The seven hottest travel trends of 2024, according to expert jetsetters

Bar that brief moment in July when the world’s airports were grounded due to the largest IT outage in history, it’s been a mercifully normal year for travel in 2024. A deluge of spectators descended on the Olympics in Paris and were greeted with little more than a Gallic shrug of protest. A swathe of ChatGPT-planned itineraries went off largely without a hitch and, much to our dismay, the ‘bleisure trip’ cemented itself as here for the long run. With January’s peak season for holiday bookings creeping ever closer into view, we at British GQ thought we’d break out our proverbial Rolodex to discover where you should be jetting to next year based on the hottest travel trends of 2024 so far. Whether you opt for an off-grid Airbnb in the middle of nowhere or Uber yourself a South African safari, here are the seven trends to pay attention to…

All-inclusive for all budgets

“In my twenties, I went to one all-inclusive resort in Jamaica with a big buffet, liquor behind the bar that was served in generic plastic bottles, and a toga party by the pool,” recalls Mel Fish, Vice President of Global PR for Expedia. Come 2024, it’s Gen Z that’s driving the new rush for all-inclusive travel, with 43 per cent of them declaring in Expedia’s most recent Unpack 25 report that it’s their preferred hotel type. A number of hotel groups have already jumped on the trend: Hyatt is taking to Cancún, Mexico to roll out the first all-inclusive in its new Vivid collection, Hyatt Vivid Grand Island… and it’s specifically targeted at Gen Z’ers.

While we’d never dismiss the cheap thrills of an Easyjet to Lanzarote in search of a week’s worth of complimentary margaritas, it’s not hard to find a more elevated spin on the concept. Hyatt’s own Impressions line majors in dockside arrivals and multi-course dinners (sans any screaming children cannonballing in the background), while W Hotels is opening its first-ever Caribbean all-inclusive later this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Go live in a house… a very small house… in the country

Caught the sudden urge to swear off modern life and live in a bunker for the next four years? You’re not alone. “Interest in a slower, more mindful way of living is huge on social media and this year we saw a 100 per cent year-on-year rise in searches for off-grid homes,” reveals Amanda Cupples, General Manager of Northern Europe at Airbnb. From Northumberland to Faygate, most of these cabins feature hot running water and a power socket to recharge your iPhone, but if completing your morning ablutions in a compostable toilet sounds a bit much, getaways to secluded British towns are also on the rise this winter. “People are craving quiet, nature-filled escapes more than ever; especially since the pandemic,” says Cupples.

Luxe tours and curated day trips

We’ve all been holed up in the back of an 87-seat coach whose air con is on the fritz and toilet resembles the Somme. So it’s little wonder 2024 has seen an increasing number of hotel groups and transport companies roll out more bespoke experiences with a select guest list. Having introduced its own Ibiza yacht, Scottish Highlands seaplane and, most recently, South African safari tour, Uber is one of the surprising leaders in this field. “These are real experiences in that you can book [them] on the Uber app,” says Andrew Brem, Uber’s UK General Manager. “Despite the fact that we’re now a 10-year-old business, we do want to have some fun.”

It’s not just Uber getting in on the act; luxe hotel group the Dorchester Collection recently introduced its ‘Legendary Art Trails’ across its properties at 45 Park Lane, Hotel Eden, Le Meurice and Hotel Principe di Savoia. From Monet in Paris to Barbara Hepworth in London and Caravaggio in Rome, each tour sees you step around its given city with your own art historian for a personalised look at those who have captured your surroundings via canvas, sculpture and beyond.

One Day in Paros