OUT OF AUTOPILOTAND INTO OUR BEST LIFE:

SHARES ITS 7
PREDICTIONSFOR TRAVEL IN

2024

BOOKING.COM’S MOST EXTENSIVE TRAVELPREDICTIONS RESEARCH TO DATE FORESEESTRAVEL AS THE PRIMAL PULSE OF LIFE IN 2024.
Where in years past travel has been a means to escape life, researchshows that travel is life in 2024. Over three quarters (78%) of global
travelers reveal they feel more alive than ever when on vacation, and68% believe they are the best version of themselves on their travels.

Research
commissioned:

27,000+travelers

33countries
and territories

Exploring how travel will transport people out ofautopilot and into unleashing their best life, this year’s
research reveals seven predictions for travel in 2024.

(ALTER) EGO
ENTHUSIASTSCOOLCATIONERSREBOOT
RETREATERS

SURRENDERSEEKERSA LA CARTEAFFLUENCERS

CULINARYEXCAVATORSMINDFULAESTHETES

(ALTER) EGO
ENTHUSIASTS
In 2024, travelers will feel more alive by creating
their own epic alter egos on vacation. These Alter
Ego Enthusiasts love the thrill of embodying a 2.0
version of themselves, and go to great lengths toreimagine their best self.

62%
37%

57%

enjoy the anonymity oftravel and the chance torecreate themselves
make up stories about
their real life to people
on their travels

feel ‘main character
energy’ on their travels

(ALTER) EGO
ENTHUSIASTSFrance 66%
Netherlands 51%

Fueling the idea thatpeople take on different
personas whentraveling, 68% want
to be more like theirvacation self in their
day-to-day life
back home

China 80%

Sweden 56%

Canada 64%
Ireland 66%

Denmark 46%
Germany 64%

Portugal 70%

Croatia 72%
Italy 58%

USA 75%

Mexico 73%

Colombia 64%

Israel 68%Spain 67%
Belgium 62%

Japan 55%
Hong Kong 74%

India 81%
UAE 80%Thailand 85%

Austria 59%

S. Korea 69%
Taiwan 76%

Vietnam 72%
Singapore 77%

Switzerland 60%

Brazil 79%

Australia 68%
Argentina 68%

New Zealand 64%

COOLCATIONERSHeat has officially had its vacay heyday. Scorchingtemperatures pushing the mercury to recordbreaking levels is accelerating a rise in travelerschasing cooler climes to revive and refreshthemselves in 2024.

56%

51%

say that as temperatures
soar close to home, theywill use their vacation tocool down elsewherereport that climate change
will impact the way theyplan their vacation in 2024

LATAM 70%
APAC 61%
NORAM 50%EMEA 48%

APAC 60%
LATAM 51%
NORAM 48%
EMEA 43%LATAM 44%
EMEA 34%
APAC 35%
NORAM 28%

36%

75%

are interested
in water-centric
vacations in 2024

agree that being
close to water
instantly makes
them feel morerelaxedLATAM 86%
NORAM 77%
EMEA 74%APAC 72%

COOLCATIONERSThis trend also
taps into the rise of watercentric travel in 2024.
Aquatic escapes are set tohelp Coolcationers take the edge off
the heat and wash away
their worries.

Expect floating yoga,
water sound baths andsnow meditation to surge,
as well as a boom in ice
therapy retreats,
underwater hotels andmermania.

SURRENDER
SEEKERSIn 2024, travelers increasingly want to surrenderthemselves to the element of surprise, explore theunknown and venture into uncharted territory onvacation. Shifting from rigorous planning to chanceencounters, Surrender Seekers are relinquishing
control for the art of letting go.

55%

52%

would like to have noplans set in stone prior totraveling in 2024 so they
can go where the windtakes them

are keen to book asurprise trip where
everything down to thedestination is unknown
until arrival

56%

34%

prefer to venture
off-the-beaten-pathseek to travelwith strangers

51%

45%

SURRENDERSEEKERSThe travel industry is
responding fast with techenabled flexible services,giving travelers the option
to cancel, change plans,
and buy now, pay later.
The explosion of AI,
which has alreadyseen the launch of
Booking.com’s AI Tripplanner, is goingmainstream in 2024.

54%

30%

48%

20%

would now trust
AI to plan a trip
for them

Gen Z(18-24)

Gen X(41-56)
Millennials(25-40)Silent Generation(76+)
Baby Boomers(57-75)CULINARYEXCAVATORSThe food archeologists of 2024 will dig deep
into the roots of food on vacation to unearth new
foodie treasures. These Culinary Excavators arebucking next-gen food trends in favour of preserving
the true craftsmanship of traditional dishes.

81%

61%

want to try indigenous
cuisines in 2024

are more interested inlearning about the origins
of a destination’s ‘musteat’ delicacies than they
were in the past

Expect an increase in heritage flavours andindigenous experiences that tell the story behindthe food, unlocking the secrets of cultures whichhave been lost or forgotten.

46%
want an immersive‘phygital’ foodexperience enhancedby VR or AR
in 2024

54%

LATAM

51%

APAC

47%

NORAM

39%

EMEA

CULINARYEXCAVATORS
Culinary Excavators
are experientialists
who fluctuate between
digital and physicalrealities to transformevery discovery intoa heightened multisensory
extravaganza.
Think mood altering
lighting, paired fragrancesand sensual soundscapesthat enhance the tracesof foodways past.

REBOOTRETREATERS
Amid global instability and an ever-hectic world,
disheveled travelers are booking one-track trips
rooted in self-improvement in 2024 to bringthemselves back to the life they truly want again.

39%

58%

would carve out time
for a matchmaking
holidayof parents plan to travelalone, dropping the kids
and their partners toprioritize themselves

35%

24%

would book aheartbreak holiday
to get over an ex

want to deepen theconnection with theirpartner

Most likely

REBOOT
RETREATERS
To serve Reboot
Retreaters looking toimprove their shut-eye,the new era of sleep
tourism welcomesbespoke sleep retreatsfeaturing cutting-edge
technology.

Least likely

83%
75% 75%58%
want to travel in
2024 to solely
focus onuninterrupted
shut-eye

38%

China

Thailand

Hong
Kong

41% 41%

Italy

FranceDenmark

Expect a rise in hotels offering beds that use sound andelectromagnetic waves to put travelers into a deep resting state,with AI logging sleep preferences for future stays.

A LA CARTEAFFLUENCERS
Fueled by the cost of living crisis, travelers in 2024
will employ money saving hacks to cut costs, yetlevel up vacations with ‘à la carte’ luxuries.

51%

42%

are willing to pay for
day passes to use theamenities in a five-star
hotel rather thanactually staying there

would pay to rent a nicer
car than they drive at
home

56%

want insights and tips from AI whenon vacation to upgrade experienceswith suggested ancillaries and deals

56%

50%

43%

plan to book an
all-inclusive sothey know exactly
how much theirspend will beplan to pickdestinations in 2024
where the cost ofliving is less expensive
than their hometown

will be searching
for luxe-for-lesscopycat vacations
closer to home toreduce costs

A LA CARTEAFFLUENCERS
A La Carte Affluencers
want to appear wealthy,
sweeping away the realityof making financial
sacrifices, but behind thescenes are obsessed with
see-through spending andcurating budget-friendly
travel itineraries.

MINDFULAESTHETES
Make way for the intersection of design andmindfulness to influence travel in 2024, opening
up inspiring new doors for travelers who wantto make more conscious choices – which aresustainable and aesthetically pleasing.

65%

60%

want to see theoutside broughtindoors with green
spaces and plants inaccommodations onvacation

want to seesustainability
in action

53%

look for accommodation that has
wow-factor sustainability innovation

MINDFULAESTHETES60%

are interested in sustainable travel apps where they can unlock rewards
such as experiences with locals in off-the-beaten-path areas (47%) or visit
remote locations that tourists otherwise have limited access to (44%)
UK 46%
France 61%
Netherlands 37%

In 2024 and beyond,
Mindful Aesthetes willlean on technology forsustainable itineraries
that offer exclusive
access to the places they
are helping preserve, inthe most mindful andresponsible way.

Sweden 47%
Canada 44%
Ireland 43%
Portugal 70%
USA 64%
Mexico 79%

Colombia 78%

China 88%

Denmark 33%
Germany 51%
Croatia 50%
Italy 50%Israel 61%

Japan 26%

Hong Kong 77%
India 83%

Spain 69%

Belgium 54%

UAE 73%Austria 56%
Switzerland 54%

S. Korea 49%
Taiwan 65%
Vietnam 79%

Thailand 84%

Singapore 57%

Brazil 71%
Australia 47%
Argentina 67%

New Zealand 48%

"Our 2024 travel predictions reflect the ideathat travel is not a means to escape life, butinstead a catalyst to live our best lives. Fromthrilling adventures in a new destination tofeeling the pulse of a new culture and every
experience in between, travel allows us tobecome the best version of ourselves.
At Booking.com, it's our mission to make iteasier for everyone to experience the world andwe believe in the power of travel to inspire,transform and enrich lives. We are committed toempowering extraordinary experiences that
resonate with the heartbeat of each and every
traveler in 2024 and beyond.”
Arjan Dijk
CMO and Senior Vice President

2024

TRENDING
DESTINATIONSBooking.com has delved
into global booking trends
to share the top trending
destinations for 2024.
Destinations had to be in
the top 1,000 most bookedon Booking.com between 1
August 2022 and 31 July
2023, and the list was sorted
by year-over-year increase
and curated to ensuregeographic distribution.

Cairns, Australia

Beppu, Japan

Valkenberg, NetherlandsVlorë, Albania

Chemnitz, Germany

Rotorua, New Zealand

Panglao, Philippines

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Portland, USA

Mérida, Mexico

METHODOLOGY
Travel Predictions 2024 research commissioned byBooking.com and conducted among a sample ofadults who plan to travel for business or leisure in
the next 12-24 months. In total, 27,730 respondents
across 33 countries and territories were polled(including 1008 from Argentina, 1012 fromAustralia, 505 from Austria, 1001 from Belgium,
1002 from Brazil, 1009 from Canada, 1009 fromChina, 1002 from Colombia, 508 from Croatia, 504
from Denmark, 1011 from France, 1011 from
Germany, 1016 from Hong Kong, 1004 from India,
510 from Ireland, 504 from Israel, 1014 from Italy,
1004 from Japan, 1009 from Mexico, 1014 from The
Netherlands, 1015 from New Zealand, 500 fromPortugal, 502 from Singapore, 1010 from South
Korea, 1009 from Spain, 502 from Sweden, 507 fromSwitzerland, 504 from Taiwan, 1003 from Thailand,
502 from the UAE, 1007 from the UK, 1005 from theUS and 1007 from Vietnam). Respondents
completed an online survey in July 2023.