Whoever You Want To Be: Booking.com Shares Travel Alter Egos for 2024 and How to Channel Them on Vacation
Ever look back at vacation snaps from years gone by, and not only remember the destination but the person you were in that place? With American actress and comedian Tina Fey channeling all her epic vacay alter egos in the Booking.yeah ad campaign that debuts during the ‘big game’ on February 11, it’s sure to strike a chord with many around the world. According to Booking.com’s travel predictions for 2024, nearly two thirds (62%)* enjoy the anonymity of travel and the chance to recreate themselves, with these Alter Ego Enthusiasts experts at reimagining their best selves on vacation as the stars of their own show. With that in mind, Booking.com, the leading digital travel platform, presents a selection of travel personas, some inspired by our travel-loving star’s alter egos in the ad. Read on to find out how travelers can tap into these personas to support living their best life in 2024, whoever they want to be.
The Countryside Chameleon
This self-confessed townie, usually welded to their phone, adopts an off-grid alter ego on vacation who blends seamlessly into rural life. With half (51%)* of all travelers revealing that the stripped-back lifestyle of agrarian communities would appeal to them in 2024, the Countryside Chameleon is keen to immerse themselves in nature as the antidote to frenetic life back home. Trading white shirts for wellies, computers for compasses and fast food for foraging, AI stands for ‘All In’ for this city dweller who is eager to embrace extremes to replenish their batteries. Remote rustic farm stays have huge appeal, such as the Agriturismo B&B Luna di Quarazzana nestled in the rolling hills of Tuscany with animals roaming around and breakfast served straight from the gardens. Booking.com also has a range of activities to help this traveler connect with nature, from a Private Rocky Mountain Foraging Experience to a hands-on Seaweed Foraging Walk and Abalone Farm, unearthing wild local delicacies and making self-sufficiency a way of life. With this chameleon not afraid to get their hands dirty, and no evident withdrawals from their self-imposed tech ban, locals are none the wiser to their city slicker status.
The Insta-Fashionista
Dust off daring clothes from the back of the wardrobe and get ready to work on a social media rebrand. With over half (57%)* of all travelers feeling ‘main character energy’ on vacation, the Insta-Fashionista lets the streets of a destination become the catwalk dedicated to their main character moment. For this traveler, who is still wearing pajama bottoms on virtual calls and slumming it on the daily, a getaway is an excuse to step up their style game. Body confidence and a new lease of life are the first things they unpack, inspiring bolder and braver fashion choices and a fusion of evergreen sexy street style, chic separates and lavish accessories. Booking.com even offers personal shopping and styling experiences around the world from Paris and Milan to New York and Las Vegas with pros on hand to ensure every look is on fleek. On vacation, the Insta-Fashionista sends social media into overdrive by booking unique experiences to step into swag that has no place at home: Transcend to a new level of refinement taking in a Sydney Opera House Show, or don the best retro neon activewear for a Guided Venice Beach Tour and rollerblading excursion along this iconic boardwalk.
The Untethered Spirit
Toss the planner aside and set off on a liberating, soul-searching getaway where the spirit can roam free. This autonomous traveler relinquishes control for the art of letting go, and embraces experiences that spark unadulterated joy with carpe diem their motto on vacation. Tied to a strict routine back home, with endless demands and a chokka calendar, they want to ditch everyday expectations and break free of boundaries. Partial to vacay activities that allow them to soar beyond their limitations, a Tandem Skydive Experience over Franz Josef Glacier is well-suited to this traveler, or a Hot Air Balloon Ride in Luxor will let them fly high above sacred Egyptian temples. The Untethered Spirit is keen to break away from the heaviness of home and build bliss on vacation, with immersive trips tailored to prioritizing their own peace: Chable Yucatan in Mexico, for example, offers a ‘You are the Love Story’ retreat in the jungle designed to ease heartbreak and increase self-worth, while the Nirjhara resort in Bali is an ideal spot for a spiritually-inspired reset, offering blessings, sound healing and cleansing rituals.
The Social Butterfly
This affable traveler enjoys backpacking and hostel-hopping, and wants to engage with locals and other travelers as much as possible on vacation, chatting to everyone they meet. Back home, they tend to WFH and miss IRL interaction so traveling is a way to recharge their social battery. With more than a third (37%)* of all travelers making up stories about their real life to people they meet on vacation, don’t expect this caterpillar to come out of its cocoon with a strong sense of self. Bored of the mundane day-to-day, the Social Butterfly loves the thrill of morphing into different versions of themselves as they flit from place to place. With upscale hostels having a renaissance, this traveler can enjoy all the perks of a hotel with company guaranteed; the luxe Kinnon Deluxe Hostel Coworking Cafe, for example, features private rooms and dorms in the heart of Bangkok with sociable areas including a restaurant and rooftop garden, while the Viajero Buenos Aires Hostel in the Argentinian capital has a lively bar and indoor and outdoor pools. Booking.com also has a wealth of group activities all around the world from pub crawls to island-hopping adventure tours, ideal for meeting new people.
The Superstar
Oversized sunnies and soft top at the ready. For the Superstar, the world is their oyster on vacation, at their beck and call with limitless opportunities and experiences. They radiate pure me, me, me energy and crave all eyes on them at all times. Whether on the beach or at dinner, this attention-loving traveler, accustomed to taking a backseat to everyone else back home, is determined to drive their main character moment. What better way to channel this alter ego than a sunset drive with the beats blaring? With 42%* wanting to rent a nicer car than they drive at home to live their finest lives on vacation, Booking.com offers deals on high-end cars from cool convertibles to SUVs. The Superstar can also bag an experience that puts them in the limelight, from a Professional Recording Studio Experience in Melbourne where they can become a bona fide rockstar for the day to a K-pop Dance Class & Video Shooting in Seoul to record their very own music video. To round off the vacation, join the glitterati and book a professional photoshoot available in destinations from Santorini and Bangkok to Miami Beach and Las Vegas, complete with vistas guaranteed to accentuate the Superstar’s best angle.
*Travel Predictions 2024 research commissioned by Booking.com and conducted among a sample of adults who plan to travel for business or leisure in the next 12-24 months. In total, 27,730 respondents across 33 countries and territories were polled (including 1008 from Argentina, 1012 from Australia, 505 from Austria, 1001 from Belgium, 1002 from Brazil, 1009 from Canada, 1009 from China, 1002 from Colombia, 508 from Croatia, 504 from Denmark, 1011 from France, 1011 from Germany, 1016 from Hong Kong, 1004 from India, 510 from Ireland, 504 from Israel, 1014 from Italy, 1004 from Japan, 1009 from Mexico, 1014 from The Netherlands, 1015 from New Zealand, 500 from Portugal, 502 from Singapore, 1010 from South Korea, 1009 from Spain, 502 from Sweden, 507 from Switzerland, 504 from Taiwan, 1003 from Thailand, 502 from the UAE, 1007 from the UK, 1005 from the US and 1007 from Vietnam). Respondents completed an online survey in July 2023.