Fora, a travel agency with Virtuoso, has unveiled data-backed insight on next year’s travel trends in its “2024 Hot List.” The second annual edition of the “Hot List” is a thought piece based on historical data as well as an analysis of early 2024 bookings data and industry intel on new hotel openings, airline routes and more.
Although the full “Hot List” will be released in January, the Fora team has shared a few trending destinations:
1. Small U.S. cities: Move over Los Angeles and New York City, cities such as New Orleans and Austin are in Fora’s top five most-booked destinations in the U.S. for the first time. Virgin Hotels New Orleans is Fora’s No. 1 top-booked domestic hotel for 2024. With Nobu Hotel New Orleans slated to open late next year—along with the recently opened Arrive New Orleans in the Bywater neighborhood—the city is as in-demand as ever.
2. San Sebastián, Spain: This northern city in the mountainous Basque country is rising in the ranks as one of the top five Spanish destinations for the very first time in 2024. This new status is in part owing to a new hotel opening: Nobu Hotel San Sebastián opened in August. Fora travelers also love the city’s sophisticated Akelarre Hotel, with its three-Michelin-starred restaurant.
3. Panama: Panama has already garnered more bookings than Aruba, Saint Lucia, Puerto Rico and even Belize (which were far more popular in Fora’s bookings than Panama in 2023). Stay at Isla Palenque or, for a splurge, Isla Secas.
4. Bucket-List Asia: Japan was among the top 10 most-booked countries in 2023 and is again in 2024. Top-booked hotels by Fora advisors for 2024 include Zentis Osaka, which opened in July 2020, and Hoshinoya Tokyo, a ryokan. Bhutan is also a rising star; the U.S. became the top market for the Six Senses Bhutan for the first time in September and October 2023.
5. The Land Down Under: Fora is already seeing an uptick in Australia travel, especially in February 2024, when this country is in mid-summer. In 2022, The Langham, Gold Coast opened its doors, and later this year, The Standard, Melbourne is expected to debut in Victoria’s capital.
The “2024 Hot List” will be available in January at www.foratravel.com.
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