The 12 Biggest Travel Trends Taking Off This Summer

Fan Travel

Whether you're traveling to your first (or second, or third) Eras Tour or jet-setting to Paris for the Summer Olympic Games, you are not alone. Travelers are choosing destinations based on their fandom this year. According to American Express Global Travel Trends Report, 67 percent of Millennial and Gen Z respondents (compared to 58 percent of all respondents) are interested in traveling to their favorite sporting events, like Formula 1 and the Tour de France, in 2024.

Group Travel

More the merrier applies to travel for some adventure seekers this year. Families traveling with other families; multi-generational travel or skip-gen trips where grandparents take the kids for a week; as well as gatherings of friends and family for milestone celebrations are on the rise. One benefit of group travel is being able to rent large, luxe homes in exotic places you'd never be able to afford your own vs. tiny individual hotel rooms. It also allows you to find travel with more people who align with your travel style.

Astrology Tourism

Resorts around the world are creating celestial experiences for their guests. We recently reported about the Alila Marea Beach Resort in Encinitas, CA, which offers astrology readings with detailed analysis of your birth chart, revealing patterns, possible pitfalls and potential opportunities to achieve a happy life.

JOALI BEING in the Maldives is a whole wellbeing island, where you can drift into a healing mix of stretching, acupressure and massage while floating in water with a show of constellations above.

The Cove Eleuthera in the Bahamas offers a “Tranquility Under the Stars” experience where you can stay in a luxe oceanfront room with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the ocean, plus an in-room telescope, constellation maps, and a private nighttime yoga sesh set under the stars.

Train Travel 

Travelers are looking to enjoy the journey as much as the destination by choosing to travel by train vs. by air. Condé Nast Traveller magazine reported that train travel is on the rise in 2024 as train stations around the world are renovating old infrastructure and adding popular restaurants and bars to attract more customers, including the Moynihan Train Hall in New York City and Toronto’s Union Station, which launched Union Market in May 2023 with local faves like Manotas Organics, Chocolatta Brigadeiro’s, Patties Express, and Kibo.

Spontaneous Travel

Travelers are seeking thrills and surprises now more than ever, with 52 percent of respondents in Booking.com's travel trends report saying they want to book trips where the destination is a mystery until they arrive while 56 percent are inclined to explore off-the-beaten path. There's also a shift toward spontaneous travel. Most (55 percent) prefer to jet-set without set plans, while two thirds (69 percent) prefer loose itineraries so they can adapt as they go.

Eco Plant-Based Retreats

Eco hotels are also becoming a popular trend for travelers looking to offset the impact of their trips. Nestled behind layers of flora and rice fields, Buahan in Bali is a secluded adult-only, no-doors, no-walls resort that offers escapists an eco-barefoot retreat. Enjoy guided meditation and a walk into a waterfall, after an invigorating hike.

For U.S. travelers, The Stanford Inn & Resort, an eco hotel located on the scenic Mendocino Coast in Northern California, offers stunning ocean views, an organic farm and gardens, and vegan retreats this summer and fall, including plant-based breakfasts, dinners, and cooking classes.

Stanford Inn & Resort Vegan Retreats:

• Thursday, July 11 – Monday, July 15, 2024
• Thursday, September 5 – Monday, September 9, 2024

Flying Solo 

While group travel has its perks, solo travel is an introvert's dream and a great way to meet new friends. According to the AMEX report, 76 percent of Millennials and Gen Z (compared to 69 percent of all respondents) say they are planning on taking a solo trip in 2024.

Home Swapping

For tighter travel budgets, home swapping is a great way to reduce costs, explore a new place like a local, and get more bang for your travel buck. Read I Did A Home Exchange Like "The Holiday" And Here’s How It Went to get a sense of the full home swap experience.

Off-Season Travel

Another budget travel trend is waiting to plan for the off season as travelers seek to avoid crowds and cut back on costs without sacrificing a luxe experience. Staycations are expected to be a popular alternative, according to Booking.com's report, with 43 percent of survey respondents looking closer to home, while almost half (47 percent) of parents are planning to take their kids abroad during off-peak seasons to keep travel costs low.

AI-Driven Travel

AI is set to become a mainstream feature of travel this and next year as it becomes savvier at trip planning. According to Booking.com's report, 48 percent of travelers already trust AI, like Booking.com's AI Trip Planner, to plan their trips.

Unique Culinary Excursions

Food is such a rewarding part of the travel experience. This year, Booking.com's travelers are prioritizing culinary exploration, with half planning their trips around specific restaurants or dishes. More than half (61 percent) are interested in learning about the origins of local delicacies, while others (47 percent) seek a ‘phygital’ experience -- a hybrid food experience enhanced by virtual or augmented reality.

Bucket List Travel

Travelers are also going big or going home. According to the AMEX report, 65 percent of respondents are more interested in taking a major trip in 2024 than in previous years and 72 percent of respondents would rather save money for a major trip than spend it on going out with friends.