Skyscanner Releases 2024 Travel Trend Report

From trending & best-value destinations to the travel vibes for 2024, Skyscanner reveals next year’s top travel trends

Whether it’s gig tripping or a visit to the land of nod, global travel site Skyscanner shares the latest trends shaping industry and traveller behaviour in its ‘Travel Trends: Redefining value through experience in 2024’ report.

Blending proprietary flights and hotels data based on millions of searches with an annual consumer behaviour study* and expert commentary, today Skyscanner reveals its top 10 trending destinations, 10 best-value destinations as well as 2024’s hottest travel vibes and types.

The top trending destinations for UK travellers:

Value for money remains a key factor for UK travellers, with the cost of the hotel (25%) and flight (22%) being the biggest factors determining the destination. That being said, it is clear that consumers continue to value travel with over a quarter (27%) of UK travellers budgeting to spend more on travel in 2024 compared to 2023, while 41% will spend the same. In fact, Skyscanner data shows that how consumers apportion value to travel comes in different forms in 2024, with price no longer solely ruling decision making.

Destinations offering the best bang for travellers’ buck in 2024:

1 in 4 (27%) UK travellers now rate the overall ‘vibe’ of a destination as an important factor when choosing where to go on holiday. This value on experience is powering several trends revealed in Skyscanner’s 2024 travel vibes:

• Gig tripping – One third of UK travellers would fly short haul to see their favourite artist live if it helped save money. So, for those looking to experience more grassroots talent, Skyscanner has partnered with live events ticketing app DICE to reveal the cities with the most gigs in 2024 for under £20 (and Leeds in the UK takes the crown!)
• Main character energy – Film and TV is the second most popular source of travel inspo for UK travellers, only beaten by word-of-mouth recommendations. Skyscanner sees this reflected whenever a binge-worthy series hits the screens, and as a result Netflix has shared some of their global content inspiring ‘main character energy’ wanderlust (spoiler… with Emily in Paris’ imminent return we’re likely to see searches to the French capital spike again)
• Budget bougie foodies – Osaka, aptly named the ‘kitchen of Japan’ tops Skyscanner’s list for foodies on a budget in 2024. It’s also one of the top trending destinations overall as travellers globally combine cost consciousness with a desire to unlock world-class restaurants – a rise in the cohort of savvy experience hunters
• Destination Zzzz – Citing it as one of the top activities for their next holiday, UK travellers really just want to visit the land of nod in 2024. Sleep health generally is a hot topic (Google Trends shows interest in sleep health has increased by 65% globally over the last five years) and travellers are becoming more mindful of this. Skyscanner’s on hand with tips from a sleep expert as well as the top three cities for a great night’s kip

What’s more, the thirst for experiences that drive greater lifestyle value, Skyscanner sees these traveller types emerging in 2024:

• Analogue adventurers – In an age of always-on and constant hype, Gen Z are craving old-school analogue adventures that ditch the digital device in favour of how it used to be done. In fact, 1 in 6 (16%) UK 18-to-24-year-olds now bring a Polaroid camera with them on holiday
• Celebration vacationers – UK travellers are increasingly looking to celebrate big milestones in style. 1 in 2 (49%) having taken a group trip to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. That being said, the group chat struggle is real – 1 in 3 (32%) said knowing where or how to communicate with their group puts them off arranging the trip altogether. Skyscanner therefore asked WhatsApp for their top tips to turn those group chat dreams into a group trip reality
• Luxe-for-less seekers – Skyscanner’s recent consumer research reveals 10% of UK travellers plan to upgrade their flight to business or first class in 2024, while 14% plan to purchase airport lounge access to get their trip off to a great start. However, five-star luxury doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. Skyscanner shares some of the best-value five-star stays around the world

Naomi Hahn, VP of Strategy at Skyscanner comments:

Skyscanner’s 2024 Travel Trends report reveals that, more than ever, cultural exploration will be a priority for travellers in 2024. We’re seeing a broad spectrum of cultural curiosity in travel, from gig trippers, jetting off to see their favourite artists, to budget bougie foodies seeking the very best food experience (at the very best price!).

The cost of living, though, remains top of mind and our money-saving tools continue to rise in popularity. Our ‘Everywhere’ search, showing prices from the lowest to highest from airports to global destinations, is the top search destination for travellers globally this year.

Check out the full ‘Travel Trends: Redefining value through experience in 2024’ report here.