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The Biggest Travel Trends for 2024, according to Industry Experts and Insiders, Roadbook
According to Roadbook, a new digital platform for travelers, several insights from industry experts and insiders reveal the trends that will define 2024:
- Outdoor adventure and travelers seeking sustainable options, and challenging sustainability claims will continue to define the type of experiences travelers are seeking. Travelers are becoming more discerning about sustainability claims, challenging vague assertions and insisting on transparency.
- With a shift towards local experiences, local gastronomy, wellness, nature, and rural tourism experiences will be prioritized for travel in 2024.
- Rise of domestic tourism will remain strong, with travelers prioritizing trips closer to home, leading to increased exploration of regional destinations.
- Amidst the rise of contactless hospitality trends, there’s a growing appreciation for tactile experiences in hotels, emphasizing the need for personal connection, surprise and delight.
- Coffee culture and accessibility in tourism: hotels are investing in coffee shops as destination hangouts, and there’s a growing focus on taking a more holistic approach to accessible tourism to meet the needs of diverse travelers.
- Bleisure travel and young professionals: a significant portion of Gen Z and Millennial business travelers plan to extend business trips for leisure purposes, indicating a rising trend towards preference for bleisure travel experiences.
8 Tips for Creating Exceptional Event Experiences, Cvent
Several innovative strategies for enhancing event experiences have emerged at the forefront of the meetings and events industry. These include interactive installations: encouraging hands-on participation through immersive experiences and workshops, and facilitating matchmaking, themed networking groups, and creative icebreakers to foster meaningful connections among attendees. Adding personalized touchpoints by tailoring to individualized experiences through customized agendas, personalized pre-event materials, and branded video messages are also on the rise. Creating a sensory spectacle by engaging attendees with creative lighting, distinct soundscapes, aromatic wonders, tactile experiences and flavorful tastes boost engagement. Creating moments of wonder by surprising attendees with unexpected delights also bridges the need for awe and joy in a post-pandemic world. Enlisting brand enthusiasts to represent the brand, and celebrating brand loyalists also elevates the overall attendee experience. These approaches encourage event organizers to challenge themselves to create experiences that truly captivate attendees beyond just planning an event.
In a separate survey conducted by Future Partners, one of the top trends planners anticipate is the aging out of Baby Boomer meeting attendees and the rise of younger Gen Z conference goers. Because of this, planners note that they need to adjust their content strategies to attract and engage younger audiences. A much higher proportion of Gen Z and Millennial-age travelers say they have taken an overnight trip in the past month to attend a conference/group meeting and looking ahead, a larger proportion of the youngest traveler generations plan to travel for conventions in the next 3 months (23% Gen Z, 24% Millennial, compared to 15% Gen X and 6% Baby Boomers).
Boosting short-term rental occupancy rates: key strategies for success, Key Data
Maintaining high occupancy rates are crucial for maximizing profitability and satisfying property owners. Highlighting the property’s location desirability, amenities, quality of overall accommodation, showing unique features, and using high-quality photography and engaging descriptions are critical for catering to specific traveler needs. This is a sure way to optimize your listing and bring greater awareness to your property in a competitive short-term rental market marked by increasing supply. It is also important to ensure seamless stays, cleanliness, and adequate communication which directly contribute to an enhanced guest experience and positive reviews. Effective use of social media, collaborations, promotions, and partnerships with local businesses can increase visibility and bookings—this represents a multifaceted approach to optimizing the property listing, by using dynamic pricing strategies that will result in delivering an overall exceptional guest experience.
International travel update, U.S. Travel Association
Although inbound international travel is slowly returning, there is still a 22% gap to fill in terms of a return to pre-pandemic international visitor volume levels. The average length of stay of international visitors to Sonoma County is 4.2 days, and 85% of all international visitors who visit Sonoma County stay overnight. In Sonoma County, international visitors spend the greatest amount in restaurants, for lodging and accommodations, and entertainment purposes. The greatest share of total international visitor spending is attributed to visitors from Canada, Mexico, U.K., France, Germany, and Australia.
Key trends that will shape the wine industry in 2024, ISWR (International Wine and Spirits Research)
Some of the challenges in the global wine market remain a structural volume decline in mature markets, over-reliance on older drinkers, and threats from climate change which will continue to drive adoption of sustainable practices and investment in alternative packaging options. However, it will be critical to recruit younger consumers, particularly with a lower drinking age (LDA), to increase their confidence and engagement with wine since objective knowledge about wine has fallen over time. The trend toward consuming premium wines continues driven by younger consumers, although the trend is showing signs of slowing. Dominance of low-alcohol wines continues to increase in volume consumption, particularly in the U.S. In the eCommerce space, wine sales continue to grow but its share is being eroded by less mature categories like spirits, beer, and RTDs (ready-to-drink beverages).
Wellness travel trends for 2024, Vacayou
Several wellness trends will continue to dominate the travel preferences of travelers this year, these include retreats designed to combat loneliness through communal activities, nostalgic experiences that are reminiscent of childhood, termed “kidulting” will be integrated into wellness retreats, featuring activities that bring out the fun and playful activities associated with travel. Wellness tourism will also emphasize longevity by immersing participants in the lifestyles of communities known for longevity, such as Blue Zones. Bio-harmonizing trends will involve aligning with natural rhythms through nature immersion experiences, dietary adjustments, and sleep optimization sessions. Wellness retreats will increase offerings of personalized experiences based on individual human design, including tailored yoga classes and custom meal plans. Retreats focusing on breathwork techniques for stress reduction and emotional release will also gain popularity for achieving deeper levels of well-being transformation.
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