The Top 5 Travel Trends We’re Most Excited About in 2024
The 2024 travel season is upon us. And as the trip requests start to roll into our travel agency, I cannot help but notice a number of travel trends beginning to take shape.
Some of these trends I love, while others you should, in my humble opinion, skip entirely. Like putting your hard earned vacation dollars into the hands of Chat GPT, for example—but, that is a conversation for a different day.
Today, I’m here to focus on the trends you should absolutely know about—so, here are the top five travel trends we’re most excited about in 2024:
SPORTS TOURISM
I love a sports moment. And this year, people are looking to cross some big ticket items off of their bucket lists.
For some, it’s the 2024 Summer Olympics in France and for others, it’s catching their first Premier League match across the pond. The NFL is also getting in on the sports tourism action, with extra international games being announced each year.
More and more I find that our travel planning process includes securing tickets to these once-in-a-lifetime sporting events for our clients—and I’m all here for it.
DRY TRIPPING
With a growing number of people adopting a low or alcohol-free lifestyle, it’s no surprise that I am seeing this trend carryover into travel. But don’t confuse dry tripping with wellness travel—this is not that.
Dry tripping is about having a variety of complex, alcohol-free options available, whether at the hotel bar, restaurant, or your room’s minibar. (And I’m not just talking about a Shirley Temple or virgin strawberry daiquiri here.)
So many resorts—particularly all-inclusive resorts—have a long way to go in this area. The ones that do it well will reap the benefits because I think this trend is here to stay.
SHOULDER SEASON
This year, peak season is so passé. Peak season means higher prices, lower inventory, dense crowds, and hoards of tourists. No, thank you.
Unless you’re tied to an academic calendar, shoulder season is the absolute best time to travel—particularly in Europe. Your travel dollars go further, the weather is still pleasant, and you get a more laid back, immersive experience. Highly recommend.
And travelers have definitely received the memo. At this very moment, our travel agency has more clients headed to Europe in May and September than any other month of the year.
DESTINATION “DUPES”
Social media has made “dupes” (short for duplicates) all the rage. When it comes to travel, this trend is all about finding alternatives to your typical travel hotspots.
So in 2024, that might look like skipping the ever popular Santorini and instead opting for a week in Paros. I wholeheartedly approve of this trend because it gets travelers to less often visited destinations and offers more authentic, immersive experiences.
Thank you, TikTok.
CULINARY GETAWAYS
While I fully realize that traveling for food isn’t a novel concept, culinary getaways are really gaining steam in 2024. Travelers are wanting curated restaurant lists, private cooking lessons, and farm to table experiences.
With that comes a higher demand for foodie hotspots, like Oaxaca, San Sebastian, and Sicily, to name a few. As a fellow foodie, this is a trend that I can absolutely get behind—and you should, too.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
Travel planning doesn’t have to be a complicated, time-consuming process. Our team of certified travel advisors is here to help—if you want to partner with our team on your next trip, scheduling an initial consultation call is the perfect place to start.
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