Six Spanish cities including Palma, Barcelona and Madrid are among the top ten most popular destinations for domestic travellers in 2024, with Paris (France), London (UK) and Rome (Italy), in that order, occupying the podium of preferences, according to the annual report on travel trends 'A Year in Travel' by eDreams Odigeo. The first Spanish city in the ranking is Barcelona, in fourth place, followed by Tenerife, Palma, Seville, Madrid, Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Gran Canaria. The company's CEO, Dana Dunne, highlighted that the study shows that "travel continues to be one of the top priorities for people".
"It is also worth noting that 2024 will be a year with a busy sporting calendar, the impact of which we are already beginning to feel. In fact, searches for Paris have increased by 41% during the dates when the Olympic Games will take place, compared to the same period last year," added Dunne. Regarding travel trends in 2023 in Spain, eDreams has observed that domestic travellers have opted for more in-depth knowledge of destinations within our borders, with 7 of the 10 most visited places being Spanish cities. Thus, the most popular destination in recent months has been Barcelona, with Palma and Madrid closing the podium.
Internationally, the top destination on the list of Spanish travellers' preferences was Paris, which ranked fourth, followed by Ibiza, London and Rome. Seville, Malaga and Tenerife complete the top 10. In addition, the north of Spain has also gained prominence in the choice of the national tourist, according to the report, as five of the ten destinations that grow the most in 2023 are located in the north of the peninsula: A Coruña (+124% vs 2022), Bilbao (+69%), Oviedo (+62%), Vigo (+51%) and Santander (+49%). Beyond domestic destinations, which accounted for 47% of the trips registered, Spaniards booked predominantly continental destinations (45%), followed by intercontinental destinations (9%).
Spain triumphs among international tourists
According to global data, Barcelona, Madrid, Palma and Malaga are among the top ten destinations in 2023, driven by good weather, leisure and gastronomic culture. The nationality that has booked the most travel to Spain in 2023 has been French, which accounted for 20% of the international bookings registered, followed by other European nationalities such as German (18%), Italian (16%) and British (10%). However, on a global level, European capitals continue to be the favourites of tourists, with Paris as the leader of the international top 10, London in third place and other major cities such as Milan, Rome, Lisbon and Amsterdam present in the list.
Four-day short breaks
The annual report places getaways of between 3 and 4 days (34%) as the most popular globally, followed by trips of between 7 and 13 days (24%), while another 14% concentrate their holidays on trips of 5 to 6 days or 2 days (14%). Nationally, Spaniards also choose 3 or 4-day getaways (42%), followed by weekends (19%), to escape from routine. In addition, the data shows that 63% of domestic travellers book up to one month in advance. In addition, eDreams has analysed new preferences not only in destinations, but also in the way of travelling.
As such, wellness has become one of the most popular travel trends globally, with 73% of travellers planning their trips with their physical and emotional health in mind. Sleep-focused tourism and 'transformational travel', which includes activities such as yoga, spirituality, writing and exercise, are expected to increase. Meanwhile, social media, especially Instagram and TikTok, are increasingly influencing destination choices. In this regard, TikTok is emerging as the most influential platform.
"Social media makes the world more accessible, providing guidance on budget, safety, must-see places and hidden gems through the expertise of influencers who are trusted by followers to make their dream trips a reality and not miss out on anything essential and, above all, photographable," the eDreams study points out.