Travel experts predict five trends for European fall/winter 2024
Using expert insights from a variety of travel sectors—from ultra-luxury trends a la onefinestay, to budget-travel insights from a& o Hostels, to family travel predictions from Evermore Orlando Resort, and much more, see below for the top five travel trends for fall/winter 2025, providing a snapshot of what to expect for the next 6 months in travel, and beyond.
Trend #1: European destinations will continue to top chats into fall and winter. While European destinations like Greece were hot this summer, smarttravelers are sitting the “Euro-summer” out and booking for the fall and winter. Intrepid Travel reported a61% increase in shoulder season reservations to Western Europe last year – and that number is expected to continue to grow this year.
- Examples: On the budget-travel side, a& o Hostels, the largest budget-friendly hostel brand in Europe, had an impressive 78% room occupancy across the portfolio fall of last year and is already seeing strong bookings for this year, particularly in Copenhagen, Rotterdam, and Munich. Luxury hotels in Santorini like Santo Collection are continuing to see a demand for a longer “peak” season with a strong volume of bookings into September/October as travelers look to escape the crowds, escape the record-breaking European heat, and take advantage of the fall in airfare prices. Additionally, luxury rental brand onefinestay, is seeing a boom in travel to London for the fall. English football teams are home to some of the best players in the world and, as the new season gets underway later this month, the brand has seen bookings by men in Chelsea and Islington increase 66% YoY, often with guests inquiring about experiencing a London football match during their stay.
Trend #2: Quiet travel welcomes silence and solitude. Based on Pinterest's data, there have been over a billion travel-related searches in the past year, with searches for "quiet life" surging by an impressive 530%. This desire for simplicity has also influenced travel trends, with searches for "quiet places" and "calm places" rising by 50% and 42%, respectively. The report highlights that people are increasingly interested in digital detox travel and nature-focused destinations, seeking relief from modern life's continuous connectivity and digital distractions.
- Examples: Brands such as Songtsam Resorts are seeing a surge in American travelers–especially with pent up demand from over the pandemic to Asia (as markets are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by EOY). Founded by a former documentary filmmaker-turned hospitality CEO to preserve the essence of Tibetan culture by supporting the economic development of the local communities within Tibet and Yunnan, the brand is in a massive growth phase with multiple properties within the brand expected to open in 2024, 2025, and beyond. The hospitality company offers truly remote and authentic experiences that open its travelers to deep spiritual experiences within a majestic landscape. Also, brands such as Santo Collection are arising due to this demand—i.e., located in Santorini but nestled in places of seclusion, such as cliffside, like Santo Pure and newly opened Santo Mine and The Villas by Santo Collection. Travelers can lean into the very intentional silence of the property and lounge at the pool without any music buzzing in the background, enjoy the sunset overlooking the sea from a private jacuzzi at their suite without the noise or sights of tourists walking by, or join a yoga instructor for practice on an isolated deck.
Trend #3: Destinations Rewarding Sustainable Travel Will Capture the Attention of Travelers. – On average, 81 percent of consumers say they want to act more sustainably, but only 22 percent have changed their behavior (2023 sustainable report by Kanter). With sustainability becoming an increasingly important consideration in the travel industry, the question becomes about how to get people to put these beliefs into action – and many destinations are looking towards reward programs and incentives as the answer.
- Examples: a& o Hostels, the first hostel brand to commit to becoming net zero by 2025, is noticing that many of the destinations where they’re based are turning towards rewards as a way to incentivize people to travel sustainably. For example, in Copenhagen, the city has launched “CopenPay”, where travelers can earn rewards at Copenhagen attractions ranging from a free lunch or a cup of coffee to a kayak tour or even a free entrance to a museum. All you need to do is, for instance, bike instead of drive, help maintain the city, work in an urban garden, or pledge to sustainable behavior. Travelers want simple, turnkey ways to travel sustainably and brands and cities are finding new ways to make it an easy choice for them.
Trend #4: ‘Gramping’ Will Continue to Dominate Family Travel. ‘Gramping’, also known as skip-generation travel where the vacations just include the grandparents and grandkids, is the biggest new buzzword in travel. About 40 percent of grandparents say they travel with their grandchildren, according to a new "Grandparents Today” survey from AARP Research. They report spending an average $1,746 a year on these trips and about one-third of grandparents have taken their grandchildren on skip-gen trips.
- Examples: Orlando is one of the most visited domestic travel destinations YOY–and the new Evermore Orlando Resort is a perfect example of how the hospitality industry is responding to group travel demand in destinations of the such. Constructed entirely with group travel in mind, the new resort complex with over 2,000 bedrooms across an array of homes, flats, and villas was created with space, comfort, and style in mind. This includes a bathroom for every bedroom, a seat at the table for every head (which can include up to 32 people in a home), and an array of impressive amenities including a 20-acre white sand beach and lagoon (!) for the whole family to enjoy. Since the pandemic, family travel has picked up significantly for brands like luxury rental brand onefinestay, the luxury rental company, and their hyper-personalized model of service makes it easy to accommodate activities that both grandparents and grandkids will enjoy. With their 24/7 concierge team, they can tailor experiences to the interests and ages of the group and arrange activities such as in-villa cooking classes that reflect the culinary traditions of the destination to yacht excursions, private guided nature walks, and more.
Trend #5: Travelers are Choosing Emotionally-Charged Travel Experiences Where Property Staff Take the Spotlight. An emerging trend in the travel industry is the growing preference for emotionally charged travel experiences, where property staff play a central role. This trend extends to luxury properties that move away from the traditional, detached white-glove service and, instead, emphasize personal interactions, involving staff more intimately in the traveler’s experience and fostering genuine relationships. According to Virtuoso’s recent conference, Intangible priorities and emotions are now taking priority over bucket list experiences.
- Examples: Ultra-Luxury cruise line Seabourn hears from its guests that the biggest reason they return is the service and family-like atmosphere – and that’s by design. With emotional intelligence being the top characteristic for hiring, the brand creates a deeply personal atmosphere for guests to interact with the crew and makes them an integral part of the journey. The brand is famous for ‘Seabourn Moments’ where the crew goes the extra mile to make the voyages meaningful – from small gestures such as remembering guests’ go-to coffee orders to creating completely bespoke ‘surprise and delight moments’ based on individual interests shared with them in passing, like cooking guests their favorite childhood dish or performing a live rendition of a couple’s first dance song for a wedding anniversary. Other hospitality brands, such as Turtle Island, a private island resort in Fiji, foster real connections between guests and its Fijian staff. Many guests have visited the Turtle Family’s personal village homes and guests are also invited to enjoy kava six nights a week with the staff, alongside much laughter, singing, and socializing around the hand-carved kava bowl, or ‘tanoa,’ which has been lovingly tended for years.
