The Travel Trends 2024

Everyone should find "their" place to get the best out of life. Travel expert Angelica Freyler has shed light on the factors and wishes that will influence travel in the future and the challenges facing the upscale travel market in particular.

The statistics speak for themselves: in 2022, almost 76% of Austrians took at least one vacation trip, compared to just 2% more in 2019. The total number of vacation trips in 2022 rose to 22.2 million, which means that 2022 is already above the pre-crisis level of 2019 with 21.2 million vacation trips. Record figures are also being reported from the domestic tourism market. At 12.2 million overnight stays, September 23 was the highest September result ever recorded. The travel statistics look similar in Germany. If we only look at the luxury travel segment, it - like air travel - has already far exceeded the pre-crisis year of 2019. Experts are forecasting annual growth of 5.8% in the tourism industry and a doubling of the global passenger aircraft fleet by 2032. Corona has shown people that it is better not to postpone wishes.


What has remained is individuality
The fear of being "stranded" in a distant country, which has strongly influenced travel behavior in the last two years, is slowly receding. What has remained, especially in the upscale travel market, is the demand for offers with a high degree of privacy and individual services. A new form of luxury, characterized by sustainable, authentic and unique experiences, is gaining ground.


Individual and personal
The famous "golden taps" as a symbol of material luxury when traveling are no longer enough. The value of the experience defines the new luxury, with the price almost always playing only a secondary role. It is about deep and unforgettable memories and moments that are priceless in the truest sense of the word. Sustainability, slow tourism, destinations that promote nature conservation and environmental protection, previously hidden regional specialties and culture in combination with "taking your time", individual service and outstanding moments of pleasure are all on the luxury travel agenda. But technological innovations also play an important role. The ability to personalize trips with the help of apps and other digital platforms is in demand. Artificial intelligence is also increasingly being used for travel planning. Half of all travelers are already interested in planning their future vacations with the help of generative AI tools.


Experience health in a new way
Particular attention is being paid to the new awareness of health and fitness. The close connection between diverse and qualified preventive measures, wellness and medical expertise is becoming more than ever an integral part of the holistic feel-good experience for a time-out. Support for mental regeneration, digital dedox and learning new healthy lifestyles are particularly in vogue.


The value of a vacation trip
A new global study by Hilton shows that almost half of travelers in Germany will prioritize their travel spending next year and are willing to spend more money on travel than this year. This is not only due to higher prices, but the personal value of a vacation trip has also increased. The most important reason to travel in 2024 is to relax and recharge. Travelers will look for seamless digital solutions, but will continue to value the human factor of hospitality. 75% value easy access to all their travel information via email or apps and 68% use their personal devices and digital services such as streaming platforms while traveling. At the same time, German travelers appreciate the importance of human interaction, with 75% of respondents stating that the "human factor" in hospitality is important to the experience. According to Hilton, this is most important for the baby boomer generation.


From set-jetting to destination dupes
The booking platform Booking.com presents the travel trends for the coming year in a survey of more than 27,000 travelers in 33 countries. "Our travel trends for 2024 reflect the idea that travel is not a means to escape life, but rather a catalyst to live our best life," says Nadine Stachel, Regional Manager DACH at Booking.com. "From exciting adventures in a new destination to feeling your pulse, a new culture and all experiences in between, travel allows us to become the best version of ourselves." In 2024, hotels that skillfully combine design and sustainability will be successful. According to the study, the topic of sleep plays a major role. 49% want to focus on "uninterrupted sleep" in the coming year. Sleep concierges and state-of-the-art technologies are welcome. Increasingly exhausted parents will seek relaxation on a solo vacation in 2024. Almost half plan to travel alone and leave the children and their partner at home to regenerate.

In the new travel trend report Unpack 24, published by Expedia and FeWo-direkt, three travel trends stand out. Set-jetting, which refers to traveling to places where films are set or have been shot. More than half of travelers worldwide say that they have researched or booked a trip to a place they know from a film. The "dupes", which are particularly popular on TikTok, describe alternative destinations that are very similar to the original. While only 21% have traveled to a twin destination here in Germany, 53% are considering such a destination for their next vacation. The main reason for this is that they are hoping for fewer tourists. The most popular dupes are Taipei (dupe for Seoul), Pattaya (dupe for Bangkok), Paros (dupe for Santorini), Liverpool (dupe for London) and Sapporo (dupe for Zermatt). Any Occasion" is also very much on trend. Anniversaries are taken as an opportunity to travel with family and friends. The idea is to spend time together in a special place and create memorable moments. Around the world, work-related occasions such as job changes, retirement or promotions are used to justify a vacation.


New ways of taking business trips
Business trips are still lagging somewhat behind pre-crisis levels. However, a new trend is already in the starting blocks: Bleisure - the extension of a business trip for private time off. According to the Hilton study, the majority of business travelers plan to extend a trip by combining it with leisure activities. Workation, working remotely in combination with a vacation, is also becoming increasingly popular: 61% of respondents say they plan to work from any location of their choice.