Expedia Examines Travel Trends for 2020

When it comes to crunching the data on travel trends, Expedia has the window on the future. For 2020, the online travel company uncovered a variety of themes across flights, hotel stays, searches, bookings, and experiences for the year ahead, based on a robust analysis of US traveler data. And for 2020 Trends it is seeing a hunger for roads less traveled.

“When we looked at where travelers went in 2019, we saw that the biggest growth in demand was happening for destinations that aren’t the usual tourist hotspots,” said Christie Hudson, who heads PR for Brand Expedia North America. “For example, instead of Venice or Rome, the top trending Italian destinations were in Sardinia and the Italian Riviera. But we hope this report shines a light on new places to explore for 2020.”  

1. Spain & Canary Islands: Ibiza (+50%), Palma de Mallorca (+35%), Oviedo (+30%), Seville (+15%)

2. Canada: Winnipeg (+465%), Saskatoon (+425%), Regina (+400%), Halifax (+365%)

3. Peru: Trujillo (+35%), Lima (+15%), Arequipa (+5%)

4. Japan: Naha/Okinawa (+45%), Sapporo (+40%), Tokyo (+20%), Osaka (+20%)

5. Italy: Cagliari (+40%), Genoa (+5%), Olbia (+5%), Calabria (+5%)

6. Australia: Sydney (+20%), Cairns (+20%), Adelaide (+15%), Melbourne (+10%), Gold Coast (+10%), Perth (+5%)

7. Mexico: Campeche (+95%), Oaxaca (+60%), Puerto Escondido (+50%), Mexico City (+30%)

8. Portugal: Porto (+55%), Faro (+35%), Lisbon (+10%)

9. Brazil: Fortaleza (+35%), Iguazu Falls (+10%), Sao Paulo (+10%)

10.  India: Goa (+25%), Ahmedabad (+15%), Delhi (+15%), Kolkata (+10%)

Popular Experiences, Must-Do Attractions

Activities and attractions are more than just an add-on to a trip. Often, they’re one of the top considerations when travelers are choosing where to go and where to stay. Here are some of the site’s top-selling activities and attractions:

1. Universal Studios Hollywood Admission in Los Angeles, California (+350%)

2. Robot Restaurant Show in Shinjuku, Tokyo (+220%)

3. Chichén Itzá Admission, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico (+125%)

4. The High Roller Observation Wheel in Las Vegas, Nevada (+35%)  

5. San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California (+15%)

Seeking Waterfalls  

Americans strayed from the rivers and lakes they were used to this year: Expedia data reveals many travelers were chasing the wonder of waterfalls in 2019.

1. Niagara Falls, Ontario (hotel demand +45%)  

2. Kaieteur Falls, Guyana (flight demand to Georgetown +30%)

3. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (hotel demand +25%)  

4. Sutherland Falls, New Zealand (flight demand to Christchurch +20%)

5. Iguazu Falls, Brazil (flight demand +10%)  

6. Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park (hotel demand +10%)

Starting today, and with Black Friday and Cyber Monday in view, Expedia is showing deals at select hotels for up to 60 percent off nightly rates, plus special discounts on flights, packages, activities and cruises.

“Our data tells us that people are leveraging the sale to book near-term travel, so this year we’re starting the sale even earlier to allow people more time to get those December and early January trips on the books,” says Gourav Pani, Vice President of Customer Marketing at Expedia.

Last year’s top sellers: Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, Tokyo, Fort Lauderdale, Phoenix, London, and Cancun.