There’s always some hot new trend in the world of travel, as well as some that are falling out of fashion. As you look to the year ahead and start booking your getaways, these are some of the travel trends that are becoming less popular in 2024.
- Skiplagging as a way to save money on flights - Also known as “hidden city flights,” skiplagging became a trendy travel hack over the last few years. The way it helps flyers save is that instead of booking a non-stop flight to a destination, they book their destination city as a layover, then get off at that airport. Instead of booking a non-stop flight from New York City to Orlando, you could book one from NYC to Dallas, with a stop in Orlando, where you get off the plane, and it could save you a few hundred dollars. So why is it “out” this year? Airlines are cracking down on the practice even harder, with some threatening to ban skiplagers from flying their airline, revoking their airline status, or even charging them for the more expensive ticket.
- Cash tips for housekeeping - Research shows that fewer Americans are using cash to pay for purchases every year, which means they may not have cash on hand to tip industries that rely on cash tips, like hotel housekeepers. Some hotels are trying out mobile tipping options with QR codes in rooms for guests to leave gratuity, like Grazzy, which is now the preferred digital tipping platform for Hyatt Hotels.
- Jam-packed vacation itineraries - The “slow travel” movement is becoming more popular, with the idea being that you simply slow down on a trip so you don’t get home and feel like you need a vacation after your vacation. According to Amanda Al-Masri, the vice president for wellness for Hilton, 2024 is the “year of the great recharge,” when travelers will give up those over-scheduled itineraries and relax more on their trips.
- Visiting “over-touristed” destinations - Overtourism has become a hot topic, as a growing number of popular tourist destinations start to charge visitors with new taxes and fees. Venice, Italy, will start charging day visitors $5.38 this year, Bali is going to charge visitors $10 a day, and Amsterdam will have the highest tourist tax in Europe in 2024, hiking room rates from 7% to 12.25%.
Source: Forbes