Sarah's 2024 Travel Predictions

What will this year look like for travelers?

Before the pandemic, travel was much the same every year for more than a decade. Sure, the hot destinations came and went, but generally the outlook was stable and the trend was growth, always growth. The pandemic of 2020 changed everything. Aside from an abrupt and complete end to any work in travel, the result of those few years of upheaval is a travel market that seems to change every five minutes.

Part of my job as a tour operator is to track trends. With the help of our awesome trade group, European Tour Operators Association (ETOA), I have some interesting data to look at and make strategic decisions about our offerings, social media strategy and so on. I also track these trends from the POV of a travel journalist, which is similar and also totally different.

In the end, I get a pretty interesting picture from all of my sources which informs my writing and my tour program. And why should this be of interest to you? While I think it’s interesting to give you a peek behind the curtain, these trends can also help the average traveler understand when to book a trip, how to score the best airfare, and which destinations are going to be popular (and full of Instagrammers.)

I was asked recently to be a guest on a TV show and give my predictions for 2024. I may be right but I may be wrong. I have no crystal ball, so please don’t complain to me a year from now! But I can make some good educated guesses.

Here are my predictions for 2024 travel, along with how this is news you can use: