Honesty may be the best policy, but maybe not when you’re traveling.
Many of us have a tendency to fib a little bit when we’re on the road. Maybe you’ve used a fake name or tuned up your resume a little bit so now you’re earning more than Bill Gates.
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Hey, you’re on vacation, not under oath.
And it seems that you’ve got plenty of company, according to a survey by Booking.com.
🆕 Our travel predictions for 2024 are out! https://t.co/IiBDNpgwVh pic.twitter.com/yEyCHvBDHo
— Booking.com Public Affairs (@bookingcomPA) October 18, 2023
The online travel agency, which is a subsidiary of Booking Holdings (BKNG) – Get Free Report, said in Travel Predictions 2024 that 68% of travelers believe they transform into the best version of themselves while roaming, as they are “able to shed inhibitions and embrace new aspects of their personalities.”
Reimagining ‘their best self’
In addition, 62% of the respondents relish the anonymity that travel offers, and 37% tell fictional stories about their lives.
“These alter ego enthusiasts love the thrill of embodying a 2.0 version of themselves, and go to great lengths to reimagine their best self,” Booking.com said in a statement.
The report, which surveyed 27,000 travelers across 33 countries, found that 70% of Americans “enjoy the anonymity of travel and the chance of self-invention.”
Meanwhile, 57% exude “main character energy” as travelers add “an element of intrigue in 2024.”
“People around the world have emotionally checked out of the news agenda and events at home in order to take a much-needed breather,” the company said.
Aliases and avatars abound, Booking.com said, both in real life and through virtual and augmented reality.
“Those digital alter egos with a desire for wanderlust can go anywhere and do anything in the metaverse, and in 2024 the people behind them will bring their digital fantasies to life in real-world destinations,” the company said.
Where are people heading? Well, that depends.
Heading to parts unknown
More of than half of the respondents want to book trips where the destination remains a mystery until they arrive, as “travelers increasingly want to surrender themselves to the element of surprise, explore the unknown and venture into uncharted territory on vacation.”
A majority prefer to embark on their journeys without set plans, while two thirds opt for loose itineraries, allowing them to adapt as they go.
With this, AI is set to become a mainstream feature of travel next year as 48% of travelers now trust AI to plan their trips.
People also want to travel to cool locations. And by “cool,” we don’t mean funky or hip, we mean temperatures.
Record-breaking heatwaves are accelerating a rise in travelers chasing cooler climes to revive and refresh themselves.
The majority of the respondents said that climate change will have an impact on the way they plan their vacation in 2024, while over half say that as temperatures soar close to home, they will use their vacation to cool down elsewhere.
And some travelers are leaving home just to get a good night’s sleep.
The new era of sleep tourism, Booking.com said, “welcomes sleep concierges and cutting-edge tech to serve the 58% who want to travel in 2024 to solely focus on uninterrupted shut-eye.”
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