The Biggest Travel Trends of 2024, According to Experts

Even though we’re exiting the era of “revenge travel” that followed the world’s reopening after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, travel’s not going anywhere in 2024. But we’ll be traveling differently in the new year. The reasons we travel are changing, and the places we are going to are changing as well. To get an idea of exactly what this will look like, Thrillist consulted trend-casts from industry experts.

Kayak’s just-published 2024 travel trends report captured the highlights of what travel is going to look like in 2024. Most importantly, their projections line up with other recent industry predictions. So let’s dive into the top trends of 2024 from Kayak and other travel experts.

Asia-Pacific cities are still top destinations.

Year-over-year popularity has only grown for a number of destinations in the Asia-Pacific region—interest in Hong Kong is up 355% compared to last year. Kayak also reports that Japan is still the most popular international destination for 2024, with Tokyo and Osaka being top of mind for most travelers. This is supported by data from ToursbyLocals, which reports that excursions in Asia are growing more popular, as 20% of its 2024 bookings are for Asian destinations.

You have to book international travel eight months in advance.

Booking travel in advance has been some of the top money-saving advice of 2023. In 2024, booking well in advance is going to be even more essential for booking international travel at a good price. “Our data suggests booking eight months in advance to save an average of between eight and 18%,” the Kayak report states. The advice is not exclusive to Kayak. Going, the flight deal platform, also advises booking between four and eight months in advance for international travel.

Domestic travel is cheap travel.

During the European Summer craze of 2023, we learned that most people actually weren’t going on big international vacations. In fact, the majority of Gen Z and millennial travelers were taking domestic trips. For 2024, if you want to travel without spending too much money, a trip inside the US is your best bet. Domestic airfare is predicted to drop by 16% in 2024, with an average roundtrip flight costing $461.

Slow travel will be the priority.

Slow travel has steadily been increasing in popularity in recent years, but it will really shine in 2024. Travel Lemming’s Top 50 Places to Visit in 2024 report was centered around slow travel. According to Hidden Scotland, 74% of people like living like a local when they’re visiting a new place. If you’re going about planning your own slow travel vacation, focus less on planning every moment of your trip and more having sincere experiences and connections during your journey. Even Pinterest has picked up on the popularity of slow travel. Terms like “slow life” and “digital detox” have perked up on the platform.

“Gen Z and millennials will retreat to laidback locales that offer the opposite of a jam-packed itinerary. Fewer nights out on the town, more lazy mornings in bed,” Pinterest’s 2024 trend-cast predicts.

Vacations are for sleeping.

With slow travel on the rise, it’s no surprise that an increased focus on wellness travel is also increasing. Data from Hilton already revealed that getting good sleep is one of travelers’ top priorities in 2024. That makes even more sense when you consider that, according to the American Sleep Association, sleep disorders impact between 50-70 million US adults today. Expect to continue to see hotels and even airlines market to travelers with the promise of a restful night’s sleep.