Regional travellers are exhibiting increasing confidence with trips booked in advance compared to the previous year, marking a return to traditional seasonality, said global travel leader, Skyscanner, in its latest ‘Horizons’ report.

Here are some findings based on Skyscanner’s travel insight data that has delved into traveller behaviour, booking windows, destination choices, and trending destinations across the Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific (APAC) and North, Central, and South America (AMER) regions.

EMEA

Travellers in EMEA are exhibiting strong confidence, with increases in trips booked further in advance (greater share of 60-89 day and 90+ day booking windows).

A significant 53% of EMEA travellers are opting to explore Europe, marking a 4% increase from the previous year. Southeast Asia also sees a rise in popularity, suggesting a trend towards both proximity and affordability.

AMER

Travellers in AMER are booking further out, with increases in the share of longest booking window (90+ days), now making up a third up of demand.

With a diverse destination mix, AMER travellers are showing a growing interest in South America and North Asia, alongside traditional favourites in Europe, indicating a shift towards new experiences and value in 2024.

APAC

Amongst APAC travellers there is a greater distribution of booking windows compared to other regions but an overall increase in bookings over 30 days (including a 2% jump in the 90+ day segment).

Travellers are turning their focus towards intra-regional destinations, with a notable decrease in trips to Europe compared to last year. This reflects a preference for shorter, more budget-friendly vacations.

Shorter trip lengths to top destinations

Across all regions, average trip lengths are slightly down or flat year-on-year for many popular destinations.

Among EMEA travellers, Spanish and Greek destinations dominate the most popular destinations searched on Skyscanner, with Bangkok, New York City and Sydney also popular for long-haul travel.

Global destinations are most searched for, with "Everywhere" topping the list among AMER travellers, followed by Tokyo and European capitals. San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina and Orlando, Florida are also popular choices within the region.

Among APAC travellers, European and US destinations are most popular, with Athens experiencing the biggest increase in trip length. "Everywhere" also ranks highly, and Tokyo is the only destination with a single-digit trip length.

Trending Destinations

Destinations with the biggest year-on-year increases in search volumes reflect a mix of wanting to explore new places, as well as those with new route connections.

Victoria, Canada; Marmagao, India; Panama City; Bol, Croatia; Pristina, Kosovo; and Lampedusa, Italy, are all experiencing significant search volume growth with EMEA travellers.

Among AMERs travellers, San Carlos de Bariloche, Tokyo, Madrid and Orlando are trending alongside Medellin, Colombia; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Ushuaia, Argentina; Porto Seguro, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; and Tunis, Tunisia.

Delhi, India and Shanghai, China are experiencing the biggest growth amongst APAC travellers, while Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Victoria, Canada are also trending. Pangkalan Bun, Indonesia is the only trending destination with an increase in average trip length.

Zeynep Mutlu Bigalı, Head of Destination Partnerships, said: “Our latest Horizon insights reveal a travel landscape that is both familiar and evolving. While traditional seasonality is returning and popular destinations remain in demand, travellers are also seeking value and exploring options closer-to-home.

“Across Skyscanner’s platforms we have seen incredible demand at the start of the year and we expect this to continue as we head into the summer, especially in regions such as Europe, North America and North Asia.”

At the start of 2024, Skyscanner saw record travel demand, outperforming the global flights market and was the fastest growing metasearch in 2023. – TradeArabia News Service