The 2024 TravelWealth Awards
I hope your 2025 is off to a great start! 2024 was another record-breaking year at TravelWealth, so we wanted to highlight some of the top travel trends of last year.
Since it is Award Season, what better way to do that than with our first-ever TravelWealth Awards? Hopefully this will also provide you with a bit of travel inspiration as you begin thinking about your own travel plans for 2025.
Enjoy!
-J.J.
2024 TravelWealth Awards:
Destination of the Year
Which destinations were trending in 2024? Where did TravelWealth members go over and over again, always coming back with glowing reviews and epic stories?
The nominees are:
Dubai, UAE
Japan
London, UK
Portugal
Vietnam
And the winner is:
JAPAN!
2024 was the year that travel to Asia came back in full force, and no place was more popular than Japan. Tokyo offers an indescribable collision of the past and the future: samurais and robots, temples and skyscrapers, and arguably the best food on the planet. Kyoto is the cultural heart of the country, Niseko provides phenomenal skiing in the north, while Okinawa offers a tropical experience in the south. Japan is one of those destinations that truly offers something special for everyone.
London and Dubai were our most-booked cities in 2024, thanks to being world-class destinations with plenty of direct flights connecting with the United States. The Mediterranean is always popular with Portugal leading the way in 2025. And Vietnam is forever a TravelWealth favorite thanks to the relationships we've developed with locals over the years.
All of these nominees are sure to be popular again next year, but some sleeper candidates to watch next year are Morocco, Colombia, Bhutan.
2024 TravelWealth Awards:
Hotel of the Year
This award goes to a hotel that always delivers beyond expectations. From character, to location, to customer service, to small surprise and delights, these are the hotels that had TravelWealth members loving their stays in 2024. These nominees are truly the best of the best. And they are:
Atlantis The Royal (Dubai, UAE)
Bulgari Hotel Roma (Rome, Italy)
Intercontinental Danang (Danang, Vietnam)
Raffles London at The OWO (London, UK)
Six Senses Douro Valley (Douro Valley, Portugal)
And the winner is:
ATLANTIS THE ROYAL!
It's no secret that Carlee and JJ bookended the year at this resort with NYE celebrations in both 2024 and 2025, and it's with good reason. Recently ranked the #9 hotel in the world, this resort is pure magic. There is so much on offer: spacious rooms with mind-blowing views of The Palm Jumeirah, over 25 food & beverage outlets (8 of which are Michelin-awarded), vibey nightlife, the world's largest waterpark, top-notch service, and they throw the best NYE party you can imagine. This resort is beyond special for so many reasons, and plenty of TravelWealth members experienced the magic last year. If you haven't been yet, add this to your to-do list now!
2024 TravelWealth Awards:
Cruise Line of the Year
TravelWealth members took cruising to new levels in 2024, booking a whopping 595% more compared to 2023. That's no typo: Cruising was HOT HOT HOT! Several new cruise lines have popped onto the scene in recent years with some more on the way, so this award is going to be competitive for years to come. And the nominees are:
Explora Journeys
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Cruises
Regent Seven Seas
Seabourn Cruise Line
Silversea Cruises
And the winner is...
Explora Journeys!
Are you someone who says they aren't a cruiser? Well, try Explora and see if that changes your tune. Designed to feel like a luxury hotel that happens to be on water, this new brand flips the script on all of the cruising stereotypes. The average age trends over a decade younger than other luxury cruise lines, the restaurants are all phenomenal and have open reservation policies like normal restaurants (no rigid seating times and ballroom dinners like you get on other cruises), and the spaciousness of the ship is extremely noticeable: no hoards of people, no fighting for lounge chairs at the pools, and no cramped cabins. Every stateroom has a spacious suite and balcony, so you will never feel claustrophobic. Give it a try – it might convert you into a cruiser after all.
2024 TravelWealth Awards:
Travel Face Palm of the Year
Travel isn't all Instagram photos and perfect plans executed to a T. That is why this award honors the other side of travel: the rules, regulations, and bonehead decisions that leave travelers (and us travel planners) frustrated and wondering who is calling the shots. This year's un-nominees are:
UK ETA Requirement (launched January 8, 2025)
US Real ID Requirement (launching May 7, 2025)
Belmond Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu's Closing (May 2025)
And the biggest loser is...
The UK ETA Requirement!
It's 2025 – why on earth is the UK making travel to the country more complicated? Tourism brings in money, and adding complications only encourages visitors to travel elsewhere. If the UK needed another tax/revenue generator, why not add a tax to the airline ticket rather than making travelers jump through extra hoops to get a QR code? Less than two weeks after rolling this out, the UK is already changing rules and the pricing because it was ill-conceived from the outset. Stay tuned because this unnecessary saga is not over yet.
The other nominees all deserve a mention as well:
- The Real ID has been on the radar for the better part of a decade, so this one shouldn't surprise anyone. But if you don't have a Real ID yet, you will want one soon because you'll need it for domestic flights beginning on May 7.
- While not formally announced, the rumor is the Peru government is not extending Belmond's contract at Sanctuary Lodge – the only hotel at the gates of Machu Picchu. Instead, we hear the building will be repurposed for non-hotel use. This hotel gives guests exclusive access to the Ancient Wonder of the World, and it is truly special to beat the bus loads of tourists to get that perfect photo of an empty citadel. Reservations at this unique property are not available beginning in May 2025, so you should act fast if you want to sneak in before it's too late.
A 2024 Revelation:
Payroll by Credit Card
If there was an award category for TravelWealth Service of the Year, Payroll by Credit Card would be it!
Since rolling out the program in August 2024, the results have far exceeded our initial goals & expectations. The program has proven to be easy to integrate, fast to process, and immensely valuable.
In just five months, TravelWealth members have generated OVER 40 MILLION POINTS through Payroll by Credit Card, which represents up to $1 Million in added travel value. This number is increasing significantly each month, and our target for 2025 is lofty.
Thank you to those who are already on the platform, earning rewards for all of their business' day-to-day expenses, and for validating the innovations & partnerships TravelWealth has established and will continue to build on going forward.
For those who are not yet on Payroll by Credit Card, it's not too late. Book a Payroll by Credit Card consultation to learn how you can start leveraging the program to increase your points balances in 2025.
Stay Tuned
2024 was a great year in travel, but that's enough looking back. Keep an eye out for another newsletter later this week with a look ahead at some exciting initiatives in TravelWealth's pipeline for 2025!