For our Annual Travel Trend Report 2024 we drew on Google Trend data, client data and interviews with industry leaders. Here are our top takeaways for agents: 

Embrace slow travel, community engagement and rail journeys

Travel in 2024 is undergoing a profound transformation, veering away from fast-paced itineraries towards more deliberate and immersive experiences. Slow travel beckons, urging us to venture beyond superficial sightseeing and engage with destinations on a deeper level. At the heart of this shift is the embrace of community connections and sustainable travel choices.

Simultaneously, rail travel is experiencing a renaissance. Sleeper trains and new routes across Europe, coupled with initiatives by companies like Intrepid Travel, First Choice and Byway Travel, signify a shift towards sustainable and flight-free journeys. This shift is not just about reaching destinations; it’s a transformative experience that aligns with eco-conscious choices and offers scenic routes to lesser-visited locales.

As travel agents, promoting slow travel and sustainable rail journeys presents an opportunity to steer clients towards authentic experiences and environmentally friendly options.

Agent tips:

1. Offer train travel as a standard alternative to flying in Europe. Sell the journey as part of the holiday. Agents can book train travel direct with byway.travel
   
   
2. For cultural trips in far flung destinations consider whether you really need as many internal flights. Could it be more rewarding to encourage your clients to experience a smaller part of a country, but at a slower pace?
   
   
3. Encourage clients to embrace community tourism, where encounters are not staged but genuine. Champion local connections, showcasing destinations beyond the tourist checklist. Ask yourself how certain forms of travel contribute or don’t contribute to the wellbeing of host communities.

There’s a willingness to pay for sustainability

Sustainability is no longer a choice but a conscious commitment. Gen Z and luxury travellers are especially willing to pay for responsible travel choices. However, providing transparency in where their money goes is key.

Agent tips:

1. Proactively offer sustainable travel choices – seek out hotels and book via operators that are accredited by schemes such as B Corp, Earth Check etc. These are difficult to obtain and you can be safe in the knowledge that your recommendations are good ones.
   
   
2. Educate yourself and your team. Ask hotels and tour operators to provide you with the information you need, they may be doing more than you think but are just not talking about it. Ask for sustainability fact sheets, if they are claiming to be net zero to find out how they are doing this. The more you know the more you can help educate your clients. A good place to start is Home - The Carbon Literacy Project.
   
   
3. Educate clients on the impact of their choices, ensuring transparency in how their investments contribute to local communities and environmental conservation.
   
   
4. Offsetting is not the answer. Carbon reduction needs to come first. Flying first and business class is worse than economy. Train is best.

Shoulder seasons are having a moment

Cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Venice grapple with the weight of excessive tourist footfall, prompting measures to divert travellers away from peak times. As we navigate 2024, the shift towards alternative, less-crowded destinations gains momentum. This movement, bolstered by initiatives limiting daily visitor numbers at Unesco sites like Machu Picchu and Athens, marks a pivotal step towards sustainable tourism.

Enter shoulder seasons—the antithesis of peak travel periods. Travellers are increasingly drawn to these off-peak times. The reasons vary. Parts of southern Europe are simply becoming too hot in summer, but travelling in shoulder season is also more affordable (a key consideration for most Brits as we enter 2024). Finally, travelling in shoulder season helps to alleviate the strain on overcrowded destinations. By encouraging travel during these periods, agents can guide clients towards unexplored gems, reducing the burden on over-touristed hotspots while fostering authentic, unhurried experiences.

Agent tip:

1. Steer your clients towards shoulder seasons – you’ll help them avoid extreme weather, help them with their travel budget whilst spreading visitor numbers across the calendar of overburdened destinations. Best of all, you can unlock unique and untapped experiences for travellers, who are seeking authenticity amidst their adventures.

Consider the impact of TikTok and AI on travel planning

AI is revolutionising travel planning. Platforms like ChatGPT and GPT-4, can now provide personalised trip recommendations, support dynamic price tracking and even help with flight forecasting. And it’s here to stay.

Likewise TikTok is here to stay – and it’s not just for young people anymore. A staggering 60% of US TikTok users have developed an interest in visiting a new destination after encountering it on the platform. Millennials (and not just Gen Z) are flocking to the TikTok and they are using it as a search platform rather than a social media channel, increasingly replacing Google.

Agent tips:

1. TikTok’s famously powerful algorithm has levelled the playing field, enabling brands, regardless of their size, to connect with their target audience, which is great for smaller travel agents. The key to success for agents is in crafting authentic content. Don’t repurpose content from your other travel channels – the TikTok algorithm works differently. To get you started read our ultimate guide to TikTok for travel brands.
   
   
2. Embrace AI tools (they’ll save you time, especially when it comes to marketing your business), but emphasise the human touch to your clients and distinguish yourself through expertise. Being an expert in a certain type of holiday (family sabbaticals, accessible travel etc) or destination and offering a personalised service becomes even more important.

Adapting to these trends while offering personalised experiences and authentic storytelling is crucial for travel agents in 2024. Striking a balance between technological advancements, sustainable choices and genuine connections will define a successful approach to curating transformative journeys.

You can download the full trend report at lemongrassmarketing.com/insights.

Abigail Best is the managing partner at Lemongrass Marketing, a PR and content marketing agency, which has been certified as a B Corp and was awarded Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2023.