The Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) has revealed the most popular destinations for 2024 and what motivates travelers to them.
Japan and Thailand top the list, followed by Spain, Canada and Hawaii, according to a survey of members of its GHA Discovery loyalty program, with a preference for discovering new destinations and reporting a key motivation in decisions.
Europe has the most sought-after region to call next year, while remnants are booming in Asia, led by members in China, which plan more than five on average, followed by Thailand and Malaysia with more than four.
Similar to last year’s survey, GHA Discovery members’ travel plans are predominantly driven by leisure. Across regions, most respondents are planning to take no more than one business trip on average and two to four trips for leisure.
Also evident is the sharp rebound in outings in Asia, once led by China, where members planned between six and seven recreational trips (average of 6. 8), largely followed by Hong Kong (6. 7), Thailand (6. 4) and Germany (6. 1). The Middle East and Africa also stand out, with people in those regions expecting nearly equivalent business and recreation (4. 9 vs. 4. 0) in 2024.
Travellers in Asia are booking trips to Japan, China and Thailand, the same as in 2023, revealing an appetite to continue exploring intra-regional destinations.
European citizens favor Thailand and Japan for the second year in a row, but have replaced their 2023 hotspot, the United States, with a deepening in their own region, with Spain and Italy topping the list.
Travelers from Australia and New Zealand will head to Singapore and the UK in 2024, while Sydney is a popular city break destination. Those traveling to Europe also tend to stopover in Portugal.
U. S. citizens are still making vacation plans in Japan, but have swapped their trips to China for getaways to Hawaii, Spain and Thailand. This market is the least interested in stays, with an average of just over two planned.
As for the Middle East and North Africa, Japan remains one of the most sought-after destinations through 2024, although Canada and Oman are the popular new destinations for travelers founded in this region, to Italy and Singapore in 2023.
The motivations, inspirations, and personal tastes that drive those trendy destinations are accompanied by a variety of factors.
Social media is the main source of inspiration: 75% of respondents choose new places after seeing posts from friends, with Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Oceania leading the trend. Travel magazines remain a vital source in Europe and North America, but recommendations from friends and family are the most influential.
Post-Covid, members are more often opting for trips with their wife or wife and close family members, rather than solo adventures or mega-vacations with extended family members. Dining stays are also on the rise and have overtaken wellness getaways as the Ultimate Experiences option.
Loyalty programme websites and apps are now the top choice across all regions for travel research and booking, a clear increase compared to 2023. This is followed by OTAs and dedicated review portals, all preferred to brand and hotel sites, indicating that travellers want to search from a wide choice of options in one place to save time and effort.
When deciding which hotel to stay at, the quality of the accommodation and the benefits of your loyalty program are the most important factors. This marks a change from last year, when location or community and value were prioritized.
When it comes to travel, improvements are required. Special rates and hotel benefits are the most important loyalty benefits in hotels. The biggest replenishment is noted in Europe, where discounts led last year, but benefits such as room upgrades, early check-in and late check-outs are now particularly more appreciated. Across all regions, 70% of GHA Discovery elite members rank room upgrades at the top of their preferences, advocating for greater availability of this benefit.
“Travel is back on all fronts with every region thriving, and despite disruptions in certain markets, we are optimistic for another strong year in 2024” said Kristi Gole, executive vice president of strategy at GHA. “Travellers are still willing to pay premium prices to get where they want and to stay in the best hotels, but they now expect the product and service levels to match and want loyalty programmes to add value and enhance each stay.”
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TTG Asia / TTGmiceNovember-December 2023
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