Three surprising travel trends for 2024 we absolutely adore

Revenge travel is out, astro tourism is in

The recent SpendTrend24 report by Discovery Bank and Visa shows that globally, the surge in revenge travel has calmed down, and South Africans' travel habits have similarly settled down.

Travellers are now looking for deeper experiences, with astro tourism taking the world by storm. Hotels and game lodges now offer wellness experiences with stargazing as the main attraction, giving travellers the opportunity to experience the cosmos clearly, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The best stargazing spots in South Africa?

• Cederberg Mountains, Drakensberg Mountains, Golden Gate National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kruger National Park, Madikwe Game Reserve, Sutherland (one of the best spots in the world!) and Quiver Tree Forest, to name a few.

Bleisure travel is on the rise

Combining business and leisure travel, bleisure travel is the new buzz word in the industry and with good reason. Digital nomads are coming back in a big way after the COVID-19 pandemic, with people flocking to countries like Japan, Thailand, and Portugal where they can work from anywhere with a strong internet connection.

In line with this global trend, South Africans are increasingly engaging in "bleisure" travel, combining business trips with leisure activities by extending their stays and taking advantage of remote work opportunities.

In 2023, Discovery Bank clients travelled along South Africa's Golden Triangle, with Cape Town being the top destination, followed by Johannesburg and Durban. The trend of people moving from inland areas to cities along the Garden Route has also led to increased travel to East London, George, and Gqeberha.

If you want to become a digital nomad, these countries will give you a visa:

• Barbados, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dubai, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Mexico, Malta, Mauritius, Norway, Portugal and Spain are all countries that offer digital nomad visas for South Africans.

Love sports, will travel

Sports tourism is another mega trend for 2024, with people willing to travel thousands of kilometres to see their favourite sports stars in action.

From rugby balls to beach-cations, Discovery Bank clients favoured international destinations like the United Kingdom, Mauritius, Australia, the United States and Italy in 2023. The two biggest increases in the last year was popularity in travel to Mauritius, where there's been an increase in supply, and travel to France, for the Rugby World Cup.

And this year, we expect tourists to crisscross Europe for the 2024 Paris Olympics in France and the Tour de France in Italy.

Last chance to win a trip to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games!

• Enter the prize draw by 30 April 2024. Find out how to enter. Ts&Cs apply.

What are your favourite travel trends for 2024?

Whether you're travelling for bleisure, stargazing or watching sports stars in action, go everywhere with Vitality Travel and get up to:

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