2024 Will Be The Year Of Spontaneous Travel, According To New Survey
When you were a kid, perhaps you spun a globe and let your finger decide the destination. Whether you landed on Cairo, Buenos Aires, or Sydney, it was always a fun surprise to see the result and dream of all the things you could do there. Now, as an adult, you can take this very same concept and apply it to the vacation of your dreams. However, instead of a globe, a travel agency will pick out everything for you. It's kind of like a mystery bag, except it's a mystery getaway.
After all, spontaneous travel and surprise trips are expected to pick up in 2024. In fact, travel marketplace Booking.com recently shared its year-end survey results with travel predictions for the new year. Among the 27,000 travelers from 33 countries who responded, 52% said they would welcome someone else planning an entire trip for them and hiding the destination until they arrived at the airport. These "surrender seekers," as Booking calls them, are keen to let go of travel planning and let someone else take the reins.
How surprise travel works
When you hire a surprise trip company like Pack Up + Go, for example, you'll lay out some basic information, like how much you're willing to spend and how many days you can squeeze into your itinerary. From there, you'll list where you've been in the past, what kind of activities you enjoy on vacation, and other details that could impact your trip, like your mobility or dietary restrictions. After that, an in-house team will take over and build out the vacation of your dreams.
About one week before you're set to travel, you'll get an email with a few hints about what's to come, like what time you need to be at the airport, the weather forecast, a suggested packing list, and any luggage restrictions you should know about. A couple of days out, you'll receive a package with a letter and a second envelope, which must remain sealed until you're at the airport. After all, it contains your itinerary, reservations, and suggested activities, so you don't want to spoil the surprise.
Where to book a surprise trip
There are several surprise trip agencies worth looking into. Magical Mystery Tours, dubbed the original mystery travel provider, has been in business since 2009 and starts at $1500 for one person and $2,000 for a couple. With the demand for so many surprise trips, the company has stopped doing traditional travel planning altogether. The Vacation Hunt is another popular option with packages that range from three days to two weeks, including all-inclusive resort stays from $899 to $2,500.
OnAWhym may be one of the more economical planners on this list, as they have a road trip option that starts at just $450 per person. On the other end of the spectrum, there's Black Tomato, which specializes in luxury travel planning. If you're in need of a nature retreat, the Get Lost package will plan all the details and whisk you away to your destination via private transfer. No matter which company you book, you really can't go wrong. Think of all the hours you'll save without looking up flight itineraries, booking a hotel, or reading endless reviews. Instead, you get to be in the moment and enjoy every second of your trip.