Customer engagement will thus be mainly driven by personalization, and travel companies will need to adapt to this demand quicker than ever.
With a busy and rather hectic year behind us, 2024 is set to be a pivotal one for the travel industry, as it enters a new post-pandemic phase. The revenge travel rush is now over, and along with that, new trends and technologies have emerged globally that have interesting implications for consumers, businesses, and the whole industry, directly shifting people’s mindset, behavior, and approach to the travel landscape today.
Personalized Solutions and AI-Powered Innovations
One of the main travel trends stealing the spotlight in 2024 is personalization, with more people requesting tailor-made and authentic travel solutions. Today’s holidaymakers want the chance to create interest-specific, individually tailored trips that allow them to fully immerse in the destination’s culture, people, and traditions instead of the regular holiday packages available. Now it’s more about hidden-gem spots and custom-themed activities such as wellness retreats, culinary, art, history or hiking tours, authentic local experiences, cultural trips and long-haul adventures or specific destinations (often inspired by social media and streaming services) that take the vacation to the next level. Customer engagement will thus be mainly driven by personalization, and travel companies will need to adapt to this demand quicker than ever. That said, the human workforce will go hand in hand with further integration of AI tools that are predicted to have an even broader influence across the travel sector throughout 2024 and beyond. From receiving one-of-a-kind destination recommendations and the most efficient flight bookings to taking advantage of personalized itinerary planning services in a matter of seconds. Not to mention the business development aspect with AI-generated data analysis to draw conclusions and make predictions about consumer travel habits, business practices, smart pricing strategies and new partnership opportunities. However, it is worth noting that fully automated, AI-powered services often tend to create confusion, which is why there’s still plenty of room for improvement, and to this day, AI works best when coupled with real-life human support.
Affordable Luxury and Focus on Bleisure Trips
2024 will also be the year of “value per money”. Along with the ongoing inflation, people will be looking to cut travel costs and get more for the same price. Cheaper destination alternatives or so-called travel dupes are gaining popularity along with affordable luxury where style meets budget-friendly travel solutions. Traveling off-season, planning well in advance, taking advantage of reward programs and looking for all-inclusive deals are just some of the ways to enjoy an upscale vacation for less without sacrificing comfort.
As more people across the globe also choose to prioritize their well-being and take control of their daily schedules, I expect the emerging “bleisure” travel trend to get even more attention in the year ahead, where travelers combine business matters and leisure. It can involve planning a work trip with some free time activities before or after working hours. Or it can also mean a few days on the beach after a conference or enjoying a city break on the weekend before a big meeting that doesn't require taking any extra days off.
Sustainability as the New Standard
Lastly, in 2024, we will see society becoming increasingly conscious about its carbon footprint as sustainability gains momentum. It has been a hot topic for the past few years, but now actions are finally starting to speak louder than words. Today’s vacationers want to explore the world in a more responsible manner to reduce environmental impact and help local communities as part of their travel experience. That ranges from purchasing sustainable aviation fuel to doing volunteer work and supporting the local economy while exploring a new holiday destination. But then again, this trend is also majorly influenced by the global economic situation. Those with limited funds will not prioritize the carbon footprint and will end up selecting cheaper travel options instead. Nonetheless, at this point, sustainability has become more of a lifestyle than a trend, and it's certainly not going anywhere. Whether we choose to adapt to its evolution or not.
As Executive VP of Industry Relations at Trevolution Group , Peter is responsible for business development, market research, and pricing strategy. His background in business management and the travel industry furthers the success of Trevolution Group, part of the Dyninno Group of companies. Peter became Executive VP of Trevolution in 2023. Previously, he was CEO of the International Travel Network (part of the Dyninno Group) for 10 years. In 2008, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the company. He joined Dyninno Group in 2005 as a Management Analyst at the International Travel Network. Before that, Peter was the Account/Project Manager at Slovenské elektrárne. Peter has an MBA from California State University. He has a Master of Science in Foreign Trade, having graduated from the University of Economics in Bratislava. Peter has been a member of the American Society of Travel Agents since 2009.