Sustainability, AI, and ‘Slow’ Travel Set to Be Key Travel Trends in Next Three Years.
These are the key outtakes from the Italian findings of Marriott Bonvoy’s 2024 Future Travel Trends research, in collaboration with foresight agency The Future Laboratory.
Italian travellers plan to increase their spending on breaks and holidays over the next three years and will have more of an eye on sustainability than ever before. However, high temperatures in parts of Europe could impact when and where people travel for their ‘summer holidays’ in the coming years.
Other key trends will also come to the fore. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will become a key tool for holiday planning – with a fifth (22%) of people already using it for this purpose. Meanwhile ‘dupe’ destinations – that are similar to traditional holiday destinations but closer and cheaper – will be another key theme.
In addition, ‘slow holidays’ – where travellers take their time, connect with the local culture, disconnect from technology and minimise their impact on the environment – will be another significant trend.
These are the key outtakes from the Italian findings of Marriott Bonvoy’s 2024 Future Travel Trends research, in collaboration with foresight agency The Future Laboratory, which analysed the travel plans of 14,000 travellers across Europe and the Middle East over the next three years.
The rise of AI
The era of AI holiday planning is very much here – one in five Italian adults (22%) have used AI to help them plan or research a holiday – rising as high as 35% for younger adults aged 18-24.
Amongst those who did use AI, 88% say it influenced their holiday decision in some way. This includes booking the accommodation it recommended (22%), booking the transport options it recommended (24%), and trying food it recommended (27%)
Emerging trends
The research investigates several travel trends that are likely to emerge or strengthen over the coming years. Amongst them, ‘slow holidays’ are becoming increasingly popular. Four in ten Italian travellers (41%) say they have already been on a ‘slow’ holiday – and 24% have several times. Meanwhile, six in ten (60%) say they plan to go on a slow holiday in the next three years.
In addition, ‘dupe destinations’ – such as the vineyards of Northern Spain instead of South Africa, surfing in Portugal instead of Hawaii, or Morocco instead of Dubai – will be another key theme. Over a third (34%) of those intending to go away in the next three years are planning to save travel time and money by having a similar experience through a ‘dupe destination’. Solo holidays, something 37% of Italian travellers who have been away in the past three years have done in that period, will also continue to be a significant trend. This will be most prevalent amongst younger adults, with 50% of those aged 18-24 and 47% of those aged 25-34 who intend to go away in the next three years planning to go on one.
Changing Summer holiday patterns?
The extremely high temperatures that parts of Europe experienced this summer could be set to impact holiday plans in the coming years for Italian holidaymakers. Three quarters (77%) say that if these temperatures became a regular occurrence, it would impact their summer holiday plans. While there is no suggestion that people would avoid holidays because of this, some may be amending what they intend to do and when they choose to travel.
Four in ten (40%) say they would instead choose to go somewhere cooler, 25% would visit the destinations at different times of the year, and 22% say they would take different types of holidays in summer.
Spending and sustainability both up
Nine in ten Italian adults (86%) say they will be going on holidays over the course of the next three years – 84% are planning to take a holiday in 2024. Of them, 51% say they plan to ‘spend more than usual’ on holidays over the period, with 14% saying they will spend ‘much more’.
Over the next three years, sustainability will be on the agenda more than ever before. Nearly two thirds (65%) say they would be happy to pay more for environmentally friendly accommodation – however they would on average only be prepared to pay 10% more. In addition, 75% say that accommodation providers and holiday companies have a responsibility to support the local communities where they offer holidays.
For many, sustainability is already important – nearly a quarter of Italian adults (24%) say they looked into how sustainable the last accommodation they stayed in was before they booked it, with a further 23% doing so after booking. In addition, 65% say they check the environmental impact of their travel plans ‘sometimes’ – although currently only 7% say they ‘always’ do.
Value for money will be key
Whilst on the whole spending on holidays is set to increase, travellers will continue to seek good value for money and save where they can. Just three per cent of those planning to take holidays in the next three years say they won’t be looking to save money on some elements of their holidays.
A third of Italian travellers (32%) will try to save by going on more domestic holidays, while 26% will favour all-inclusive holidays, to help them plan their spending and for cost certainty. Many will also look to make savings by booking at the right time – 25% will book further in advance, while 17% will book last-minute. And 10% will use loyalty programmes to pay for some or all of their holiday with points.
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