Q2 2024 data showed steady traveller enthusiasm, a shift toward shorter search windows, and growing interest in city getaways and beach destinations, reported Expedia Group Media Solutions.
Searches remain steady globally
During the second quarter of 2024, global search volume held steady, with the Asia Pacific (APAC) region seeing the largest search increase quarter over quarter (QoQ).
At the start of Q2, travel searches increased nearly 10% week over week (WoW) in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and North America (NORAM), likely due to travelers planning summer trips while on break for the Easter holiday. And, during the week of May 6, there was a 10% increase in WoW travel searches, driven by NORAM travelers who were planning last-minute trips ahead of Mother’s Day and Memorial Day weekend.
Shorter-term searches on the rise
While the group saw travellers planning further ahead in the first quarter of this year, they are now shifting their focus to shorter search windows, specifically for trips in the next 60 days. Globally, search volume for the 0-30-day window increased 15% QoQ, and WoW data showed that throughout the quarter, travellers increasingly searched for trips in the near future.
Travelers flock to beach towns and destinations throughout Türkiye
Now that we understand how traveller search behaviors have evolved, what were the top searched destinations in Q2 2024? Looking at destination trends for Q2, beach towns and destinations near the water rose in popularity with travelers around the world. For the top searched destinations by region, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, jumped up five spots on the list for EMEA travelers, while resort city Antalya, Türkiye, joined the list. Cancun, Mexico, moved to the top of the list for Latin American (LATAM) travellers, and San Diego, California, joined the rankings for NORAM travelers.
Multiple destinations in Türkiye rose in the rankings during the quarter and year over year (YoY), including Manavgat, Çeşme, Fethiye, and Ayvalik. And EMEA travelers drove an almost 20% YoY increase in searches to Türkiye for July and August, indicating they may be planning summer trips in the region.
Event travel continues to drive tourism opportunities
As the group had seen in previous quarters, major events like sports tournaments and music festivals inspired travellers to take trips. In Q2, several popular events sparked traveller interest to various regions and cities, including triple-digit search increases for destinations hosting Coachella (Indio, California), Lollapalooza (Chicago), Austin City Limits (Austin, Texas), and the second leg of Taylor Swift’s North American tour (Toronto and Vancouver, Canada). Additionally, Germany saw a 60% increase in travel searches for the days leading up to the first game of the Euro tournament.
Travellers seek out adventure and outdoor activities
With summer in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere, travellers were looking for adventure and outdoor activities even more than in previous years, as indicated by Expedia's search data showing YoY increases for these types of activities. Even more interesting is that activities that fall into the adventure or outdoor category and the history and culture category saw the largest YoY increase in searches at almost 70%.
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