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IMAGES: GETTY


regions | europe


percent stating they would also consider using AI once they reach their destination to help with insights and tips on the local area. Meanwhile, older generations are more hesitant, with 39 percent of baby boomers stating they wouldn’t trust AI technology to plan their travels. “In an age of indecisiveness, people are becoming more comfortable leaving the decision-making up to machines,” Doughty says. “Some booking sites use chatbots to narrow down travel destinations, so if you want to travel somewhere in Europe but don’t know where to start, it might be worth consulting an AI tool.”


Reassuringly, Audley Travel’s Premium Travel Report highlights that 75 percent of those surveyed placed importance on having advice from someone with specialist expertise on the destination. Advisors must embrace new AI tools, while remembering that the human touch is still vital for many of those trying to plan trips.


Timely travel


The next couple of years are rife with exciting international events, which are driving bookings in host countries. The summer Olympics (26 July to 11 August) and the Paralympics (28 August to 8 September) taking place in Paris this year are inevitably going to be a reason for the rise in interest in travel to the capital city. Searches for travel to Paris are up 41 percent during the Olympics compared to the same period last year. But interest in other destinations based around sporting, cultural and events is growing


NEW EUROPEAN TRAVEL TACTICS


A shift toward post-Covid ‘revenge travel’, AI-led booking, traveling for specifi c events and seeking fewer crowds are just some of the forecasted trends for this year. By Tamsin Wressell


too. Searches for travel to Germany during the month of the UEFA Euros (14 June to 14 July) has increased by 36 percent compared to the same dates last year. This trend is also expected to be seen in booking for Barcelona for the 37th edition of the America’s Cup sailing championship (August to October 2024). This trend can be seen beyond just sports, as traveling purposefully for carnivals, music festivals, food events, art exhibitions and natural phenomena is on the rise. For example, the sun is on its way toward a new solar maximum, when there is much more activity than usual and only peaks every 11 years. This results in a more spectacular show of the aurora borealis from now until 2026. Consequently, there has been a 72 percent increase in searches for travel to Bodø in Norway year-on-year, according to eDreams ODIGEO’s data. Also 2024’s European Capital of Culture, Bodø sits just north of the Arctic Circle, in a prime position for viewing the northern lights.


ANALYSIS


New lodges and experiences are opening up to cater to the rising interest in travel to destinations where the northern lights are at their most visible, in Bodø and beyond.


Destination dupes


As demand for already popular destinations rises, limited availability and increasing prices has led to a TikTok-inspired hunger for ‘destination dupes’ — doppelgängers that are less crowded, lesser-known and can be booked for a fraction of the price.


“When it comes to planning the next


vacation, many travelers prefer going to some of the most popular tourist destinations around the world, to see the pyramids, explore the jungle, surf the ocean or climb the highest mountains,” says Zach. “However for more and more people it has become the new trend to find the next bucket-list spot before it even starts trending.” Travelers’ increased desire for a quieter and more individual travel experience,


alongside the appeal of lower prices and better availability, will translate to increased bookings in already popular European destinations during off-seasons.


Regardless of tactics, whether that be


using generative AI tools, sniffing out obscure destinations, or finding off-season deals, travel advisors need to be aware that potential clients are getting much savvier in their planning and more specific with their travel goals.


View of Cape Barcelona cityscape


with the Sagrada Família Left: Booking with artificial intelligence


The effects of pandemic lockdowns are still rippling through travel trends in 2024, with recent years’ increase in bucket-list bookings set to continue; travelers are keen to make up for lost time. “Since pandemic restrictions have been


relaxed, there has been an uptick in what has come to be known as ‘revenge traveling,’” David Doughty, aviation expert and CEO of Admiral Jet says. “This phenomenon refers to people traveling more than usual in retaliation for all of the lockdowns they’ve had to live through over the last few years. ... Portugal, Italy and Spain were the most popular European holiday destinations this past summer and are likely to attract more visitors next year.”


90 | ASTA | Worldwide Destination Guide 2024/25 Online travel company eDreams has found


in its research that as borders have re-opened, a key motivator for travel is to focus on ticking things off a bucket list. However, its forecast is that this will gradually decrease throughout the year, with a shift towards European travel centered around more off-the-beaten-track adventures. Here are some of the other trends forecast for the upcoming year.


AI-led booking Experts are noting a growing trend within the travel industry for consumers to rely on AI recommendations for travel destinations, fl ight options and itineraries. Algorithms can take people’s interests and cross-reference them with popular tourist hotspots to suggest countries to


Formentor from near Pollença, Majorca


europe | regions


“In online slang, dupes are cheaper versions of luxury brands,” says Melanie Fish, chief trend tracker for Expedia Brands. “In the Expedia Trends in Travel report, dupes are destinations that are a little unexpected, sometimes more affordable, but every bit as delightful as the tried-and-true places travelers love.” Destinations like Palermo, Taipei, and Québec City top Fish’s list of interesting dupes for 2024. This trend is noted by Mercedes Zach, a travel expert at ASAP Tickets (part of Trevolution Group), who predicts that the Azores and Germany’s Black Forest will be emerging destinations for 2024.


the individual that they might enjoy. Exactly how this trend will impact travel habits remains to be seen. While only six percent of travelers used AI to plan their trip in 2023, according to Expedia Group’s Unpack ‘24 report, the prediction is that the new generation of travelers will fully embrace this tech throughout their journey. Personalized planning services are also


becoming more accessible. Booking.com predicts a rise in AI-led bookings for 2024 and beyond. After surveying 27,000 people across 33 countries, the online platform has found that nearly half of those surveyed would be interested in using AI tools to plan their trips for 2024, which will have big implications for travel advisors in the future. Millennials were found to be most likely to use these tools, with 62


Worldwide Destination Guide 2024/25 | ASTA | 89


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