“New year, new you” … and a new hospitality industry. From pop culture and special vibes to sustainable practices and wellness retreats, travelers are inspired by many facets of the modern world when it comes to the destinations, experiences, and accommodations they seek. They’re not just checking off bucket lists anymore. 

Both Expedia and Booking.com recently reported on travel trends and predictions for the coming year, revealing some interesting perspectives! Get familiar with these latest trends to attract guests and capture bookings.

Tasty Tourism

In 2024, people will travel to a destination to try a specific restaurant or taste a certain dish, especially if the food is part of a cultural experience. Furthermore, culinary adventurers will prioritize learning about the origins and significance of the iconic meal they seek to taste.

To take advantage of this trend, hoteliers can provide locally sourced coffee and tea blends in rooms and restaurants, purchase kitchen ingredients from nearby providers and farmers, and feature dishes from the local culture. Level up by hosting special events featuring local artisans serving their culinary creations.

Set-jetting

“Set-jetting” refers to planning trips to filming locations for popular movies and TV shows. More than half of travelers report they booked a trip to a destination after seeing it on a TV show or in a movie. According to Expedia Group, TV shows influence travel decisions more than Instagram, TikTok, and podcasts. 

Is your destination on the “must-see” list for movie lovers? Check out locally shot films and series to find inspiration for the atmosphere, setting, and vibe travelers seek. 

Destination Dupes

“Dupes” was popularized on social media several years ago to refer to more affordable alternatives to luxury makeup, hair care, and clothing brands. Now, this TikTok trend applies to travel, where people find more affordable, authentic alternatives to popular destinations. One in three of those polled say they’ve booked a destination dupe. Fewer crowds, significant savings, and original experiences and photos for social media make dupes attractive to travel bookers in 2024.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Travel helps us escape from the rigid schedules and expectations of everyday life. One way of doing this is to be spontaneous and easy-going with travel plans. Booking.com notes a trend in spontaneous travel, with 52% of travelers booking trips where their destination is a mystery until their arrival, 56% visiting lesser-known spots (“destination dupes”!), and 34% willing to travel with strangers.

Make sure you’re ready to catch last-minute bookers with a mobile-friendly website and booking engine, dynamic pricing that responds to demand and availability, and real-time inventory management across all online distribution channels.

Tour Tourism

Recent culturally significant and history-making concerts from popular artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé gave rise to the “live music tourism” trend. Expedia states that almost 70% of travelers polled claimed they are more likely than ever to travel to a concert outside their hometown, with 40% reporting they would use a show as an excuse to visit a new place and 30% saying they would travel because concert tickets were cheaper elsewhere.

While hotels in tour destinations can increase room prices or offer value-added packages to appeal to concert-goers, hotels in nearby cities can offer discounted rates and special deals for fans looking for a good deal.

Wellness Travel & Retreats

Traveling for health, wellness, and rejuvenation continues strong into the new year. More than 40% of travel bookers polled by Expedia are likely to plan a detox trip in the upcoming year, giving rise to a travel trend called “dry tripping.” At the same time, half of travelers are interested in accommodations that offer easily accessible alcohol-free options such as mocktails. 

Many guests remain interested in sleep tourism and sleep-focused retreats, while others wish to deepen their connection to themselves or their partners.

Go-ccasions

Alongside the classic “babymoon” and wedding anniversary getaways, people celebrate less traditional milestones and plans. According to Expedia, travelers will look for any excuse to travel with family and friends in 2024.

• “Puppymoon”: celebrating a fur baby’s adoption or birthday.
• “First-date-iversaries”: celebrating the anniversary of a first date.
• Work-related occasions: celebrating retirement, or getting a new job or promotion.

To snag such go-ccasion bookings, hoteliers can get creative with special deals, group offers, and packages for weekend getaways.

Vibe Check

A hotel’s mood and feel are significant factors for 2024’s travel bookers. Commonly searched keywords include “retro,” “chill,” “vintage,” “historic,” “artsy,” “hip,” “modern,” and “beachy.” Guests are not simply looking for a place to sleep when booking a hotel; they are looking for a place that sets the tone of their entire trip and matches their Instagram aesthetic.

Branding is important. Make sure your property’s unique vibe is reflected on your website, social media, and in other marketing, and keep working on generating positive reviews!

The Simple Life

The popular cottage-core aesthetic and an increased interest in farm and country lifestyles and practices may contribute to converted mills, barns, and farms becoming three trending vacation rental types for 2024.

If your property isn’t a mill, barn, or farm but the vibe fits, hoteliers can adopt the aesthetic and atmosphere of country life to provide a restful escape to their guests—even in a concrete jungle. Hotels can also implement biophilic design into their spaces to attract nature-loving guests.

Sustainability

Various reports show travelers increasingly care about the planet, want to travel sustainably, and will choose hotels that share these values. The desire to live simply and sustainably contributes to the appeal of the country escape trend mentioned above. 

There are many ways hoteliers can reduce their property’s footprint and help guests do their part. Switching to a cloud property management system and making adjustments to conserve energy and water are impactful examples.

Gen Gen AI

Many of us experimented with chatbots and image generators this past year as generative AI became widely accessible and applicable to big and small areas of life. In 2024, a “generation of generative AI” (coined Gen Gen AI by Expedia) travelers will use generative AI to research accommodations, compare flight options, and get inspiration on where to go and find activities and things to do.

Search engines and online distribution channels like Expedia and Booking.com are harnessing generative AI chatbot technology to help travelers with trip planning. Hotels can too. From customer service to content creation, more and more lodging operations are using AI to serve guests better.

The travel world will welcome a mixture of familiar and fresh trends in 2024, which hoteliers can use to stay competitive and relevant as they navigate the new year. Greet your guests with the experience they want in a space that reflects their priorities and values to boost your bookings and bottom line.