After some challenging and unusual years in tourism, travel behavior in 2023 returned to the level it had reached before the pandemic. Many regions and destinations were even able to enjoy a significant increase compared to the pre-corona years. This shows how flexible the travel market basically is - and with it the travelers.

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Some trends, born for example from the need for as much distance from other people as possible, have remained. For example, the increased demand for vacations in a chalet. Others have long since disappeared from the scene. Think of the sandbox routes that existed in Asia, for example. But what are the travel trends for 2024?

European city as a place of longing

Julia Solonina

The luxury cruise provider MSC Cruises, for example, is reporting increased interest in trips to major European cities. No wonder, as city destinations offer a great variety of historical sights, outstanding cuisine and diverse shopping opportunities. Another advantage is the comparatively short journey to the major European cities - and their easy accessibility. Incidentally, the most popular city break destinations last year included Hamburg, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, London and Vienna.

Boutique Experiences

Mesut Kaya

Fortunately, squeezing through museums, old towns or past sights in a large tour group is a thing of the past. One of the travel trends of 2024 is therefore boutique experiences. These are tailor-made experiences that are completely customized to the wishes of the traveler. And which are undertaken in small groups, ideally with the family at most. Overnight stays in small hotels instead of large bed castles are also part of this concept.

All Inclusive - but make it luxurious!

Michelangelo Azzaritti

Whether we can actually speak of a travel trend in 2024 remains to be seen. After all, the demand for all-inclusive vacations was already clearly noticeable last year. However, this no longer has much to do with the concept as it was invented in the early 1950s. Now, the focus is on holidays that offer price certainty - and luxury on top. Having everything in one place, from different restaurants to the spa and the range of activities, also saves a lot of stress.

Sustainable travel

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This is not a new trend either. Rather, it's a philosophy that is fortunately becoming more and more widespread. Anyone traveling with the environment in mind can now choose from a variety of hotels that are completely committed to sustainability. However, the concept of Conscious Travels involves more than just protecting the animal and plant world. It's also about giving something back to the local communities. And in some cases, giving them a sustainable livelihood. Many providers are now actively encouraging their guests to give something back locally. Take Beach Clean Ups in Thailand, for example, or helping with coral planting in the Maldives.

Destinations away from the crowds

Aditya Siva

Many destinations are already complaining about overtourism and are introducing appropriate measures. In Bali, for example, a tourist tax is due from next year, and last year beaches in Italy and Greece imposed access restrictions. Ski resorts, for example in California, are also trying to steer tourist flows. For instance, by making advance booking of parking spaces mandatory. In Venice, day tourists will pay admission in future. So what to do? It's simple: One of the travel trends in 2024 will be vacation destinations away from the crowds. For example, these five travel destinations for 2024.