Hello readers and clients, can you believe it! It's December, 2023 is nearly behind us, I hope you are all doing well, and looking to enjoy the holidays with your family & friends. I've been onboarding 2024 clientele consistantly since Sept. It has been quite a year for Mr. Travel Agent, LLC and 2024 is looking even better, with advanced 2024 onboarding up 100%, compared to 2023 advanced onboarding in December of 2022. I'll do a more personalized recap of 2023 for Mr. Travel Agent, LLC later this month or early next year. My advanced 2024 client capacity is already at 30%, of where I'm ending in 2023.
This also is the time of year when industry year end surveys and looks ahead come out, to get a sense what you the general client public are thinking in the way of how/where/why you are traveling in the upcoming new year. I know people tend to love surveys and results, so I found this interesting and worth sharing some of the data. So let's take a look at 2024 together!
Out of 100% of repondents to the survey, 96% said they will be traveling in 2024.
Top Factors for travelers in making travel decisions?
44% Regional Political Instability
43% Increased Cost of Traveling & Inflation
24% Overtourism
22% of respondents said they are cutting back on other big purchases to continue to travel at the level they are use to.
66% of respondents said increased costs have not impacted their travel plans for 2024
86% of respondents said they are planning to spend the same or more than last year.
45% said (nearly half), that airline delays and cancelations are their top stressors when planning travel.
28% said dealing with large crowds influences decisions on travel planning
27% said concern for illiness or injury abroad can determine destinations/distance/region.
26% said safety & security are decision makers
What are 2024 travelers looking for on their upcoming vacations?
67% said they will travel to explore new destinations, instead of returning to places they been before.
50+% said adventure, active, nature and wildlife experiences are driving their 2024 travel destination decision making.
Europe looks to remain the most popular destination for 2024 with 54% of all respondents saying they are going to Europe in 2024. However definite interest futher abroad is starting to return to travelers mindsets. With over 50% stating they plan to travel to Asia,Southeast Asia, Australia or New Zealand in 2024, this is up from 37% in 2023.
The survey found that more than 50% of all respondents are planning at least a 1 week, if not a 2 week trip abroad, and the number of travelers planning longer extended trips has doubled since 2023. This is likely due to growth in remote working becoming more acceptable.
Lastly with travel destinations having higher prices, and inflation to deal with, these rising cost have lead to finding that 87% of all respondents were taking out travel insurance for 2024 travel plans, up from 79% in 2023. I highly recommend travel protection to all my clients.
Mr. Travel Agent, LLC's Personal Thoughts on this surveys results?:
2023 was really the first full on recovery year for the travel industry coming out of the pandemic. While people were traveling throughout 2022, many were still holding off their return to travel, due to not only the pandemic, but the finanical stresses the pandemic put on many who love to travel. Mr, Travel Agent, LLC grew onboarding by over 50% in 2023 vs 2022. The survey shows that most travelers are planning on spending just as much on travel in 2024, if not a higher amount dedicated to travel in 2024. Though something not mentioned above, the survey reflected that 10% less (23% down from 33%), plan on traveling 4 times in the year, than in 2023. So that says people are traveling at the same level they are used to cost wise, not cutting back on trip costs, but perhaps knocking those travel plans down by a trip less due to economic reasons. It shows that wars & unrest in Ukraine & Israel are absolutely influencers to those regions of the world. That overtourism is always a concern of some travelers. Many Travelers are looking to the new exploration of global destinations, even if those destinations are different places in a country they are returning to, to see more of that country.
In reflects that Eco-Tourism is growning, as it has been for a few years now, and influcing more and more travelers in their travel planning. Did you know that my affiliate host is now a B Corp?, and we are very proud of this accomplishment and certification by the US Government, who now recognizes us as a travel agency that is passionate about the globe around us & its people. We recognize Eco-Tourism as very important step in the right direction for the world of tourism. Europe will always keep the royal crown at the forefront of global travel, but now with Asia coming back strong after suffering years of restrictions and closures, it seems Asia will overtake other continents of the world.
Finally, It looks like more people are looking to go away for longer spans of time, instead of quick getaways. While this is nothing new to my well traveled clientele, as I frequently curate 1-2-3 week international itineraries.
Where can Mr. Travel Agent, LLC send you in 2024?
Just about anywhere your heart desires, it is time to check a few more places off those bucketlists in 2024.
Keep Traveling!!! & Mr. Travel Agent, LLC will take care of everything!
