The change of US travelers to lesser-known destinations abroad, among which is Corfu, as an alternative to the popular Greek islands, is one of the top 5 trends recorded by WorldVia Travel Group among American travelers in 2024.
These 5 trends are the following:
1. Unique experiences and luxury cruises drive bookings
Travelers are increasingly looking for unique experiences for this summer and upcoming 2024 travel seasons, particularly in the custom tours segment, alongside a notable increase in premium and luxury cruise bookings.
“The high perceived value of cruise continues to fuel this growing demand,” explains WorldVia CEO Jason Block. “Of the emerging destinations, Europe remains a top choice for travellers, forecast to overcome the strong 2023 season. France, in particular, is seeing a resurgence in its appeal as a travel destination due to the Paris Olympics in 2024.”
There is also a notable increase in bookings for destinations in Asia, particularly Korea and Thailand.
2. Evolving travel landscape and increasing demand for personalized travel
The travel landscape is undergoing significant changes throughout 2024, with increasing demand for personalized travel. Florida and its theme parks, which during the pandemic were an unbeatable destination choice, are recording a decline in demand. This trend is expected to continue, due to the lack of sensitivity to prices for a lower perceived level of holiday value, the anticipation for Universal’s new park in 2025, and the extremely high interest in international travel.
3. Extensive booking window that reflects proactive travelers
“The advance payment window for international air travel increased from 43 days in 2021 to 68 days in 2023, reaching around 75 days in 2024,” Block said. “Hotel bookings are seeing even bigger changes, with pre-booking windows tripling compared to 2022” commented.
The two main factors driving this trend, according to Mr. Blocks, are the increased prices, which are prompting early bookings to get good deals, and the introduction of new ships, such as Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas and Norwegian Viva, that are causing increases in demand and prices.
4. Destinations with high demand and emerging alternative destinations
Select destinations and travel types are expected to continue to see demand growth during the current and upcoming travel season. Among them is the growing demand for Thai resorts such as the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui and The Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, which will air in the third season of HBO’s popular series “White Lotus,” reflecting pop culture’s influence on travel trends.
5. Preparing for new travel regulations and trends
Travelers should prepare for significant changes to travel regulations. More countries are adopting digital entry and exit registration requirements, such as the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and the related €7 fee, due to enter into force in mid-2025. The European Union’s (EU) Entry and Exit Programme, EES, is due to be implemented in 2024, and will speed up entry to immigration checkpoints in most EU countries through digital passport processing, escaping manual checks.
