2024 will be remembered as a year we traveled for connection—to bond over our favorite artists, sports teams, and shared experiences. We traveled—in record numbers—with the help of AI. And we adapted to our changing environment, opting for cooler temps and off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Here’s a closer look at these four trends—and how they shaped how we traveled in 2024:
1. Pop-culture trips took center stage
From Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, to the College Football Playoff National Championships, to TV shows like Game of Thrones and The White Lotus, pop culture was a driving factor behind many 2024 travel plans.
According to TripIt survey data published in February, 40% of Americans planned to take a pop culture-inspired trip in 2024—up an impressive 82% from 2023.
Related reading: 4 Trends Shaping Pop-Culture Travel in 2024
Younger generations were especially keen on pop-culture trips: 59% of Gen Zers and 58% of millennials said they were planning a pop-culture trip in 2024, compared with 35% of Gen Xers and 19% of boomers+.
Those who’ve taken them overwhelmingly agreed that the experience has lived up to the hype. According to TripIt data, 93% of respondents said their pop-culture trip lived up to their expectations. Why’d they feel this way? Almost all travelers (94%) said the memories they made during their pop-culture trip helped it live up to the hype.
Kendyl Grender, budget-travel hacking coach, was one of the many who traveled to see Taylor perform overseas—and she agreed. “I booked a trip to Amsterdam just for The Eras Tour,” she said. “There is certainly nothing else like it, and probably won't be for a long time.”
2. Americans traveled in record-breaking numbers
Pop-culture trips were just one of many reasons Americans traveled this year. And there were many, many reasons.
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), it was a record-breaking year for air travel. Earlier this month, they shared that December 1, 2024, was their busiest day ever. Officers screened 3,087,392 passengers at U.S. airports. 2024 also claimed all of the top 10 busiest travel days on record.
As for the remainder of the year, Skift reported that a record-breaking 119 million Americans would travel—including those flying and driving—for year-end holidays. And the TSA estimates they’ll screen 40 million passengers this holiday season—up 6.2% from last year.
3. AI helped travelers plan—and connect
From planning your next trip itinerary to translating on the go, AI is transforming the way we travel. And as more and more travel companies leaned into AI tools, many travelers have responded in kind with an appetite for using them.
A recent TripIt survey found that, of the gen AI tools available, travelers were most interested in:
- Language translation tools (67%)
- Personalized itinerary creation (54%)
- Smart travel assistants (51%)
- Dynamic pricing and deals predictions (42%)
- Augmented reality navigation with interactive guides (24%)
- Emerging destination recommendations (23%)
Survey data also showed that while some travelers remain neutral about gen AI, more than two-thirds of travelers expected to interact with AI-powered tools throughout their travel experiences.
And while cyberattacks and technology outages were on travelers’ minds this year, the increasing use of generative AI did not make them more worried about the related risks. More than half (55%) of respondents said AI doesn’t put them any more or less at risk for tech-related travel disruptions.
4. Travelers beat the heat on coolcations
First coined by Condé Nast Traveler in late 2023, coolcations became a major travel trend this year.
Here’s why: as global temperatures rise, vacation hotspots like Greece, Italy, and Spain are getting too hot for some travelers to handle. Alternatively, people are navigating their compasses further north—away from the heat and towards destinations known for their cooler climates.
Trips to these destinations—known as coolcations—mean fewer tourists are returning to places prone to heat, and instead, booking trips where they can still enjoy the summer sun, but at a comfortable temperature.
Read more: A Guide to Coolcations: What They Are and Where to Take Them
Just how many travelers are taking coolcations? A survey conducted by Virtuoso, a network of luxury travel advisors, found that 82% of clients were interested in taking a coolcation in 2024. And advisors reported a 27% year-over-year increase in bookings to Scandinavia in summer 2024; trips to Sweden were up 47%.
As global temperatures continue to rise, coolcations will likely grow in popularity. For now, travelers choosing alternative destinations can benefit from getting off the beaten path—which means fewer tourists, more authentic and local experiences, and better value for your money.
