Travel marketing agency Adido's CEO, Andy Headington, has examined search data from Q1 2024 (and the three years preceding), with data uncovering the destinations and sectors that gained momentum – and those that might have some catching up to do.
Across the board, travel searches rose in volume during Q1, representing more searches on a global scale than ever before.
Continental breaks take the lead in terms of search volume, slightly surpassing Asia in second place. The gap between the two has continued to narrow over recent years.
Notably, both Australasia and Asia have seen year-on-year double-digit increases in search volume. The only continent decreasing in demand is South America, with 2% fewer searches.
In terms of destinations, China searches are up 60%: from circa. 85,000 in 2023 to around 137,000 in 2024. Andy said this was "the big curveball" of the bunch in Q1: "This is likely due to the country finally seeing the green shoots of post-Covid recovery following the past few years' lack of flights, high ticket prices and administrative hurdles.
"At the start of the quarter, China's aviation regulator announced that the number of international flights to and from the country would reach 6,000 per week by the end of this year, approximately 80% of pre-Covid levels.
"These factors all make China far more attractive as a tourist destination, which is potentially why we have seen such a steep increase."
The dark horses of Q1 and those playing catch-up
Among Austria (up 59% to 32,000), Pakistan (up 55% to 14,000) and Malta (up 44% to 164,000), Albania is, according to Andy's analysis, "proving to be quite the dark horse, thanks in no small part to several media outlets showcasing it as an attractive tourist destination over the past few months, and airlines such as EasyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air recently introducing flights from the UK to the capital, Tirana."
From coming up trumps to catching up to do, Jordan searches decreased by 42% to 14,000, Israel to 13,000, Senegal to 11,000 and Iceland to 90,000.
Andy explained: "Iceland’s drop will come as a surprise to many, but with a recent series of volcanic eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula, not far from Keflavik International Airport, it’s little wonder people are hesitant about visiting this year.
"Many of us will remember all too well the 2010 volcanic eruptions which brought European air travel to a standstill and impacted around seven million passengers, and while there’s no evidence to suggest a repeat of 2010, it’s still a risk many travellers will not be willing to take."
Ski, cruise, close-to-home and luxury on an incline
Sector-by-sector, general uptake in search volume has been noted across the board: skiing holidays led the way with 39% year-on-year incline in searches.
Despite the discourse seemingly shifting away from staycations in favour of continental breaks and long-haul bucket-list trips, close-to-home holidays proved 20% more popular in Q1 2024 against the same period in 2023.
A trend that has been difficult to ignore is the rise of luxury: search volume for more indulgent options has grown by 22% and 14% over the last two years, respectively. Andy said this was "a good sign for those offering tailored experiences and bespoke holidays. With demand staying strong, despite the world moving on from Covid-19, this is a good opportunity for travel agents to offer higher-end products which are more likely to sell."
As CLIA anticipates a record-breaking year in 2024, it comes as no surprise that cruise search volume continues to grow, with an 8% search increase observed in Q1.
The ebb and flow: staying one step ahead
Reflecting on the overall picture painted by the Q1 search data, Andy concluded: "While search volumes increase globally, the ebb and flow of interest across regions and types of holidays in Q1 reveal the next level of insight into how people are searching for travel-related terms. Europe remains a powerhouse, but with China opening its doors to a greater extent, it seems that travellers are ready to take advantage of this increased accessibility.
"On the flipside, the decline in search volume for Iceland serves as a potent reminder of nature's unpredictable influence on travel aspirations. With the UK experiencing one of the wettest winters on record, and central Europe grappling with deadly heatwaves last summer, expect travellers to react quickly to breaking weather trends as things continue to change in the months and years ahead.
"Our advice is to make sure you keep up to date with the news: the political, environmental and media landscape can play a huge role in influencing a traveller’s decision on where and what they want to do for the next holiday. Put yourself in the best position by staying on the pulse trends, to capitalise on the continuing shifts in consumer demand.
"One thing’s for certain – Q1 2024 has been anything but static. What will Q2 have in store for us I wonder? Watch this space…"
