It seems everyone’s going off somewhere these days. Be it Tokyo, Bangkok, Taipei or places further afield, the post-pandemic era has brought out our inner wanderer and we have been revenge travelling to destinations around the world.
Changi Airport has reported that overall passenger figures in October had recovered to 90.7 percent of 2019 levels, driven by passenger traffic between Singapore and South Korea.
What’s next for 2024? The yearly Travel Predictions research by Booking.com foresees travel as the “primal pulse of life” in the year ahead. In fact, four in five Singapore-based travellers (82 percent) reveal that they feel more alive than ever when they are on vacation.
Some of the top trending destinations* for 2024 include Hong Kong, New Zealand (Auckland, Queenstown and Christchurch), South Korea (Jeju and Seogwipo) and Vietnam (Sapa).
Here are Booking.com’s seven predictions for travel in the coming year, based on research among more than 27,000 travellers across 33 countries and territories, including Singapore, combined with its insights as a digital travel platform.
1. Reboot Retreaters
In a hectic stressful world, travellers are booking trips rooted in self-improvement to bring themselves back to the life they truly want again. The new era of sleep tourism, for example, offers sleep retreats and cutting-edge tech (think beds that use sound and
electromagnetic waves to lull you into a deep resting state) to serve 67 percent of Singapore-based travellers who want to travel to solely focus on uninterrupted shut-eye. Interestingly, 55 percent of parents plan to travel alone, dropping their kids and partners to prioritise themselves.
2. Surrender Seekers
Surrender seekers are embracing the art of letting go in 2024. Instead of rigorous planning, they are surrendering themselves to the element of surprise, exploring the unknown and venturing into uncharted territory on vacation. Over half (54 percent) of Singapore-based travellers are keen to book a surprise trip where everything down to the destination is unknown until arrival, and 55 percent prefer to have no plans set in stone prior to travelling in 2024. In response to the trend, there has been an increase in tech-enabled flexible services, giving travellers the option to cancel, change plans, and buy now, pay later at the press of a button.
3. A La Carte Affluencers
Fueled by the cost of living crisis, travellers will employ money-saving hacks to cut costs, yet level up vacations with “a la carte” luxuries. About 46 percent are willing to pay for day passes to use the amenities in a five-star hotel rather than actually staying there. Majority (62%) of Singapore-based travellers also want insights and tips from AI when on vacation to upgrade experiences with suggested ancillaries and deals.
4. Culinary Excavators
Singapore-based travellers are fueled by food, too, but they are bucking next-gen food trends in favour of preserving the true craftsmanship of traditional dishes. Four in five (80 percent) want to try indigenous cuisines in 2024, while 72 percent are more interested in learning about the origins of a destination’s “must-eat” delicacies than they were in the past.
5. Mindful Aesthetes
Discerning travellers are making more conscious choices, and will hunt down jaw-dropping architecture that has environmental features at its heart. Over half (56 percent) will look for accommodation that has wow-factor sustainability innovation while 70 percent want to see the outside brought indoors.
In exchange for contributing to conservation efforts, the majority are interested in sustainable travel apps where they can unlock rewards (57 percent), such as experiences with locals in off-the-beaten-path areas (55 percent) or visiting remote locations that tourists otherwise have limited access to (50 percent).
6. Cool-cationers
The UN World Meteorological Organization has said 2023 is almost certain to be the warmest year on record – and next year could be even worse. Majority (56 percent) of Singapore-based travellers report that climate change will impact the way they plan their vacation in 2024, while 67 percent share that as temperatures soar close to home, they will use their vacation to cool down elsewhere.
Approximately 29 percent show interest in water-centric vacations in 2024. Mindful water immersion is on the rise with experiences such as floating yoga, water sound baths and snow meditation, and ice therapy retreats.
7. (Alter) Ego Enthusiasts
(Alter) ego enthusiasts love the thrill of embodying a 2.0 version of themselves, and go to great lengths to reimagine their best self. Close to three-quarters (73 percent) enjoy the anonymity of travel and the chance to recreate themselves, while 42 percent make up stories about their real life to people they meet on their travels. What’s more, well over half (64 percent) of Singapore-based travellers feel “main character energy” during their travels, with these performers empowered to be the stars of their own life.
*Destinations had to be in the top 1,000 most booked on Booking.com between Aug 1, 2022 and Jul 31, 2023, and the list was sorted by year-over-year increase and curated to ensure geographic distribution.
