As the UK starts to look towards summer holidays, Amex Travel has revealed the top travel trends being embraced by British travellers this year. The rise of the solo wellness trip: solo travel continues to be a rising trend, with lone getaways becoming more focussed on self-care. Throwing out the itinerary: spontaneous trips where not a single thing is planned in advance are on the rise, as people seek a break from an overly structured lifestyle. An eye on once-in-a-lifetime holidays: demand is high for memorable adventures, with many saving for a major trip at the expense of multiple smaller breaks.
The findings come from the new American Express Global Travel Trends Report which highlights the inspiration and trends driving travel bookings this year. The report surveyed 1,000 travellers from the UK, as well as travellers in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Japan and India.
Solo wellness travel emerged as a top trend for the UK travellers, with the majority (54%) of Brits planning to travel solo this year, while 30% will do two or more trips. Relaxing and self-care is the name of the game, with one in five travelling on their own to escape their chaotic daily lives (22%) and to reconnect with themselves (18%) as some of the top reasons to consider a solo trip. When it comes to the types of solo travel trips, one in four (25%) are choosing a classic city break, one in five (20%) want a relaxing solo beach or island getaway, and more than one in 10 (13%) would like to go on a solo trip centred around wellness activities such as a spa or yoga retreat.
Spontaneity is also key in 2024, with more than half (53%) of Brits agree that they would take a trip without planning a single activity until they get to their destination, while 46% are interested in booking a last-minute holiday in 2024. Seven out of ten (70%) agree that they like to leave unplanned time in their trip to experience local culture and activities, and a third (35%) even like to explore other cities than where they are staying.
Transformative once-in-a-lifetime holidays are in. Half (49%) of Brits agree that they are more interested in taking a major trip this year than they have been in the past, leading 53% to agree that they are saving up for a major trip this year, while 44% agree that they are prioritising one major trip over smaller holidays in 2024. One in four (27%) are going on a major trip because they want to check something off their bucket list, while 24% want to fully immerse themselves in the local culture and 20% want to push themselves out of their comfort zone by trying something new as top reasons among those planning on taking a major trip in 2024.
