Each quarter we reveal exclusive insights from our first-party data to help you tap into the latest traveler trends.
Q3 2024 data shows growing traveler enthusiasm, a shift toward shorter trip planning, and increased interest in off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Find out how travelers are searching, which destinations are top of mind, what’s driving travel behavior, and how you can use these trends to sharpen your marketing strategies to stay ahead of the competition.
Search volumes increase globally
In Q3 2024, travelers continued to plan trips and global search volume increased by 10% quarter over quarter (QoQ). This growth was also reflected across various regions.
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region saw an impressive 25% QoQ spike and a 35% year-over-year (YoY) surge in searches. Latin America (LATAM) followed suit with a 20% boost in both QoQ and YoY growth. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) also saw an increase in search activity, especially in early July, as travelers in the Northern Hemisphere mapped out their summer getaways.
How to act on this trend
Travelers are searching for trips and making plans, meaning that it’s important to keep your brand top of mind to capture this increased demand. Use native advertising to promote your offerings and experiences to travelers who are actively searching and booking across Expedia Group brands. With native placements, you can inspire and influence travelers with contextually relevant ads that blend seamlessly into their purchase journeys to connect with them at the right moment to drive bookings.
Short-term trip planning continues
As we saw in the previous quarter, travelers are eager to get away and they’re embracing spontaneity. They’re planning more short-term trips, and global searches in the 0-6-day window jumped 15% QoQ. Searches in the 0-30-day search window also saw a 10% QoQ increase globally.
How to act on this trend
With travelers planning more short-term, spontaneous trips, refresh your advertising and marketing strategies to connect with travelers looking for last-minute getaways. Hotels can use display advertising to engage travelers with last-minute deals and discounts to incentivize bookings.
Australia and Japan lead the way as top destinations for APAC travelers
What were the top searched destinations during Q3 2024? APAC travelers had their eyes set on various cities in Australia and Japan, including the Gold Coast and Osaka, which rose to the top of the list.
Here’s the full list of top searched destinations in Q3 2024 for all regions:
*New top 10 searched destination
For APAC Travelers
- Tokyo, Japan
- Sydney, Australia
- Seoul, South Korea
- Osaka, Japan
- Melbourne, Australia
- Gold Coast, Australia
- Singapore
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Incheon, South Korea
- Bangkok, Thailand
For EMEA Travelers
- London, England
- Istanbul, Türkiye
- Paris, France
- Antalya, Türkiye
- Dubai, UAE
- New York, New York
- Rome, Italy
- Çeşme, Türkiye*
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Fethiye, Türkiye*
For LATAM Travelers
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Cancun, Mexico
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Mazatlan, Mexico
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- New York City, New York
- Madrid, Spain
- Paris, France
For NORAM Travelers
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Cancun, Mexico
- Orlando, Florida
- Los Angeles, California
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- New York City, New York
- Chicago, Illinois
- Miami, Florida
- Boston, Massachusetts
- San Diego, California
How to act on this trend
Travel brands in these destinations can work together to engage travelers and capture demand through a co-op campaign. Working with other businesses that have similar marketing goals can help extend your reach with travelers, drive more demand, and get more mileage out of your budget with a joint marketing effort.
Travelers planning for end-of-year trips and 2025
While we see that some travelers are all about the now, they’re also looking forward to holiday travel and 2025 trips. In Q3, searches for November and December travel dates increased by 10% YoY globally. And with the holiday season right around the corner, travelers are searching for trips to popular European destinations starting in late November, including Cologne, Germany, Colmar, France, Strasbourg, France, and Brussels, Belgium.
But travel aspirations don’t stop there and people are looking ahead to 2025. Third quarter searches for 2025 travel dates surged by 10% YoY in APAC, EMEA, and LATAM, signaling strong demand for the year ahead.
What are travelers looking for in 2025? In our Q3 search data for 2025 travel dates, we saw that Cancun, Mexico, was at the top the list for both North America and LATAM travelers, while Bali, Indonesia, and Hamburg, Germany, emerged as the top searched destinations for APAC and EMEA travelers, respectively.
How to act on this trend
With travelers actively planning for end-of-year and 2025 trips, now is the time to target them earlier in the booking process. For hotels, consider using TravelAds Sponsored Listings to help increase your visibility and connect with travelers who are actively searching and looking to book their next getaway.
Travelers follow Unpack ‘25 trends
The Unpack ’25: The Trends in Travel report reveals how people are approaching travel in the coming year. Our Q3 data supports these emerging traveler trends, including:
Several Detour Destinations, which are trips to lesser-known destinations than the typical tourist hotspots, saw strong QoQ search increases, including Krabi, Thailand (65%), Girona, Spain (40%), Canmore, Alberta (35%), Brescia, Italy (30%), and Fukuoka, Japan (30%).
We saw strong search increases for Set-Jetting Destinations inspired by TV shows and movies, including Dubai, United Arab Emirates (30%), New York City (30%), and Cape Town, South Africa (30%).
With The Phenomena-List gaining appeal among travelers wanting to witness natural marvels, searches for November travel to the Lapland region in Finland increased 75% YoY globally as travelers looked for opportunities to see the Northern Lights.
Filter usage on Vrbo for outdoor space, fireplaces, barbeques, and pools increased QoQ, as travelers look to embrace JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) Travel and fully relax.
How to act on this trend
Whether you’re in a Set-Jetting or Detour Destination or a location that offers travelers a front-row seat to natural phenomena, our Travel Spotlights are a visually impactful way for travelers to explore and connect with your brand. Work with our award-winning Media Studio team to create a customized landing page that offers travelers engaging itineraries, informative articles, or a fun quiz that tells your destination’s story.
Events continue to drive travel demand
Travelers are gearing up to attend major events in 2025 continues to gain momentum. This is evident in the number of travelers looking to attend the Super Bowl: searches for host city New Orleans saw more than 100% DoD search increases for February 5-7 before the big game on February 9.
How to act on this trend
Look at event dates in your area and prepare your advertising strategies accordingly. Make your listing stand out with TravelAds and promote your property within the context of an event. Tailor your ad copy and highlight your property’s proximity to the event venue, available transportation options, or special group rates for ticket holders to drive bookings from event attendees.
Get started today using our global travel insights and advertising solutions to reach travelers and capture demand now and in the coming year.
About Expedia Group Media Solutions
Expedia Group Media Solutions is the world’s leading travel media network. We connect advertisers with hundreds of millions of travelers across the globe. Our exclusive first-party data on traveler trends, search behavior, and booking data provides travel marketers with unique insights to inform their strategies. We offer a full-funnel suite of solutions to help you convert travelers, and our digital experts can help you create advertising campaigns that deliver.
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