Pattaya, Paros and Perth Make the List of
2024 Destinations of the Year
Tour Tourism, Dry Tripping and Go-ccasions
Among 2024 Leading Trip Types
Half of Travelers Expected to Adopt
Generative AI in 2024
NEW
YORK, Nov. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
Today, Expedia Group unveiled Unpack '24, a comprehensive look
at what's motivating travelers and where they're going next year.
Based on the company's unmatched first-party travel data, plus a
global consumer survey of 20,000 travelers, Unpack '24 includes
eight new travel trends for 2024, from top destinations to what's
next in travel tech.
Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9179052-expedia-hotels-dot-com-vrbo-unpack-trends-in-travel/
"At Expedia Group, we have extensive first-party travel data
that we use to enhance and curate experiences for our travelers
across Expedia®, Hotels.com®, and Vrbo®. These insights shape our
travel forecasts, revealed in Unpack '24, enabling our travelers to
be the first to discover and book the most desired trips before
they become well-beaten paths," said Jon
Gieselman, President of Expedia Brands. "From 'dry tripping'
to events like Taylor Swift or
Beyoncé performances, and the rising allure of destinations like
Perth, Palermo, and Paros, these trends begin to
define the travel landscape in 2024."
The 2024 Set-jetting Forecast: For 2023, Expedia
predicted travelers would turn to television sets and movie screens
for travel inspiration. They did, and the trend shows no signs of
stopping in 2024. More than half of travelers say they've
researched or booked a trip to a destination after seeing it on a
TV show or movie, and 1 in 4 admit that TV shows and films are even
more influential on their travel plans than they were before. In
fact, travelers say TV shows influence their travel decisions more
than Instagram, TikTok and podcasts.
Given the popularity of this travel trend, Expedia, Hotels.com
and Vrbo compiled its first-ever Set-jetting Forecast predicting
what entertainment-inspired destinations travelers will head to in
2024, based on upcoming show and film releases and travel data from
Expedia Group.*
- Thailand inspired by
"The White Lotus" season 3.
- Romania inspired by
"Wednesday" season 2.
- Malta inspired by the
new "Gladiator 2" film.
- Paris inspired by
"Emily in Paris" season 4.
- Scottish Highlands inspired by the remaining seasons of
"Outlander."
- London, Bath and Windsor,
UK inspired by the new season of "Bridgerton" and "The
Crown" season 6.
- Korea inspired by "Squid Game" season 2.
- Florida Keys &
Bahamas inspired by the new
Apple TV show "Bad Monkey."
- Australia inspired by
both Baz Luhrmann's "Faraway Downs"
and the Mad Max prequel "Furiosa."
- Greece inspired by new
spy action thriller "Argylle."
Expedia ‒ Destination Dupes: The "dupe" trend
— affordable alternatives to popular products — that has flooded
TikTok feeds is now taking over travel. Expedia's 2024 destinations
of the year are destination dupes — places that are a little
unexpected, sometimes more affordable, and every bit as delightful
as the tried-and-true destinations travelers love.
The 2024 destination dupes all experienced a notable uptick in
searches1 over the past year. In fact, global searches
for the Top 5 destinations on the list more than doubled YoY.**
- Taipei (dupe for Seoul)
- Pattaya (dupe for Bangkok)
- Paros (dupe for Santorini)
- Curaçao (dupe for St.
Martin)
- Perth (dupe for Sydney)
- Liverpool (dupe for
London)
- Palermo (dupe for Lisbon)
- Quebec City (dupe for
Geneva)
- Sapporo (dupe for
Zermatt)
- Memphis (dupe for Nashville)
Discover why these destination dupes
are worth the trip in the Expedia Magazine.
Expedia ‒ Tour Tourism: In 2023, the cultural
impact of the Eras and Renaissance tours was undeniable, driving
ticket sales but also travel and tourism. Expedia predicts that
Tour Tourism will continue to thrive in 2024. Nearly 70% of survey
respondents say they are more likely to travel to a concert outside
their own town, with over 40% saying they'd travel for a concert as
an excuse to visit a new place. In a new twist to Tour Tourism
perhaps driven by ticket prices, 30% of travelers say they would
travel outside of their home city for a concert because tickets
were cheaper elsewhere. Unexpected places on Expedia's list of top
tour tourism destinations are Kuala
Lumpur, Edmonton, and
Mexico City. See the rest of the
list in the Expedia Magazine, created by analyzing hot 2024 tour
stops along with accommodation costs.***
Hotels.com ‒ Dry Tripping: From observing Dry
January to Sober October, it's clear that living a low- or
alcohol-free lifestyle is becoming more common. In addition to
beverage brands and celebrities releasing nonalcoholic products,
the travel industry is also catering to sober-curious travelers by
stocking minibars with zero-proof options, or offering
mocktail-making experiences. Explore top dry tripping hotel and
resort recommendations in the Hotels.com Magazine.****
More than 40% of travelers say they are likely to book a detox
trip in the next year, and half of travelers say they would be
interested in staying at hotels that offer easily accessible
alcohol-free beverage options. One in 4 say the top reason for
drinking less on vacation is to stay in control and feel better
emotionally and physically, and surprisingly, attending sporting
events was the top reason travelers said they'd be likely to reduce
alcohol consumption while traveling.
Hotels.com ‒ Vibe Check-in: Beyond searching
for specific amenities or star ratings, a hotel's overall "vibe" is
becoming a strong indicator of travelers' hotel choices. Guest
reviews mentioning the word "vibe" have increased an average of
1,090% YoY,2 and 9 out of 10 travelers say the vibe of a
hotel is important when booking.
Travelers are seeking a variety of vibes when searching for
hotels from "Modern Vibe" and "Industrial Vibe" to "Retro Vibe" or
"Margaritaville Vibe."***** What contributes to a hotel's overall
vibe? Travelers say the top element is customer service, which
surpassed the music, interior or lighting of the hotel. Discover
hotels with the most popular and unique vibes in the Hotels.com
Magazine.
Vrbo ‒ Go-ccasions: Puppymoons,
First-date-iversaries, and Plate Dates are in the cards for
travelers in 2024. One in 4 say they are looking for 'any excuse'
to get away with their loved ones. With one-third of travelers
planning to take more trips with family and friends next year than
in 2023, they're going all in on identifying occasions to book a
getaway to a private vacation home to celebrate together.
In addition to annual anniversaries and milestone birthdays,
interestingly, work-related occasions are one of the most popular
trip catalysts — many travelers would book a weekender to celebrate
retirement, getting a new job, a promotion, or quitting a job.
Vrbo: Outside In: With pickleball becoming one of
the fastest-growing sports, it's no surprise that outdoor
amenities, like pickleball courts and cold plunges, are dictating
what private vacation homes families and friends are booking for
group getaways. Survey data shows that 42% of travelers book
vacation homes with amenities they either cannot afford to have at
home, or that they want to try out before they buy themselves.
Furthermore, nearly 30% say they would choose a vacation home with
outdoor amenities, so they'd never have to leave the
property.
The trending types of outdoor amenities travelers
want:
- Relaxation and rejuvenation: properties with a hot tub, cold
plunge or barrel sauna.
- Roaring fires: vacation homes with a fire pit, barbecue or
outdoor kitchen.
- Sports and recreation: properties that have amenities like
ping-pong tables, padel tennis courts, pickleball courts and lawn
games.
- Fresh produce: vacation homes with access to fruit trees or a
vegetable patch.
Visit the Vrbo Magazine to see private vacation homes that
feature the trending outdoor amenities.
Gen Gen AI: While generative AI tools like ChatGPT
took center stage in 2023, only 6% of travelers used it to plan
their trip.3 In 2024, Expedia Group predicts
the "generation of generative AI" travelers will come of age and
fully embrace this tech throughout their travel journey. In
fact, survey data reveals that half of travelers are interested in
using generative AI to plan their next trip, and 1 in 3 say it's
very useful when making travel plans.
What's driving this trend? Generative AI's ability to simplify
planning and shopping through a conversation. Nearly 40% of
travelers say they would use this tech to find the perfect stay,
35% would plan activities and things to do, 33% would compare
flight options, and 20% of travelers would change or cancel their
travel plans.
To further explore Unpack '24, visit the Expedia Magazine and
download the full report. Visit www.expedia.com/newsroom for more
news from Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
Notes to the editor:
*Set-jetting stats:4
- The first two seasons of "The White Lotus" drove a 300%
increase in travel demand to Hawaii and Sicily.
- Following the release of "Wednesday" on Netflix, Expedia saw a
150% increase in travel searches for Romania.
- Expedia saw a 200% increase in searches to Paris after "Emily in Paris" debuted its previous season.
- Searches for Richmond in
London increased by 160% after
season 2 of "Ted Lasso" aired, and
they doubled after season 3 aired. U.S. fans accounted for 65% of
searches, followed by Australians, Canadians, Brits and the
Japanese.
- Searches for Chicago increased
by 45% following the first season of "The Bear."
- Searches for Norway increased
by more than 65% after "Succession" aired its final season.
**Destination Dupe stats:
Percentage increase in flight searches YoY
- Taipei (dupe for Seoul) - 2,786%
- Pattaya (dupe for Bangkok) -
249%
- Paros (dupe for Santorini) -193%
- Curaçao (dupe for St. Martin)
- 185%
- Perth (dupe for Sydney) - 109%
- Liverpool (dupe for
London) - 97%
- Palermo (dupe for Lisbon) - 89%
- Quebec City (dupe for
Geneva) - 60%
- Sapporo (dupe for Zermatt) -
38%
- Memphis (dupe for Nashville) - 16%
***Tour Tourism stats: Expedia analyzed the average daily
rates for accommodations in cities around the world with major
arenas and music venues that will host the world's hottest pop and
rock stars in 2024. Below are 10 affordable destinations where fans
can snag a hotel room for less than $150/night on average — often less than the price
of the concert ticket.5
Some big-name artists who will be stopping in those cities on
tour next year include: Coldplay, Taylor
Swift, Madonna, Metallica, Olivia
Rodrigo, the Jonas Brothers and the Foo Fighters.
Global List:
- Kuala Lumpur – average
hotel night $91
- Edmonton, Canada –
average hotel night $108
- Mexico City, Mexico –
average hotel night $119
- Warsaw, Poland –
average hotel night $119
- Birmingham, UK –
average hotel night $127
- Houston, Texas –
average hotel night $130
- Antwerp, Belgium –
average hotel night $140
- Tokyo, Japan – average
hotel night $147
- Perth, Australia –
average hotel night $148
- Detroit, Michigan –
average hotel night $149
****Dry Tripping hotels and resorts around the world:
- Somerton Lodge, U.K. is a charming and dry hotel.
- The Rhadana Kuta Bali is a thematic boutique hotel and the
first certified halal hotel in Bali.
- Revival Baltimore launched a
local zero-proof cocktail program by a sober bar manager and
mixologist.
- The Merrion Hotel in Ireland
"distills" its own nonalcoholic gin.
- Ette Hotel in Orlando is home
to stunning mocktails devised by a master mixologist and zero-proof
bars.
- The Rosewood Phuket offers a daily mocktail workshop for guests
for a fee.
- Wynn Las Vegas features "Drinking Well," a zero-proof cocktail
program developed by a master mixologist at the resort with
innovative ingredients like reishi mushrooms, lion's mane,
ashwagandha and maca.
*****Vibe Check-in Stats
The top 15 vibes according to reviews on the Hotels.com
app6: Modern, Retro, Old, Beach, Funky, Chill, Hip,
Cozy, Vintage, Historic, Artsy, City, Industrial, Party and
Peaceful.
The most unique vibes according to reviews on the Hotels.com
app: Florida, Hollywood, Jungle,
Tacky, Jazz, Camp, Margaritaville, Groovy, Yellowstone, Futuristic
and Graceland.
About Expedia Group
Expedia Group, Inc. brands power travel for everyone, everywhere
through our global platform. Driven by the core belief that travel
is a force for good, we help people experience the world in new
ways and build lasting connections. We provide industry-leading
technology solutions to fuel partner growth and success, while
facilitating memorable experiences for travelers. Our organization
is made up of three pillars: Expedia Product & Technology,
focused on the group's product and technical strategy and
offerings; Expedia Brands, housing all our consumer brands; and
Expedia for Business, consisting of business-to-business solutions
and relationships throughout the travel ecosystem.
The Expedia Group family of brands includes: Expedia®,
Hotels.com®, Expedia® Partner Solutions, Vrbo®, Trivago®, Orbitz®,
Travelocity®, Hotwire®, Wotif®, ebookers®, CheapTickets®, Expedia
Group™ Media Solutions, CarRentals.com™, and Expedia Cruises™. One
Key™ is our comprehensive loyalty program that unifies Expedia,
Hotels.com and Vrbo into one simple, flexible travel rewards
experience. To enroll in One Key,
download Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo mobile apps for free on iOS
and Android devices.
For more information, visit www.expediagroup.com. Follow us on
Twitter @expediagroup and check out our LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/company/expedia.
© 2023 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights
reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective
owners. CST: 2029030-50
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Methodology
The research was conducted on behalf of Expedia Brands (Expedia,
Hotels.com, Vrbo & Wotif) by OnePoll, a global strategic
research firm. The survey was conducted online from September
12–October 5, 2023, across North and South America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific using an amalgamated group of
best-in-class panels. The study was conducted among 20,000
respondents across 14 countries, among adults who are planning
domestic or international travel in the next three years. OnePoll
is an MRS (Market Research Society) Company Partner, has corporate
membership of ESOMAR, and is a Member of the British Polling
Council.
1 Based on global flight data on Expedia POS from
Sept. 1, 2022 – Aug. 31, 2023
2 Based on hotel review data on Hotels.com
between Jan. 1, 2018 – Dec. 31,
2022
3 Planes, Trains, and Large Language Models, NRG Thought
Leadership Report - May 2023
4 Based on global search data on Expedia and Hotels.com
for hotel stays for each show 90 days post-air date compared to the
same dates the year before
5 Based on average daily rate for hotels on Expedia
global POSa from 1 Sept. 2022 –
31 Aug. 2023
6 Based on hotel review data on Hotels.com between
Jan. 1, 2018 – Dec. 31, 2022
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SOURCE Expedia Group