2024 travel plans are expected to look and feel a bit different – in a good way. Instead of navigating congested urban landscapes, imagine quiet walks through quaint historic villages or finding those special tucked-away locations in travelers' favorite cities. "People are seeking to feel more enmeshed and immersed where they are," says Rebecca Masri of Little Emperors, a luxury travel members club.

Luxury agencies and agency networks shared how they’re getting fit for the year ahead, speaking on a panel at the TTG Luxury Travel Summit. Private travel club Little Emperors uses data to predict trends, to prompt people and to speak to them about what they’re searching for. Founder Rebecca Masri said astute use of data can determine what people of a similar demographic to your clients are searching for.

A panel of luxury experts discuss what's hot, and where travellers are going to avoid it. Masri said that over the upcoming festive season, her agency has seen a large increase in demand for destinations like Norway, Denmark and the “fjords” which are out of the normal. As well as the Alps. “We’ve definitely acknowledged the change due to the changing climate that we’re experiencing in the world”.

The travel boom since Covid-19 appears to be rolling into this fall and holiday season, data from Virtuoso shows. Rebecca Masri, founder of Little Emperors in the U.K., said her membership-based agency isn't seeing much price resistance from its younger client base. "But we've definitely seen an increase in demand for shorter trips, shorter lengths of stay," she said.

While the likes of Spain, Italy and the Greek islands historically draw in holidaymakers during the summer months, record-breaking temperatures have been putting travellers off. Some top destinations have hit temperatures as high as 48 degrees Celsius. Rebecca Masri, founder of private members’ club and hotel booking app Little Emperors, shared how she’s seen an increase in bookings for alternative destinations.

Travellers must ‘get out of Covid mindset’ of last-minute bookings. The founder of private members’ club and hotel booking app Little Emperors, Rebecca Masri, said she had clients already booked for Christmas 2024, adding it was “the first time in a long time” she had witnessed such a long lead time. “The old normal was booking in advance then the new normal became booking at the very last minute,” she said.