The biggest travel trend of 2022 was spending big – with people eagerly booking trips to places like Bali, Rome, London and Paris.
But two new reports show that travelers are now in a very different situation.
Trend reports from Expedia and Booking.com show that tourists are abandoning spectacular trips to global hot spots in favor of quieter trips to lesser-known – and much less crowded – places.
About 63% of travelers said they are likely to visit an off-the-beaten-path destination on their next trip, according to Expedia’s “Unpack ’25” travel trends report, which surveyed 25,000 respondents from 19 countries.
Expedia flight searches from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024 showed increasing interest in:
- Reims, France
- Brescia, Italy
- Cozumel, Mexico
- Santa Barbara, California
- Waikato, New Zealand
- Girona, Spain
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Krabi, Thailand
- Canmore, Canada
“Many destinations are becoming overcrowded,” said James Marshall, vice president of global airline accounts at Expedia. “Many of the travelers want something different. They want to escape and find equivalent destinations that haven’t been discovered by so many people.”
Cheaper and more relaxing destinations
But there are other reasons why travelers seek the road less traveled, said Greg Schulze, chief commercial officer at Expedia Group.
These destinations tend to be cheaper and more relaxing, Schulze said.
“The price of travel has gone up over the years,” he said. “Detour destinations are often more cost-effective for travelers…they can get a superior experience for less money.” Lesser-known places also satisfy the travelers’ growing interest in “authentic” experiencesSchulze said.
Marshall added that travel influences also increase the interest in new places. “Often the trendsetters are the ones who do a lot of research and find these alternatives because they feel like they have to,” he said. “Social media amplifies a lot.”
Authenticity
A trends report published Wednesday by Booking.com concluded that travelers share a desire to explore less visited places.
“There will be an increasing desire for authentic and unusual experiences,” reads the opening line of Booking.com’s “Travel Predictions for 2025” report.
About 67% of adult travelers said they want to visit less crowded destinations, according to a Booking.com survey of more than 27,700 respondents from 33 countries and territories.
A separate company report, also published on Wednesday, lists 10 “trending destinations” where the company sees growth interest annually:
- Sanya, China
- Trieste, Italy
- João Pessoa, Brazil
- Tromso, Norway
- Willemstad, Curacao
- Tignes, France
- San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
- Naha, Okinawa, Japan
- Villajoyosa, Spain
- Houston, United States
The logic of “absence”
Expedia declared 2022 the year of the GOAT, that is, the “greatest of all trips”.
But the mindset of travelers is changing, he said, with more people today embracing JOMO (joy of missing out), or the “joy of absence.”
Marshall said 62% of travelers surveyed say “JOMO travel” reduces anxiety and stress, and nearly half say it allows them to better reconnect with loved ones.
Source: CNBC