What Should Travelers Expect In 2024? Here’s What The Experts Say

23.12.2023 - 13:01 / forbes.com / Daniel Durazo / Dan Richards

They're going farther. They're planning ahead. And they're taking bigger risks.

Travelers are rushing headfirst into 2024, experts say. And they are not letting geopolitical risks — or, for that matter, personal risks — slow them down.

“Demand for travel remains strong," says Daniel Durazo, a spokesman for Allianz Partners USA.

Indeed, a new Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Intrepid Travel found most US adults (57%) say they plan to take the same number of trips in 2024 as they did in 2023, and about 1 in 4 (26%) plan to travel more.

The poll also found that travelers are prioritizing meaningful experiences over material possessions and are willing to make them happen, regardless of their budget.

But how can that be, with a war raging in the Middle East and volcanoes erupting in Iceland? Travelers haven't written off those concerns, say experts. They've just factored them into their plans.

“We’re seeing an understandable increase in traveler concern worldwide, but it is most pronounced in the Middle East," explains Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies, a provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services. "Nevertheless, international trip takers continue to gain comfort with wartime travel."

Here are the trends that will define travel in 2024, along with the takeaway for you.

The trend to more last-minute reservations is fading fast. "In 2023, we saw sustained growth in the booking window – the time between when a booking is made and when the experience is taken," says Kristin Dorsett, chief product officer of Viator. "That means people are booking further in advance." Recent booking patterns reported by Club Wyndham, part of the world's largest vacation ownership business, show about 20% of bookings this year are for spring break in March 2024.

Why? Viator believes it's the result of pent-up demand – it’s a sign that people are excited to plan their travel. And they’re finally confident, after years of fits and starts and contending with the worldwide COVID pandemic, that their trips will happen.

The takeaway: Don't try to plan a last-minute vacation in 2024. You probably won't get far.

Reports of the demise of "revenge" travel are premature, say experts. "We’ll continue to see people bullish on long-haul travel," predicts Sasha Gainullin, CEO of the travel insurance company battleface. He says now that passport issuance times are relatively back to normal, we'll see an increase in Americans traveling abroad. But potentially dangerous situations abroad will also push more people to consider a solid travel insurance policy, just in case their vacation goes sideways.

The takeaway: Gainullin says more travelers are choosing "cancel for any reason" insurance,