveler trends over the past 60 days. 186 AAA agent responses were collected from 13 AAA clubs (representing 97% of AAA membership overall as of February 2024).  

About AAA    

Started in 1902 by automotive enthusiasts who wanted to chart a path for better roads in America and advocate for safe mobility, AAA has transformed into one of North America’s largest membership organizations. Today, AAA provides roadside assistance, travel, discounts, financial and insurance services to enhance the life journey of 64 million members across North America, including 57 million in the United States. To learn more about all AAA has to offer or to become a member, visit AAA.com.   

About S&P Global   S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) provides essential intelligence. We enable governments, businesses, and individuals with the right data, expertise, and connected technology so that they can make decisions with conviction. From helping our customers assess new investments to guiding them through ESG and energy transition across supply chains, we unlock new opportunities, solve challenges, and accelerate progress for the world. We are widely sought after by many of the world’s leading organizations to provide credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics, and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity, and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help the world’s leading organizations plan for tomorrow today. For more information, visit  www.spglobal.com .   

About DKSA    

DK SHIFFLET boasts the industry’s most complete database on U.S. resident travel both in the U.S. and worldwide. Data is collected monthly from a U.S. representative sample, adding over 60,000 traveling households annually, and is used daily by leading travel organizations and their strategic planning groups. DK SHIFFLET is an MMGY Global company.   

About INRIX     

Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered intelligent mobility solutions by transforming big data from connected devices and vehicles into mobility insights. This revolutionary approach enabled INRIX to become one of the leading providers of data and analytics into how people move. By empowering cities, businesses, and people with valuable insights, INRIX is helping to make the world smarter, safer, and greener. With partners and solutions spanning across the entire mobility ecosystem, INRIX is uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology and transportation – whether it’s keeping road users safe, improving traffic signal timing to reduce delay and greenhouse gasses, optimizing last mile delivery, or helping uncover market insights. Learn more at INRIX.com.   

The Biggest Wellness Travel Trends for 2024

By Jen Murphy

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.

Wellness used to be as one-dimensional as a spin class and a smoothie. Diet and exercise are of course still fundamental, but we’ve finally started to embrace a more holistic approach to achieving better health. This means focusing on long neglected areas like a solid sex life, socializing, rest and recovery, and emotional and mental wellbeing. Feeling good now trumps looking good and healthspan—the quality of our years—has become just as important as lifespan. Longevity, the concept of living a longer and healthier life, will be the biggest buzzword of 2024, with wellness clinics as well as sybaritic beach retreats offering the latest biohacks (cryotherapy, infrared light treatments, poolside vitamin IV drips) to optimize our performance. Tantra gurus and sex therapists will be the new must-have in-house expert and artificial-intelligence empowered smart beds are fast becoming an expected amenity.

Wellness tourism is expected to hit $1.3 trillion by 2025 . Anticipating that the next generation will continue to fuel that growth, acclaimed adults-only retreats are finally opening up to kids and teens and even offering multi-generational spa retreats . With health-conscious offerings infiltrating every type of travel— family vacations , couples getaways , fly-and-flop beach escapes —it’s easier than ever to be well on your next trip . Here are the wellness travel trends and destinations, resorts , and retreats that promise to boost your health in 2024.

At Tucson's Miraval resort, one-on-one sessions on embracing pleasure address subjects like the female orgasm.

Sexual Wellness

According to research from the World Health Organization, boosting your sexual wellbeing is key to improving overall mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health. Yet, for years, experts have touted the importance of honing a mind-body connection without mentioning the word sex. Forward-thinking wellness retreats are helping shatter the taboo with new programs focused on exploring intimacy and desire . Tantra sessions are primed to be the new couples massages with properties like Hotel Wailea in Maui introducing tantra classes rooted in themes such as exploring sacred sensuality. Hotels like Shou Sugi Ban House in New York have started hosting sexual and emotional intimacy retreats led by tantric experts and clinical sexologists. At Miraval resort in Arizona , workshops on sex and desire and one-on-one sessions on embracing pleasure address topics like low libido and the female orgasm. Earlier this year, SHA Wellness Clinic in Alicante, Spain, launched a sexual health unit staffed with gynecologists, hormonal experts, and urologists. SHA Mexico , which debuts this January in the Yucatán Peninsula , will also have a dedicated sexual health unit offering similar therapies and diagnostic testing capabilities. In October 2024, private island wellness resort Aerial BVI will host its first Elevate Love Summit, a four-day retreat rooted in love-language mastery and rekindling physical and emotional intimacy.

For a different kind of room service, try Susurros Del Corazón's soon-to-launch in-room IV infusions that aim to strengthen immunity.

Biohacking Beach Vacations

Islands you once escaped to for sybaritic pleasures are now attracting a health-conscious crowd in search of more than vitamin D and salt air. Beach vacations now deliver the latest biohacks to boost longevity (or at least help you recalibrate after a full moon party). Guests at 1 Hotels Hanalei Bay in Kauai are welcomed with a vitamin B 12 shot rather than a traditional mai tai and an exclusive collection of Within Wellness rooms and suites are equipped with recovery tools like infrared PEMF mats that stimulate cell regeneration. ONDA, the just-opened spa at Susurros Del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection in Punta Mita , Mexico has a "wellness library" stocked with loaner Theragun massagers and compression technologies to improve circulation, and guests will soon be able to request in-room IV infusions that aim to strengthen immunity.

Katikies Kirini in Santorini has supplemented its spa with an outpost of a ZOE Bio Regenerative Wellness Clinic where guests can get live blood analysis or book hyperbaric oxygen chamber sessions. Six Senses Ibiza recently teamed up with biotech company RoseBar to offer guests full diagnostic testing that can inform biohacking treatments like localized cryotherapy and Soneva Soul wellness centers at Soneva Jani and Soneva Fushi in the Maldives will soon be offering stem cell therapy. Through a partnership with Next/Health longevity center, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has launched a multi-day Longevity Protocol package that includes everything from stem cell therapy to NAD+ (aka the fountain of youth) IV drips.

Intergenerational wellness programs are on offer at Zulal Wellness Resort in the heart of Qatar’s desert landscape.

Multi-Gen Wellness Getaways

Wellness has long been an individual pursuit with adults-only health retreats forcing parents to leave the kids at home and focus on self-care. Now, wellness vacations are becoming a family affair. At the 2023 Global Wellness Summit Krip Rojanastien, CEO of Chiva-Som International Health Resorts, noted it’s “crucial that wellness knowledge and understanding be built into early education” and as knowledgeable professionals we are “well-placed to provide guidance on physical and mental health at all ages.” To that end, Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som in Qatar has introduced family bonding retreats aimed at fostering healthy eating and exercise habits as well as intergenerational retreats for grandparents and grandkids that involve healthy cooking classes, family fitness activities, and intergen spa time. Health retreat pioneers, Miraval and Canyon Ranch, will both welcome guests of all ages for the first time in 2024. Miraval Berkshires resort in Massachusetts will host a Spring Break family week and in July, Canyon Ranch Lenox , also in Massachusetts, will run a week-long family summer camp complete with kid-friendly spa treatments and outdoor family adventures.

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Grief-focused retreats include everything from surf therapy to hypnotherapy.

Grief-Related Wellness

The last few years have been heavy, and many people have struggled to cope with the overwhelming weight of the world. Experiencing fleeting feelings of sorrow is normal, but when grief lingers it can have serious physical and emotional repercussions such as depression, anxiety, and chronic stress. Talk therapy sessions are no longer the only option to move past the loss of a loved one , the end of a relationship, or a traumatic event. New grief-focused retreats prescribe everything from surfing to chakra realignment. The grief recovery program at New Life Portugal, a wellness center in Serra da Estrela Natural Park, incorporates meditation and yoga and workshops on topics like transitions and wonder and awe. In the UK, the Grief Space taps into the healing powers of nature during its five-day Grief Alchemy retreat on the bucolic grounds of Erth Barton manor in Cornwall. Wave riding is the foundation of trauma resolution retreats hosted by surf therapy company, Resurface. Week-long trips in Sri Lanka and Morocco include daily surf lessons as well as mindfulness practices and group therapy sessions.

For those hesitant to share their feelings in a group setting, Carillon Miami Wellness Resort ’s resident hypnotherapist taps into the subconscious to help guests manage grief and release emotional blockages. Hotel Las Torres in Chilean Patagonia recently introduced grief-relieving massages designed to release oxytocin (the mood-boosting hormone) and L’Auberge de Sedona ’s customizable Pursuit of Peace experience taps into aromatherapy, reiki, sound healing, and chakra reboot sessions to help guests find closure—no talking required.

Emulating the lifestyle of the longest-living people on the planet includes learning how they cook and what they eat.

Blue Zones Retreats are the New Bootcamp

Netflix’s hit series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones reignited our obsession with discovering the fountain of youth. This fascination with longevity will likely bring a boom in tourism to the five Blue Zones: Okinawa, Japan , Sardinia, Italy , the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica , Icaria, Greece , and Loma Linda, California . Italian tour company Tourissimo has already designed a Blue Zone Diet, chef-led cycling itinerary in Sardinia . This summer, Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo will host a six-day Blue Zones retreat that explores the secrets of regional centenarians. And pioneering wellness sanctuary Kamalaya in Thailand has developed a Blue Zones group retreat rooted in plant-slanted meals inspired by these regions’ traditional diets, natural movement, and other Blue Zones Power of 9 lifestyle habits.

Sleep suites at the Malibu Beach Inn come with smart beds and sleep masks fitted with biometric sensors.

Sleep Is Still in the Spotlight

The quest for improved sleep hygiene has become such a top priority that resorts are designing dedicated suites and retreats to help insomniacs embrace better habits. And they’re enlisting the help of artificial intelligence-powered smart bed companies to ensure guests get a solid night’s rest. Select rooms at California’s Mission Pacific Hotel now have Eight Sleep smart beds which leverage AI to dynamically cool and heat the body to keep guests snoozing and the Malibu Beach Inn ’s new sleep suites feature Sleep Number smart beds and heated eye masks equipped with biometric sensors that calm the heart rate to induce a state of relaxation. Carillon Miami Wellness Resort recently partnered with high-tech mattress company Bryte to launch a four-night Sleep Well Retreat that includes a luxury apartment with a Bryte Balance Smart Bed, plus a Sleep Well Circuit of treatments such as quantum harmonic sound therapy table sessions and vibroacoustic, electromagnetic, and infrared therapies.

Innovative light and sound therapies are hallmarks of the latest sleep aids. The new six-plus hour Dream Like Relaxation treatment at the spa at T he Logan Hotel in Philadelphia takes place in a room with specialized lighting to mimic the night sky. In January, Swiss wellness brand Chenot will introduce an option for guests to enhance their detox program with a Sleep Cycles module focused on increasing time spent in deep sleep. Specially designed sleep suites are equipped with technology that mimics the natural acoustic environment (panels on the ceiling filter sound like a leafy tree canopy), and light sequences mimic a natural sunset and sunrise. And nanobionic bed linens emit far infrared light (the longest wavelength that penetrates deeper into the tissue) for a more restorative sleep. Treatments, such as photobiomodulation, neuro acoustic deep relaxation, and cryotherapy are specifically timed to each guests’ chronotype and circadian rhythm.

Women’s health retreats, particularly those targeting menopause, will be a big area of growth in 2024.

Menopause Retreats

By 2025, around 1.1 billion women globally will have experienced menopause. The wellness industry has taken note, catering to this audience with programs designed to help women cope with symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings. 02 Beach Club & Spa in Barbados has an in-house menopause specialist and works with the nearby Bioconnect Medical Centre, one of the few clinics in the world specializing in perimenopause and menopause. Week-long menopause retreats at Preidlhof Wellness Resort in South Tyrol, Italy feature acupuncture and massage as well as holistic coaching sessions. Diet is the focus on perimenopause and menopause retreats at Marine North Berwick in Scotland . The hotel has partnered with nutrition expert Amanda Hamilton to offer detox-style meals focused on metabolic and gut health. When Longfellow Hotel opens in Portland, Maine in the spring of 2024, women’s health, particularly menopause, will be a focus of its programming.

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WEATHER ALERT

2 warnings and an advisory in effect for 20 regions in the area

Hot history: tree rings show that last northern summer was the warmest since year 1.

Seth Borenstein

Associated Press

The broiling summer of 2023 was the hottest in the Northern Hemisphere in more than 2,000 years, a new study found.

When the temperatures spiked last year, numerous weather agencies said it was the hottest month, summer and year on record. But those records only go back to 1850 at best because it's based on thermometers. Now scientists can go back to the modern western calendar's year 1, when the Bible says Jesus of Nazareth walked the Earth, but have found no hotter northern summer than last year's.

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A study Tuesday in the journal Nature uses a well-established method and record of more than 10,000 tree rings to calculate summertime temperatures for each year since the year 1. No year came even close to last summer's high heat, said lead author Jan Esper, a climate geographer at the Gutenberg Research College in Germany.

Before humans started pumping heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere by burning coal, oil and natural gas, the hottest year was the year 246, Esper said. That was the beginning of the medieval period of history, when Roman Emperor Philip the Arab fought Germans along the Danube River.

Esper's paper showed that in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer of 2023 was as much as 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) warmer than the summer of 246. In fact 25 of the last 28 years have been hotter than that early medieval summer, said study co-author Max Torbenson.

“That gives us a good idea of how extreme 2023 is," Esper told The Associated Press.

The team used thousands of trees in 15 different sites in the Northern Hemisphere, north of the tropics, where there was enough data to get a good figure going back to year 1, Esper said. There was not quite enough tree data in the Southern Hemisphere to publish, but the sparse data showed something similar, he said.

Scientists look at the rings of annual tree growth and “we can match them almost like a puzzle back in time so we can assign annual dates to every ring,” Torbenson said.

Why stop the look back at year 1, when other temperature reconstructions go back more than 20,000 years, asked University of Pennsylvannia climate scientist Michael Mann, who wasn't part of the study but more than a quarter century ago published the famous hockey stick graph showing rising temperatures since the Industrial Age. He said just relying on tree rings is “considerably less reliable” than looking at all sorts of proxy data, including ice cores, corals and more.

Esper said his new study only uses tree data because it is precise enough to give summer-by-summer temperature estimates, which can't be done with corals, ice cores and other proxies. Tree rings are higher resolution, he said.

“The global temperature records set last summer were so gobsmacking — shattering the prior record by 0.5C in September and 0.4C in October — that it’s not surprising they would be clearly be the warmest in the past 2,000 years,” said Berkeley Earth climate scientist Zeke Hausfather, who wasn't part of the study. “It's likely the warmest summer in 120,000 years, though we cannot be absolutely sure,” he said, because data precise to a year doesn't go back that far.

Because high-resolution annual data doesn't go back that far, Esper said it's wrong for scientists and the media to call it the hottest in 120,000 years. Two thousand years is enough, he said.

Esper also said the pre-industrial period of 1850 to 1900 that scientists — especially the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — use for the base period before warming may be a bit cooler than the instrumental records show. The instruments back then were more often in the hot sun instead of shielded like they are now, and tree rings continue to show that it was about 0.4 degrees (0.2 degrees Celsius) cooler than thermometers show.

That means there's been a bit more warming from human-caused climate change than most scientists calculate, an issue being hashed out by researchers over the last few years.

Looking at the temperature records, especially the last 150 years, Esper noticed that while they are generally increasing, they tend to do so with slow rises and then giant steps, like what happened last year. He said those steps are often associated with a natural El Nino, a warming of the central Pacific that changes weather worldwide and adds even more heat to a changing climate.

“I don't know when the next step will be taken, but I will not be surprised by another huge step in the next 10 to 15 years, that's for sure,” Esper said in a news briefing. “And it's very worrying.”

This story has been corrected to refer to Jesus of Nazareth, rather than Jesus Christ.

Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment

Follow Seth Borenstein on X at @borenbears

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Strong geomagnetic storm reaches Earth, continues through weekend

NOAA space weather forecasters have observed at least seven coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun, with impacts expected to arrive on Earth as early as midday Friday, May 10, and persist through Sunday, May 12, 2024. 

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Warning for Friday, May 10. Additional solar eruptions could cause geomagnetic storm conditions to persist through the weekend.

• The First of Several CMEs reached Earth on Friday, May 10 at 12:37 pm EDT.  The CME was very strong and SWPC quickly issued a series of geomagnetic storm warnings. SWPC observed G4 conditions at 1:39 pm EDT (G3 at 1:08 pm EDT).
• This storm is ongoing and SWPC will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional warnings as necessary.

This is an unusual and potentially historic event. Clinton Wallace , Director, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center

CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona. They cause geomagnetic storms when they are directed at Earth. Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth’s surface , potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations. SWPC has notified the operators of these systems so they can take protective action.

Geomagnetic storms can also trigger spectacular displays of aurora on Earth . A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for aurora to be seen as far south as Alabama and Northern California.

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