News

If You Were Hoping Travel Would Get Cheaper in 2024, We Have Bad News

Vacations keep getting more expensive and new data shows next year's forecast isn't looking better.

Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision/Getty Images
Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision/Getty Images
Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision/Getty Images

That overwhelming sensation of travel being more expensive this year as you try to plan a trip isn’t your imagination. Even when flight prices are finally starting to trend down, the total cost of a trip is trending up. According to new data from travel insurance marketplace Squaremouth, the average cost of a trip is up 20% compared to last year.

Squaremouth polled more than 4,000 of its customers about travel spending habits-and it revealed that almost 90% of travelers are spending more than they normally do on travel. Based on travel insurance data, the cost of travel has risen since 2021, when the average cost of an insured trip was $5,189. In 2022, the average cost was $5,603. In 2023, that price has jumped nearly $1,000; the average cost of a trip this year is $6,587.

Unfortunately, this isn’t likely to slow down this coming year. In 2024, spending records are expected to be broken in the travel industry. Poll respondents were asked why they anticipated spending more money on travel in 2024 and these were the top responses:

  • 35% of travelers who anticipate spending more say it’s because they are planning a bucket-list trip
  • 31% attribute the increase to inflation and the rising cost of travel
  • 19% of travelers are expecting to travel to expensive destinations in 2024
  • 15% of travelers are planning to take longer trips in the new year

If you start panicking about prices, don’t worry. There are still ways to navigate and find cheap flights and good deals, with the help of Thrillist.

Looking for travel deals?

Here’s our running list of all the cheap travel deals you can book right now, and you can head here for all the latest flight deals plus cheap things to do and savings on hotels, cruises, trains, and more to help you plan for your next trip.Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Opheli Garcia Lawler is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.

News

Mad Mex’s New Menu Item Is Inspired by a Popular Mexican Street Food

mad mex chicken al pastor

Mexican restaurant chain Mad Mex has dropped a new protein, and it’s one of the most popular street foods in Mexico.

Enter, Chicken Al Pastor. It’s traditionally made with pork and grilled on a spinning rotisserie with a pineapple sitting a top, but Mad Mex has put its own spin on it, serving chicken bathed in an Al Pastor marinade with a touch of juicy pineapple.

You can order the protein-packed filling in your favourite burrito, bowl, quesadilla, nachos, or in a taco.

As always, these things are here for a good time, not a long time. Pop into your local Mad Mex restaurant, order delivery or through the Mad Mex app today.

Get the latest from Thrillist Australia delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe here.

Related

Our Best Stories, Delivered Daily
The best decision you'll make all day.