Last-Minute Trips Are Trending

Published 19 February 2024

Author
Laura Swain
2 min read

Consumers are taking more off-the-cuff, flexible trips, disrupting the sameness of daily life while cutting costs. Last year, online searches in Italy for “last-minute trips” grew by 400% year-on-year (Lastminute.com, 2023), whereas 80% of UAE travellers say they’re more spontaneous now than they were pre-pandemic (Skyscanner, 2023), and 67% of Americans enjoy trips more if they happen on a whim (Motel 6, 2023).

This approach to travel booking is mostly driven by younger consumers, with 60% of Gen Zers and 59% of millennials preferring to have fewer set plans, allowing for spontaneous last-minute bookings; only 30% of boomers feel the same way (Booking.com, 2023)

The desire for spontaneity is changing the types of trips people are choosing to take. In the UK, travellers are opting for last-minute 24-hour daycations, whereby they fly to a location and return on the same day. In addition to benefitting from the flexibility and maximising their annual leave time, consumers are taking these short trips to save money by booking off-peak flight or train times (64%) and avoiding accommodation costs (39%) (Luton Airport, 2024).

Meanwhile, the allure of surprise trips – where every detail (including the destination) is kept a secret until the day of departure – is rising: 52% of global travellers express enthusiasm for these kinds of vacations (Booking.com, 2023). Booking.com has dubbed these holidaymakers “surrender seekers”. This is a trend tracked by Stylus for some time, and travel operators are now offering everything from luxury surprise staycations to mystery river cruises.

This approach to travel booking is mostly driven by younger consumers, with 60% of Gen Zers and 59% of millennials preferring to have fewer set plans, allowing for spontaneous last-minute bookings; only 30% of boomers feel the same way (Booking.com, 2023)

The desire for spontaneity is changing the types of trips people are choosing to take. In the UK, travellers are opting for last-minute 24-hour daycations, whereby they fly to a location and return on the same day. In addition to benefitting from the flexibility and maximising their annual leave time, consumers are taking these short trips to save money by booking off-peak flight or train times (64%) and avoiding accommodation costs (39%) (Luton Airport, 2024).

Meanwhile, the allure of surprise trips – where every detail (including the destination) is kept a secret until the day of departure – is rising: 52% of global travellers express enthusiasm for these kinds of vacations (Booking.com, 2023). Booking.com has dubbed these holidaymakers “surrender seekers”. This is a trend tracked by Stylus for some time, and travel operators are now offering everything from luxury surprise staycations to mystery river cruises.