Expedia’s Unpack ’24 Unveils Next Year’s Travel Trends: Travel evolves with the fusion of entertainment and technology

Expedia’s most recent Unpack ’24 has heralded a futuristic glimpse into the travel world for 2024. The comprehensive report, a mix of global consumer surveys from 20,000 travelers and data gathered from their extensive travel platform, offers fascinating insights into the upcoming year’s travel trends, featuring everything from top destinations to the next wave in travel technology.

Entertainment-Inspired Travel Trend

The marriage of entertainment and travel has been on the rise, with shows and movies significantly influencing travel decisions. Expedia’s research found that over half of travelers have sought or booked trips after seeing destinations on TV shows or movies, surpassing the influence of social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or podcasts. Expedia’s search data demonstrated a notable surge in travel searches after the release of specific shows, such as “Wednesday” on Netflix, leading to a 150% increase in searches for Romania and a 200% spike for Paris post “Emily in Paris”.

In Singapore, a similar trend is observed, with 61% of travelers confirming their decisions to explore a destination influenced by TV shows or films, outranking the impact of platforms like TikTok. To cater to this growing trend, Expedia introduced its Set-jetting Forecast, identifying specific destinations inspired by upcoming show and film releases, including Romania inspired by “Wednesday” season 2 and Korea inspired by “Squid Game” season 2.

Destination Dupes

Expedia identified a fascinating trend called the “dupe,” offering alternatives to popular travel destinations that are sometimes more affordable and equally delightful. The top destination dupes for 2024 include Taipei (dupe for Seoul) with a 2,785% increase in searches, alongside Pattaya (dupe for Bangkok), Paros (dupe for Santorini), Curaçao (dupe for St. Martin), and Perth (dupe for Sydney), each showing significant growth in searches over the past year.

Tour Tourism

The trend of touring for events, particularly concerts, continues to thrive. An overwhelming 70% of travelers expressed a keenness to travel for a concert outside their city, with 40% even considering it as an excuse to explore a new place. Surprisingly, 30% would travel outside their town for a concert due to cheaper ticket prices elsewhere. Unexpected destinations driving this trend include Kuala Lumpur, Edmonton, Canada, and Mexico City.

Gen Gen AI

Expedia forecasts the “generation of generative AI” travelers, leveraging AI tools, will come of age in 2024. The study found that nearly half of travelers are interested in using generative AI for trip planning, especially in Singapore, where a staggering 68% express interest.

This technology simplifies the travel process, aiding in finding the perfect stay, planning activities, comparing flight options, and altering travel plans.