Six travel trends to prepare for in 2024
For many gift shops, museums or tourist attractions, the spring and summer season is an opportunity to bring in new customers every year, from domestic day trippers to overseas vacationers. While visitor levels haven’t quite reached pre-Covid levels they have been steadily rising with 2024 promising to see more international visitors returning to British shores.
What people are looking for from a holiday is always evolving. To make sure you don’t miss an opportunity for a few extra sales, we’ve scanned all the travel forecast lists to uncover this year's trends, highlighting our accompanying book recommendations.
1. Music tourism
Music tourism is a growing trend. Tickets for superstar stadium tours can be in short supply, so fans are increasingly looking beyond their hometown to attend. Flight searches analysed by travel tech company Amadeus for locations where Coldplay are playing were up significantly during the week the tour was announced. Taylor Swift’s Eras tour also influenced travel bookings and will be expected to bring a huge influx of visitors to the UK cities she’ll be performing in this year.
Book inspiration
Be More Taylor
Browse our Music and Musicians collection.
2. Destination dupes
TikTok’s #dupe trend is pointing people to alternative locations to predictable honeypot spots. Not only will this trend uncover more affordable holiday destinations but it speaks to concerns about over-tourism. It’s good news for the UK cities that are often overlooked in favour of London or Edinburgh!
Book inspiration
Opinionated Guide to Margate
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3. Film location hunting
Film and TV are influencing people’s choice of holiday destination more and ever, say the travel experts. In Scotland, the Outlander effect has certainly been effective in driving tourism and Bridgerton and its spin-off series Queen Charlotte have prompted interest in various English heritage sites. Expedia Group’s Unpack 24 report found “set-jetting,” as this cultural trend has been named, will continue to be popular in 2024 with 53% of travellers asked saying they’ve researched or booked a place after seeing it on screen.
Book inspiration
Outlander’s Scotland
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4. Celebration trips
More people are using a significant birthday or a special anniversary as an excuse to book a trip away, which will help spread tourism outside of peak season. But it’s not just the standard occasions driving bookings, catalysts for trips away are including “puppy moons”, “first-date anniversaries”, or even an extra-special date night, according to Time Out.
Book inspiration
101 weekends in Europe
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5. Sustainable travel
It's hard to avoid the climate impact of taking a holiday, so sustainable travel will be high on many people’s agenda in 2024 and beyond. Eco-aware travellers will be looking for inspiration on low-carbon journeys, climate conscious hotels and environmentally sensitive holiday activities.
Book inspiration
Flight-free Europe
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6. Stargazing experiences
Astro-tourism is touted to grow in 2024. This year is predicted to bring the best opportunities for seeing the Northern Lights in 20 years. Leaning into a growing desire to get closer to nature, many spa hotels or glamping resorts are incorporating stargazing into their offering, hinting at a growing demand for this activity.
Book inspiration
Stargazing around the world
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