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

Today, Expedia Group brands (Expedia, Wotif and Stayz) unveiled Unpack ’24, a comprehensive look at what’s motivating travellers 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 travellers, Unpack ’24 includes eight new travel trends for 2024, from top destinations to what’s next in travel tech.

“With ‘Unpack ’24′ we delve deep into our insights across our Expedia Brands to uncover unexpected destinations and intriguing motivations behind people’s travel choices,” said Daniel Finch, Expedia Brands Managing Director. “Whether it’s visiting a regional ‘glow up’ destination to check out a new opening, or travelling to see Taylor Swift or Coldplay in concert, these trends define the landscape of travel in 2024.”

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 travellers 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 on the Expedia blog.

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. Over 60% of Australian survey respondents say they are 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 travellers 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 on the Expedia blog, created by analysing hot 2024 tour stops along with accommodation costs.**

Expedia – 2024 Set-jetting Forecast: For 2023, Expedia predicted travellers would turn to television sets and movie screens for travel inspiration. They did, and the trend shows no signs of stopping in 2024. Over 40% of travellers say they’ve researched or booked a trip to a destination after seeing it on a TV show or movie, and almost 20% admit that TV shows and films are even more influential on their travel plans than they were before. In fact, travellers say TV shows influence their travel decisions more than Instagram, TikTok and podcasts.

Given the popularity of this travel trend, Expedia compiled its first-ever Set-jetting Forecast predicting what entertainment-inspired destinations travellers 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.”

Wotif ‒ Dry Tripping: From observing Feb Fast to Dry July, it’s clear that living a low- or alcohol-free lifestyle is becoming more common. With more and more beverage brands releasing non-alcoholic products, 2024 is set to be the year the travel industry really starts to recognise the sober-curious traveller, as close to 40% of Australians say they’re interested in staying at a hotel that offers easily accessible alcohol-free options.  

The top reason Aussies are drinking less on holiday is to save money, followed by the ability to stay in control and feel better emotionally and physically, with 14% saying while hotels and restaurants in Australia’s capital cities are starting to offer more non-alcoholic options, they’re yet to, and would like to see this trend in smaller Australian towns. Explore top dry tripping travel recommendations with Wotif’s guide.****

Wotif ‒ Regional Glow Ups:

While the beauty industry may have coined the term, now regional Australia is getting its very own glow up – a play on the phrase grow-up, typically used to describe a significant transformation in appearance and style.

As iconic Sydney restaurants establish a name for themselves in regional towns and world-class hotels pop up outside of the city centres, they may seem like familiar destinations, but thanks to a handful of new openings, they now offer a whole new experience. Almost 2 in 5 Aussies say travelling to new and different regional towns has increased in appeal over recent years, with 34% saying one or two new openings is enough to make them want to travel to a particular destination. Examples of destinations hot on the radar of travellers include Newcastle NSW, Kirra QLD, Geelong VIC, Bellingen NSW and Lorne VIC. Read more in Wotif’s guide.*****.

Stayz ‒ Alternate Occasions: Puppymoons, First-date-iversaries, and retirement-parties are in the cards for travellers in 2024. One in 4 say they are looking for ‘any excuse’ to get away with their loved ones. With almost one-third of travellers 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 holiday 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 travellers would book a weekender to celebrate retirement, getting a new job, a promotion, quitting a job.

Stayz: Outside In: It’s no surprise the pool is often the most sought-after holiday home amenity in Australia, but now otheroutdoor amenities, like cold plunges, lawn games and manicured gardens are dictating what private holiday home families and friends are booking for group getaways.****** Survey data shows that almost half of travellers book holiday homes with amenities they either cannot afford to have at home, or that they want to try out before they buy themselves. Furthermore, 1 in 4 say they would choose a holiday home with outdoor amenities, so they’d never have to leave the property******.

The trending types of outdoor amenities travellers want:

• Relaxation and rejuvenation: properties with a hot tub, cold plunge or barrel sauna
• Roaring fires: homes with a fire pit, barbecue or outdoor kitchen
• Sports and recreation: properties that have amenities like ping-pong tables, tennis courts and lawn games
• Fresh produce: travellers want holiday homes with access to fruit trees or a vegetable patch

Gen Gen AI: While generative AI tools like ChatGPT took center stage in 2023, only 15% of Australian travellers used it to plan their trip.⁴ In 2024, Expedia Group predicts the “generation of generative AI” travellers will come of age and fully embrace this tech throughout their travel journey. In fact, survey data reveals that one third of travellers are interested in using generative AI to plan their next trip, and 20% 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 travellers say they would use this tech to find the perfect stay, 33% would compare flight options, 30% would plan activities and things to do, and almost 15% of travellers would change or cancel their travel plans.

To further explore Unpack ’24, visit www.expedia.com.au/travel-trends-unpack-24 and download the full report.

Images are available for download here.

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Notes to the editor:

*Global Expedia Destination Dupe stats:

Global 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%
  

**Global Expedia Tour Tourism stats: Expedia analysed 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 destinations where fans can snag a hotel room for less than $240/night on average — often less than the price of the concert ticket.⁶

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 $145
• Edmonton, Canada – average hotel night $170
• Mexico City, Mexico – average hotel night $190
• Warsaw, Poland – average hotel night $190
• Birmingham, UK – average hotel night $200
• Houston, Texas – average hotel night $200
• Antwerp, Belgium – average hotel night $220
• Tokyo, Japan – average hotel night $230
• Perth, Australia – average hotel night $230
• Detroit, Michigan – average hotel night $230

***Global Expedia Set-jetting stats:⁵

• 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.

****Wotif Dry Tripping local hotels and experiences:

• QT Hotels: Whether it’s in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, the Gold Coast or Newcastle, there’s a delicious Lyre’s mocktail waiting for you at QT Hotels. 
• SOBAH, Burleigh Heads: Newly opened Sobah Brewery & Café, proudly Aboriginal owned and led is bringing a fresh perspective to the Gold Coast’s sipping scene.
• NONHQ, Melbourne: World First Non-Alcoholic Cellar Door  
• Brunswick Aces Bar, Melbourne: First non-alcoholic bar in Australia and the only place where every drink on the menu is available in non-alcoholic and alcoholic options. 
• Seadrift Distillery, Sydney: Australia’s first non-alcoholic distillery, having opened the doors to Sydney’s first non-alcoholic bar, Seadrift So-Bar. The bar serves cocktails that contain Seadrift Classic (a gin, of sorts, infused with botanicals of tarragon, coriander and subtly saline sea-kelp), as well as a huge selection of international and local non-alcoholic spirits. 
• Sidewood Estate, Adelaide Hills: Launched Adelaide Hills’ first-ever zero-alcohol wine and tasting flight.   

*****Wotif Regional Glow Up destinations:

• Newcastle, NSW – Not only have two five-star hotels opened in recent years – QT Newcastle and Crystalbrook Kingsley – there’s a never-ending list of must-try restaurants, bars, breweries and boutiques worth visiting.
• Kirra, QLD – Making its mark on the Southern Gold Coast this summer, is the eagerly awaited Kirra Point Precinct including the family-friendly Kirra Beach Hotel, and Kirra Beach House, set to be the ultimate beachfront dining destination. 
• Geelong, VIC – Victoria’s second largest city is buzzing, thanks to the new Geelong Quarter food and beverage precinct where the new Holiday Inn and Suites has just opened. Within the hotel, celebrity chef Adrian Richardson has also opened a new steakhouse, Maestro, showcasing the region’s best local produce and wines.
• Bellingen, NSW – Halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, much-loved Sydney food favourite Three Blue Ducks has set up shop in Bellingen, making it the perfect pit-stop for travellers heading north this summer. 
• Lorne, VIC – Merivale’s first Victorian outpost opened in Lorne early this year, turning the coastal town into an all-year-round destination, with the Totti effect said to have attracted up to 700 patrons a day. 

******Stayz Outdoor-In Properties

• Jumulu Lodge, Kangaroo Valley, NSW– Just take a look at the pool. Stunning from every angle, with an expansive entertaining deck, including outdoor fire pits.
• Calanthe Acreage Doonan, QLD – An indoor/outdoor area, many could only dream of, complete with outdoor hot tub.
• Private Oasis, Wooyung, NSW –Over a dozen varieties of fruit trees and an organic vegetable garden for guests to use, plus a recovery space with sauna, hot tub and ice bath.
• Ultimate Luxury Beachfront, Gerroa, NSW – Imagine lounging in the hot spa watching the waves down the beach or getting cozy by one of the two fireplaces while you watch the moon settle on the water at night.

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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. 

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