In June 2023, the US Travel Association released its biannual travel forecast, suggesting stabilized growth in the domestic leisure travel sector after months of increased demand. The organization’s President and CEO Geoff Freeman explained that the intensity of last year’s surge was beginning to diminish. The US Travel Association expected the domestic leisure travel industry to remain resilient in the immediate future.
The International Air Transport Association predicts that there will be more than 4 billion travelers in 2024. Similarly, a report from the Airports Council International World predicts a major increase in passenger numbers across the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of 2024. It anticipates that passenger levels will reach 99.5 percent of 2019 passenger totals.
From AI and automation to the rising popularity of culinary tours, we share six travel trend predictions for 2024.
1. Digitization
Technological advancements have unfolded at a rapid pace in recent years, redefining customer expectations. Tech-driven services are playing an ever-increasing role in daily life by eliminating queues and driving down waiting times. As a result, vacationers are becoming frustrated by a lack of digital innovation in the travel industry. This shortcoming was highlighted in the summer of 2022, when airline disruptions caused major delays, ruined vacations, and culminated in a travel nightmare for many.
In an increasingly digitized world, consumers have high expectations. The onus is increasingly on the travel and hospitality industry to identify and address pain points for weary travelers. In response, forward-thinking companies have raised the bar in terms of tech infrastructure. One example is the Huazhu Hotels Group in China, which has installed self-check-in kiosks. Now, hotel guests can check-in, checkout, and pay in less than 30 seconds.
2. Science-Focused Expedition Cruising
Prior to the pandemic, few could have predicted the huge resurgence in luxury cruise bookings. Bookings for 2022 went up by a staggering 106 percent compared with sales levels in 2019. As new ships and itineraries are launched to meet rising demand, there has been a significant uptick in interest in science-focused travel, as Beth Hill, owner of Mangata Travel, can attest. She suggests that clients are starting to value the unique and immersive.
Unlike traditional cruises, science-based expedition cruising presents an opportunity for clients to travel to geographically isolated destinations in the company of serious scientists. Take for example the recently launched Le Commandant Charcot icebreaker. The passenger vessel was conceptualized with an entire section for a team of 20 scientists to live and work in during each polar venture. Rather than resembling the research vessels of the past, the latest generation of expedition ships are comfortable and luxurious, complete with spa amenities, boot warmers, gourmet dining, and personal butlers.
3. Stratospheric Travel
Until relatively recently, the notion of people without special training coming anywhere close to “the final frontier” has seemed as remote a prospect as those far-flung galaxies themselves. While the billionaire space race has put commercial space travel within reach of the ultrawealthy, for most of us it remains incredibly unlikely. Nevertheless, while billionaire space racers fight over their futuristic tech advances and the size of their rockets, Vincent Farret d’Astiès is Pioneering his own path.
He spent most of his career working as a pilot flying both hot air balloons and airplanes. The aeronautical engineer launched Zephalto in 2016, merging his passion for aviation with sustainability. Leading innovative research into low-carbon voyages, Zephalto’s mission is to transform the space landscape. He wants to take commercial travelers to new heights that have never been possible before.
4. Sporting Event-Based Travel
On July 26th, 2024, travelers from all over the world will descend on Paris, France, for the 2024 Summer Olympics. This iconic event is just one of a very full calendar of sporting contests at iconic venues all over the world, from the Masters and Wimbledon to the Superbowl. Enter sporting event-based travel.
Combining action-packed sporting competitions with the alluring world of luxury travel, sporting event-based travel presents opportunities for vacationers to explore new destinations while enjoying elite athletes compete against themselves and one another. This budding travel niche invites vacationers to immerse themselves in a world of elegance, comfort, and style, enjoying the VIP treatment from start to finish.
5. Adventure Travel
In 2024, experts predict that growing numbers of travelers will seek out experiences that involve surrendering to the element of surprise, venturing into unchartered territory, and exploring the unknown. According to a report by Booking.com, 52 percent of respondents were interested in “surprise vacations,” where everything is unknown to the traveler until arrival, including the destination. In the same report, just over half of participants preferred to venture off the beaten path, with a third seeking to travel with people they don’t know.
6. Culinary Tours
Food not only provides nourishment, but also serves as a gateway, presenting an opportunity to experience new cultures, peoples, and heritages. Each dish tells a story, with travelers gaining a deeper connection to a country with every bite. Indulging in a culinary tour enables travelers to savor the flavors of the world, uncovering the secrets behind the recipes, and celebrating the universal language of food.
David Geithner 