ADVERTISEMENTThe way we travel is constantly changing.
With some destinations becoming too hot for tourists and technological advances inspiring us to shake up the way we travel, next year is set to be no exception.
But what are we saying about our plans for next year and what are the most significant changes to our travel habits?
Online booking platform, Booking.com surveyed more than 27,000 people across 33 countries and territories to find out and have compiled their findings as part of the company’s 2024 Travel Predictions report.
From AI holidays to trips with complete strangers, here are some of the biggest travel trends we could see in 2024.
How is climate change influencing the way we travel?
More than half of travellers are considering how climate change will impact the way they plan their holidays in 2024. Millennials were the group most likely to give this response while the Baby Boomer generation was the least likely, according to Booking.com.
In the last year, numerous climate records have been broken with wildfires, flooding and heatwaves sweeping across many popular European holiday destinations. July saw Sardinia and Sicily sweat in temperatures of more than 46C.
As a result, 56 per cent of people agree that as temperatures soar close to home they are planning to travel elsewhere to cool down.
But everything we do while away, from the flights we take to get there to the food we eat or the hotels we stay in, increases carbon emissions.
So, what is stopping travellers from booking climate-conscious holidays? Money, according to Booking.com.
One in four people said they would be more interested in sustainable travel if their budget was unlimited. That includes visiting less popular tourist destinations, offsetting their carbon footprint and ensuring the money they spend supports local economies.
Could AI plan our holidays in 2024?
Booking.com predicts that AI is likely to play a bigger role in how we travel in 2024. Nearly half of all those surveyed said they would be interested in using AI tools to plan a future trip.
Younger generations are pushing this change with Millennials most likely to consider using this alternative method to put together their itineraries. Older generations are most hesitant with 39 per cent of Baby Boomers saying they wouldn’t trust AI tech to plan their travel for them based on their prompts.
Many travel booking sites and search engines are already using AI tech to change their customer experience.
Booking.com’s own ChatGPT-powered planning tool aims to mimic the way you would “begin to talk about planning a trip with your partner or friends”. Expedia has also integrated the AI chatbot into its mobile app and Skyscanner has just introduced a new tool that uses AI to help inspire your choice of where to fly.
These tools could also play a role once we reach our destination with 62 per cent of Millennials saying they would appreciate insights, tips or hints from an AI companion while on holiday.
With travellers more open to using this tech, Tripadvisor has just launched an AI-powered itinerary generator which will give you a day-to-day plan based on destination, dates and interests.
Solo travel is still on the rise - but it doesn’t mean going it alone
Who we choose to go abroad with is also changing as more and more of us are jetting off by ourselves. Two in five people said they have travelled alone in the last six months and almost three in five have holidayed solo in the past year, according to Booking.com.
ADVERTISEMENTGen Z is taking the lead when it comes to independent travel. One in four young people said their main priority for travel in 2024 was deepening their connection with themselves.
Self-discovery is the goal with around two-thirds of people saying that they were the best version of themselves when they were away.
But it isn’t necessarily about being isolated on a secluded beach or traipsing solo around an unfamiliar city. Gen Z was also the age group most likely to find the experience of travelling with strangers appealing.
Around one in 10 people in this generation choose to travel alone on organised tours to meet people with shared interests while just over 10 per cent are also open to meeting new people while going solo.