While others focus on New Year’s resolutions, my family and I come up with a dream list of where we want to go. Places we missed out on last year (Thailand and the Cook Islands) are often overturned, but we’re always adding new places (this year, South Korea) that can — with careful planning — be affordable.
In 2024, more than half of American travelers plan to go where the cost of living is less expensive than their hometown, according to online travel agency Booking.com. 60% said they would look for ‘copycat holidays’ or cheaper alternatives to expensive places.
“Consumers are increasingly expanding their appetites to try new destinations, which is stretching them to places less traveled and more affordable,” said Brett Keller, CEO of online agency Priceline.
Frugal strategies—like traveling in off- or shoulder seasons, going where the dollar is strong, and sampling unfamiliar destinations—help you make the most of your budget. The following destinations offer fresh and affordable incentives to visit in 2024.
Exchange rate my dears
A stronger dollar buys more abroad. Instead of heading to typically expensive US spots like Hawaii or New York, take your spending power to an affordable destination for a bonus.
Mexico, where $1 is worth more than 17 pesos, has long been a bargain for Americans and remains the most popular international destination, attracting more than 33 million visitors in 2022 (the last year for which the National Travel and Tourism Bureau statistics they are available).
The US Department of State warns travelers against visiting several Mexican states because of crime, but not Nayarit on the central Pacific coast, just north of Puerto Vallarta.
There, travelers can now visit it Islas Maríasa biodiverse archipelago about 60 miles offshore and characterized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The government recently began offering trips to the former penal colony, which has been renovated as an environmental and educational center. Currently, weekend-only trips are operated by boat from San Blas and cost about 5,000 pesos per person (about $300), including meals, tours and two nights in renovated former prison cells. The no frills journey offers opportunities to spot rare species such as the yellow-headed parrot and the Tres Marías raccoon, as well as migrating whale sharks.
The cost in Canada is about a third cheaper when you pay in US dollars. Head off the beaten path into town Penticton in the Okanagan wine-producing valley of southern British Columbia, where there are new singles flights from Vancouver and a new one Four Points by Sheraton hotel, with prices starting at about 135 Canadian dollars or about 100 dollars. After a bike ride in the dramatic Kettle Valley Rail Trail near Okanagan Lake, visit the wineries in picturesque Naramata (tastings are $10 at Chain Reaction Winery).
Or head to Montreal to see “Nature Vive”, an immersive light and sound show by Oasis Immersion on biodiversity, debuting on February 22 (tickets from $29). This year, Montreal also has one of six teams participating in its first season Professional women’s hockey league (tickets from about $25).
“Destination Cheats”
Travelers seeking to avoid over-touristy and expensive places have long sought less stressful and cheaper alternatives, a trend recently popularized on TikTok as “destination cheats.”
In that spirit, instead of seeing the cherry blossoms of Kyoto, Japan, or Washington, D.C., consider Modesto, California, the gateway to agriculture in the Central Valley, during the almond blossom season. In February and March, the area’s 1.5 million acres of almond trees burst with pink and white flowers. Visitors can take one almond blossom movement with one audio guide ($14.99) and listen to a Spotify playlist dedicated to spring by the Modesto Symphony Orchestra.
While you’re there, take the new self-guided tour Street Art Audio Tour ($14.99) to see many of the city’s more than 100 murals. Accommodations range from chain hotels to Airbnbs that, in a recent search, started at $65 a night.
Cleveland and Indianapolis are both in the path of the April 8 total solar eclipse, making them star tourism destinations. But they can also be considered sports errors for the Paris Olympics.
Before the Olympics, June 15 to 23, America’s best swimmers will gather in Indianapolis for the USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium, the first time an NFL stadium has hosted an Olympic-sized pool (tickets from about $56).
From July 12 to 21, Cleveland will host the Pan American Masters Games, an Olympic-inspired sports festival for athletes over 30 competing in age categories up to 100 years old. More than 7,500 athletes from more than 50 countries are expected to compete in dozens of sports, including stand-up rowing, curling and athletics. Entry for spectators is free.
Affordable wellness
Wellness travel tends to misrepresent luxury, but the popularity of things like forest bathing and meditation have proven that healthy practices don’t have to cost a fortune.
“In 2024, I foresee the re-emergence of social wellness,” said Yuki Kiyono, global head of health and wellness development at luxury resort group Aman. The company will open Janu Tokyo in March with extensive swimming and therapeutic pools, which are considered places of socialization in Japan.
Cheaper and closer to home, travelers can meet and enjoy the hot springs, including Glenwood Hot Springs Resort in Glenwood Springs, Colo. This year, the late 19th-century complex, about 40 miles north of Aspen, plans to expand with five new pools, two with waterfalls (admission from $32; resort rooms currently start at $179) .
To get the all-in spa destination experience, think the Art of Living Retreat Center; in Boone, NC, which responded to a 20 percent increase in bookings in 2023 with more than 40 renovated rooms and plans to install a flotation tank.
It’s three days Departure of Happiness uses yoga, breathing and meditation to improve well-being. Grab a few friends and the experience costs $595 per person in a triple room, including programming and meals.
Connection with nature
Most visitors go to Destin-Fort Walton Beach area in the Florida Panhandle for the white sand beaches of the Gulf Coast. However, the destination is working hard to connect visitors with nature, including the installation of eight man-made snorkeling reefs as of 2019 that attract groupers, snappers, sea turtles and, in the summer, tropical fish. From April to October, a program is called Little Adventures offers educational tours for children in snorkeling, fishing and surfing (free).
Established in 2019, of the region Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament, returning May 17-18 ($75), encourages divers to hunt invasive lionfish and has helped create a culinary market for the fish through partnerships with local restaurants. Last year, the event drew nearly 25,000 lionfishvoracious eaters that have no predators and are easier to catch with spearguns.
“The lion is here to stay,” said Alex Fogg, a marine biologist who works for the Destin-Fort Walton Beach tourism office. The event’s catch, he added, “gives local species a breather and establishes them as food fish.”
Guests will find plenty of affordable accommodations in the area, including La Quinta by Wyndham Fort Walton Beach, which has rooms starting at $111 a night at Booking.com.
Eco-travelers should consider heading to southern New Mexico as part of its centennial celebrations Gila Wilderness Area. The first wilderness area in the United States was designated in 1924 by the visionary conservationist Aldo Leopold campaigned to set aside large areas, mainly to allow ecosystems to function with minimal intervention.
Its original 755,000-acre footprint is now split between the Gila Wilderness and the neighboring Aldo Leopold Agria, with more than 800 miles of hiking trails between them (access is free). Beginning in March, anniversary events include guided hikes, stargazing and a film festival. And they’re all affordable, including accommodations priced under $100 a night in the nearby town of Truth or Consequences, according to the online travel agency Expedia.
Under the radar options
Always consider the overlooked — for savings, of course, but also for surprises.
Lonely Planet singled out Poland this year as a value destination (the dollar is worth about 4 Polish zlotys), noting that the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw will open later this year.
“In Europe, we’re seeing a growing interest in more unique destinations like Poland and Bulgaria,” said Bruce Poon Tip, founder of tour operator G Adventures, who visited Warsaw last year and praised its cultural offerings, including music . The seven days of G Adventures journey from Budapest to Berlin visiting Krakow from $1,161.
Travelers interested in architecture and history should consider Tucson, Ariz., where the downtown Barrio Viejo neighborhood will receive National Historic Landmark designation this year, officially recognizing the colorful adobe houses built between 1860 and 1900 .
Walk to the area from Hotel in Clifton town centrea stylishly updated 1948 motel (rooms from about $99) and tour it with a guide from Museum Presidio San Agustin del Tucson ($30) or Airbnb Experiences ($50).
Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and subscribe to the Travel Dispatch weekly newsletter to get expert tips to travel smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming of a future getaway or just an armchair trip? Take a look at ours 52 places to go in 2024.