YouGov’s global leisure travel forecast for 2024
At the start of 2023, people from all over the world said they would place greater weight on traveling. Their motivations for want to travel more were varied, with some of the biggest themes in 2023 being the need to break from routine, the desire to rconnect with loved ones and the focus on relaxation and wellness .
We’re approaching the end of the year and travelers are looking forward to exploring both local and faraway destinations. Our data shows that demand for leisure travel in the next 12 months has grown in certain markets when compared to this time last year.
According to a YouGov survey of more than 24,000 individuals across 30 markets, roughly seven in 10 (71%) of respondents said they plan to vacation domestically or abroad in the next 12 months.
Let’s embark on a trip to see what travel demand looks like around the globe.
APAC and MENA
Consumers in the UAE (85%) and Saudi Arabia (82%) exhibit the highest levels of travel intent for 2024, with more than four in five respondents saying they plan to travel domestically or internationally. Both markets also demonstrate growth in anticipated travel demand year-over-year.
India is another market where travel interest is expected to skyrocket in 2024. More than three-quarters (77%) of Indian respondents say they intend to travel in 2024, up 10 points from the forecast in 2023.
We see a similar trend in other parts of Asia such as Indonesia (+9 points), Singapore (+8), Japan (+6) and Australia (+5).
Europe
There’s a strong level of enthusiasm for travel across Europe with three-quarters or more of respondents from Spain (82%), France (81%), Norway (81%), the UK (74%) and Germany (74%) saying they intend to travel domestically or internationally at some point in 2024.
France (+4 points) and Germany (+5) show an uptick in travel intent for the coming year when compared to the forecast for 2023. And while we don’t see a surge in demand from the UK, there’s a sustained level of travel interest for the coming year compared to what we expected in 2023.
North America
Roughly half of (55%) US consumers say they intend to travel for leisure in 2024, a similar figure to the share that said they would do so in 2023.
Canadians (62%) show a stronger inclination for leisure travel in 2024 than their neighbor, but this figure is also similar to what we saw for 2023 (61%).
The overall trend this year underscores an eagerness among consumers to explore more of their countries and embark on trips around the world. The data reflects a promising outlook for tourism as we approach the new year and travel marketers can learn even more about specific audiences, including when they intend to travel, where they want to go and what kinds of trips they are planning.