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Q4 Traveler Insights: Travelers plan for the holidays & 2025

Dive into the latest traveler behaviors and trends based on our exclusive first-party search and booking data from Q3 2024.

author
Richard Kocher

November 14, 2024

 Each quarter, we reveal exclusive traveler insights from Expedia Group’s first-party data, highlighting key demand trends and the latest traveler behaviors.

 

Q3 2024 data shows that while travelers are focused on short-term trip planning, they are also looking ahead in preparation for the holiday season and 2025. Travelers are planning early for trips around sports and political events, as well as booking vacations in off-the-beaten-path destinations.

 

Keep reading to discover additional Q4 2024 travel trends and how to apply these insights to drive success through the remainder of the year and beyond.

Search volumes surge

Travelers are moving full steam ahead on trip planning, as evidenced by a 10% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) increase in global search volume.¹ Individual regions also showed varying levels of growth. 

  • Asia Pacific (APAC) saw the strongest search volume increases last quarter, leading with a 25% QoQ increase and 35% year-over-year (YoY) uptick in searches. 

  • Latin America (LATAM) also experienced significant growth, with search volumes up by 20% QoQ and YoY.  

  • Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) showed strong search increases during the first weeks of July as travelers planned their summer holiday trips.   

TAKEAWAY

Takeaway: Increase visibility with travelers searching

As travelers ramp up their searches, help your hotel stand out from the crowd by using Accelerator to boost your visibility in search results and capture Q4 demand. Accelerator now has new product features such as advanced visibility settings and enhanced filters that help you customize your promotions by date or country. 

 

For Vrbo hosts, here are some practical strategies to boost your visibility with travelers and capture demand as they are searching and planning end of year trips. 

Update your listing with high-quality images

Maintain consistent and prompt communication with guests

Encourage reviews to ensure your property is top of mind with future guests

Short-term trip planning continues

As we saw in the previous quarter, travelers are following their wanderlust whenever it hits, even if it’s at the last minute. They are planning more short-term trips, as searches in the 0-6-day search window increased by 15% QoQ globally.

Takeaway

Capture last-minute demand by offering special deals

With travelers planning in the short-term, hotels can capture spontaneous bookings by offering enticing last-minute deals to incentivize travelers to book a quick getaway. Vacation rental hosts can enable Instant Booking so guests can book your property quickly without friction. 

Holiday and 2025 trip planning ramp up

While many travelers were searching in the short-term during Q3, holiday travel planning was also in full swing. Searches for November-December travel dates increased by 10% YoY across all regions. With the holiday season right around the corner, travelers are planning trips to popular holiday destinations starting in late November, including Cologne, Germany, Colmar, France, Strasbourg, France, and Brussels, Belgium.   

 

But travel plans don’t end with the holidays. Comparing YoY, searches during Q3 for 2025 travel dates increased by 10% in APAC, EMEA, and LATAM, a promising sign of strong travel demand for the upcoming year.   

 

What destinations are travelers seeking out for 2025?   

  • Cancun, Mexico was the most popular destination for travelers in North America (NORAM) and LATAM, which is a destination that consistently appears on our quarterly top destinations for both regions.   

    •  

  • Bali, Indonesia broke away from typical patterns we see on the top searched destination list for APAC travelers, emerging as the top destination for the APAC region.  

    •  

  • Hamburg, Germany was the no. 2 top searched destination for EMEA travelers, another destination not commonly on the top 10 list.   

TAKEAWAY

Expand booking windows and set competitive seasonal rates

Since travelers are already eyeing 2025 trips, get ahead by setting your availability now to capitalize on early bookings. Hosts can use our calendar tool to expand booking windows and capture early demand.  

 

Pro Tip: Lock in competitive seasonal rates to drive more revenue during the busy holiday travel season.  

Unpack ’25 trends on display in quarterly data

We recently launched our Unpack ‘25 report, which takes a look at the top trends that will define how people will travel in the coming year. Q3 data supports many of these emerging trends, including:

 

  • Detour Destinations: Several of the Detour Destinations included in the report saw strong QoQ search increases, including Krabi, Thailand (65%), Girona, Spain (40%), Canmore, Alberta (35%), Brescia, Italy (30%), and Fukuoka, Japan (30%). 

    •  

  • Set-Jetting destinations: We also saw strong search increases for several of the Set-Jetting destinations including Dubai, United Arab Emirates (30%), New York City, New York (30%), and Cape Town, South Africa (30%).    

    •  

  • The Phenomena-List: During Q3, searches for the Lapland region in Finland for November saw an increase of 75% YoY globally as travelers planned ahead to see the Northern Lights. Travelers are also eager to see the ballet of Japanese cranes during February and March, as searches for those months increased by over 20% YoY.  

    •  

  • JOMO Travel: Filter usage on Vrbo for outdoor space, fireplaces, barbeques, and pools increased QoQ.  

TAKEAWAY

Connect with travelers through Premier Host or VIP Access

Eligible hosts should consider joining our Premier Host program and hotels can join our VIP Access program. With both of these programs, you can unlock exclusive benefits to help increase your visibility with potential guests.

 

Download the full Unpack ’25 partner report to learn more about how to take action.   

Australia and Japan lead the way as top destinations for APAC travelers

Various cities in Australia and Japan rose to the top of the list of top searched destinations in Q3 for APAC travelers. Insights from our recent study with Atomik Research also show that Australia and Japan are some of the most popular destinations for this audience.  

 

In addition to these countries, several cities throughout India and the Middle East also piqued APAC travelers’ interests, including New Delhi, Mumbai, and Dubai, which experienced 50% search increases QoQ.  

 

Check out the full list of top searched destinations for all regions.  

Top searched destinations by region

*New top 10 destinations

For APAC travelers 
  1. Tokyo, Japan  
  2. Sydney, Australia  
  3. Seoul, South Korea    
  4. Osaka, Japan  
  5. Melbourne, Australia  
  6. Gold Coast, Australia  
  7. Singapore  
  8. Fukuoka, Japan  
  9. Incheon, South Korea   
  10. Bangkok, Thailand 
For EMEA travelers 
  1. London, England
  2. Istanbul, Türkiye
  3. Paris, France
  4. Antalya, Türkiye
  5. Dubai, UAE
  6. New York, New York
  7. Rome, Italy
  8. Çeşme, Türkiye*
  9. Palma de Mallorca, Spain
  10. Fethiye, Türkiye*
For LATAM travelers 
  1. Mexico City, Mexico 
  2. Cancun, Mexico 
  3. Sao Paulo, Brazil 
  4. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
  5. Mazatlan, Mexico 
  6. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico    
  7. Playa del Carmen, Mexico    
  8. New York, New York 
  9. Madrid, Spain 
  10. Paris, France 
For NORAM travelers
  1. Las Vegas, Nevada
  2. Cancun, Mexico
  3. Orlando, Florida
  4. Los Angeles, California 
  5. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
  6. New York, New York
  7. Chicago, Illinois
  8. Miami, Florida 
  9. Boston, Massachusetts
  10. San Diego, California

NORAM travelers search far and wide for vacation rental destinations 

In Q3, NORAM travelers searched for vacation rentals across the U.S., with three new cities joining the list of top searched destinations — the most new destinations across the four regions. New Orleans, Louisiana, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Atlanta, Georgia made up spots eight through 10, and Nashville, Tennessee landing at number one.²

 

Here’s the full list of top searched Vrbo destinations for all four regions. 

Top searched destinations by region

*New top 10 destinations

For APAC travelers 
  1. Melbourne, Australia
  2. Sydney, Australia 
  3. Perth, Australia
  4. Adelaide, Australia
  5. Brisbane, Australia
  6. Auckland, New Zealand  
  7. London, England  
  8. Paris, France  
  9. Canberra, Australia*  
  10. Waiheke Island, New Zealand 
For EMEA travelers 
  1. London, England
  2. Paris, France
  3. Berlin, Germany
  4. Rome, Italy
  5. Kissimmee, Florida
  6. Lisbon, Portugal
  7. Marseille, France
  8. Hamburg, Germany
  9. Nice, France
  10. Barcelona, Spain
For LATAM Travelers
  1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
  2. São Paulo, Brazil 
  3. Florianópolis, Brazil
  4. Camaçari, Brazil
  5. Ipojuca, Brazil;
  6. Mexico City, Mexico
  7. Kissimmee, Florida 
  8. Guarapari, Brazil* 
  9. Salvador, Brazil* 
  10. Paris, France 
For NORAM travelers
  1. Nashville, Tennessee
  2. Kissimmee, Florida
  3. New York, New York 
  4. Scottsdale, Arizona
  5. Orlando, Florida 
  6. Chicago, Illinois
  7. Paris, France
  8. New Orleans, Louisiana* 
  9. Las Vegas, Nevada* 
  10. Atlanta, Georgia*

TAKEAWAY

Use Vrbo tools to help drive bookings

As demand for vacation rentals is growing in various regions across NORAM, vacation rental hosts in these markets have a prime opportunity to maximize their bookings and revenue. Take advantage of the available Vrbo tools to help set your properties up for success and stand out to travelers. Make sure to look at your minimum stay requirements, define your check-in and check-out days, and review your calendar and availability to ensure everything is up to date to capture this heightened demand.    

Events drive travel demand

As we move toward the end of the year, travelers are already gearing up to attend major events in 2025.

 

  • Super Bowl 2025: Over 100% DoD search increases to host city New Orleans, Louisiana on February 5-7 show travelers are looking towards the big game.    

    •  

  • NBA All-Star Game: The NBA All-Star Game is driving travelers to San Francisco, California as search share increased from February 13-15 ahead of the official game on February 16.  

TAKEAWAY

Lean into advertising to capture event demand

Stay informed about event dates in your area to effectively prepare your advertising and targeting strategies. For hotels, Expedia Group Live offers opportunities to elevate your property and maximize bookings with passionate fans during key regional events like JazzFest or Liverpool FC.  

 

Another way to stand out is by promoting your property within the context of an event using TravelAds Sponsored Listings. Tailor your ad copy and highlight your property’s proximity to the event venue, available transportation options, or unique offerings tied to the event such as special group rates for attendees. 

Looking for more traveler insights and trends to help support your strategies? Check out our Research & Insights page. 

Research & Insights

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A headshot of Richard Kocher

Richard Kocher

Senior Director, Media Insights & Planning

 

Richard is senior director of Media Insights & Planning. His team is responsible for mining Expedia Group’s exclusive first-party search and booking data and market insights to inform partners’ strategies, product selection, and audience targeting. Prior to overseeing the global Media, Insights, and Planning team, Richard led Business Development and Account Management teams in display and sponsored listings across EMEA and APAC. He has postgraduate degrees in Anthropology from the University of Sussex and Business Administration from Warwick Business School – and lives with his family in Redmond, Washington.

 

Read more posts by Richard

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