On November 9, Expedia announced “Unpack’24,” a set of travel trends for 2024. The report was compiled from a survey of 20,000 people in 14 countries and regions around the world, including Japan, as well as Expedia and Hotels.com of the Expedia Group, and listed six themes. Ms. Natsuko Kimura, Representative Director of Expedia Holdings and General Director of Expedia Group Retail Japan, explained the results.
The trend of so-called “location pilgrimages,” in which visitors are inspired by scenes from TV or movies to visit locales, continues, and is expected to continue in 2024. While many of these “location trips” are influenced by TV programs and streaming service movie/drama productions worldwide, Japan is particularly influenced by TV programs (49%), with books (38%) in second place, which is also very different from the global average.
The “#Dupe” trend on social networking sites such as TikTok for Generation Z refers to a much cheaper alternative to luxury brands that looks and feels similar to the brand. In 2024, “look-alike tourist attractions” are expected to become popular as alternatives.
Specifically, the increase in searches for Taipei (2,786%) compared to Seoul, Pattaya (249%) compared to Bangkok, and Paros (193%) compared to Santorini. These look-alike destinations have already been traveled to by 80% of respondents, a trend that the company analyzes as being particularly acceptable to the younger generation, who are accustomed to Dupe.
In addition, “music tour travel” to follow favorite artists, and “non-alcoholic travel” to refrain from alcohol during travel to keep body and mind in good shape are among the trends for 2024, as well as “selecting hotels with an emphasis on atmosphere” as word-of-mouth comments containing “vibe” increased 1090% from the previous year. The global average was “calm” (33%). While the global average was “calm” (33%), “modern” (33%), and “resorts with beach/coast” (31%), “calm” (65%) was overwhelmingly selected in Japan, followed by “enjoy nature” (34%), indicating that Japanese are seeking nature and quietness in their travel destinations. This indicates that Japanese people seek nature and quietness in their travel destinations.
The last trend was the “Generative AI Era,” which showed that many users are interested in AI-based itinerary planning, such as that represented by ChatGPT.
© Source travel watch