Mabrian’s latest study shows a marked shift in travel motivations worldwide since 2019, with a distinct trend towards experiential rather than conventional preferences.
Especially, there was a global increase of eight percentage points in experiential travel, including active, nature, gastronomic and wellness tourism. In contrast, traditional tourism is defined by cultural exploration, beach outings, family activities, nightlife and shopping.
Although we have identified the top ten countries with the best distribution of experiential tourism offerings, which strategically positions them very well, when identifying destinations that may be trending in the short term, more factors must be considered.
In terms of potential destinations, Italy leads with four, closely followed by France and Germany with two each. The top ten trending regions for 2024 also include the United Kingdom and Portugal, each with one destination.
Among these destinations, Piedmont in Italy stands out for its excellent positioning, including places like Turin, Stresi and Alba. Important for its cultural, natural and gastronomic offers, Piedmont places emphasis on experiential motivations.
Securing second place is New Aquitaine in France, with destinations such as Bordeaux, Biarritz and Limoges. Known for its oenological and gastronomic products, along with offers in active tourism, New Aquitaine stands out. The region also enjoys strong and stable air links.
The East of England is at the bottom of the top three trending destinations, with gems like Cambridge, Essex and Norfolk. This region strikes a balance between cultural and natural offerings, positioning itself as a growing destination. As Mabrian explains, rounding out the list of top ten trending destinations are as follows:
- Occitanie (France)
- Campania (Italy)
- North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany)
- Lombardy (Italy)
- Emilia-Romagna (Italy)
- The province of Hamburg (Germany)
- The province of Lisbon (Portugal)
In this regard, Mabrian noted that each of these locations contributes to the diverse tapestry of trending destinations in 2024.
The authority also points out that the attraction of active and nature tourism takes an upward direction, each experiencing an increase of five and three percentage points since 2019. In addition, cultural tourism experiences a marginal decline (-3 p. per cent) and sun tourism and the beach sees a slight decrease (-2 p. per cent).
At the same time, cultural tourism maintains its leading status as the dominant travel motivation, capturing 27 per cent of travellers’ interest.
Mabrian further said that the countries of Northern Europe are ready to benefit from the developing trends in demand. As a result, countries such as Iceland, Norway, Finland, Slovenia and Switzerland show an interest rate exceeding 60 per cent in experiential activities among their visitors.
According to the same, the common threads that connect these nations are their abundant natural landscape resources, enabling them to command the leadership of this tourism trend, especially in the field of active tourism.
