Who says a holiday needs a week off work, months of planning and a suitcase large enough to require its own boarding pass?
A growing number of travellers are embracing “trip snacking” — taking short, often spontaneous getaways lasting just one night instead of saving all their holiday time and money for one big annual trip.
The trend has emerged as one of the travel behaviours highlighted in Expedia Group’s Unpack ’27: The Trends in Travel report, released on 14 October. According to Hotels.com, 79% of surveyed travellers plan to book a one-night stay in the coming year, rising to 83% among Gen Z and millennials.
Searches on Hotels.com for one-night stays have increased by nearly 10% year-on-year, while social media conversations about 24-hour getaways have risen by 12%, according to the report.
For travellers juggling busy calendars, rising expenses and limited annual leave, the appeal is straightforward: more escapes, fewer commitments and no need to wait until the next long weekend.
A little escape goes a long way
Trip snacking is not necessarily about travelling less. It is about breaking travel into smaller, more manageable experiences.
A concert in another city, a special birthday dinner, an exhibition or simply a change of scenery can become the reason for an overnight stay. Rather than turning every trip into a major undertaking, travellers can build smaller adventures around things they already want to do.
Hotels.com’s research found that 34% of respondents interested in trip snacking cited celebrating a milestone as a reason for taking a short break. Another 32% pointed to attending a concert, show or sporting event, while 28% wanted a quick reset between longer holidays.
The findings suggest that travel decisions are increasingly shaped by individual occasions and personal interests, rather than by the traditional annual holiday calendar alone.
The appeal is particularly strong among younger travellers. The survey found that 83% of Gen Z and millennial respondents planned to book a one-night stay in the coming year.
Which destinations are made for a 24-hour getaway?
Not every destination lends itself to a quick escape. The best candidates combine convenient transport, centrally located accommodation, walkable neighbourhoods and enough attractions to fill a short stay without spending half the trip in transit.
Hotels.com identified Las Vegas, Montreal, London, Stockholm, New York, Copenhagen, Seoul, São Paulo, Tokyo and Paris among its destinations for trip snacking in 2027.
For travellers in Asia, Seoul and Tokyo offer obvious possibilities, from food markets and neighbourhood shopping to museums, entertainment and late-night dining. A single overnight stay can be built around one main experience, with a few additional stops along the way.
Closer to home, Southeast Asian travellers can apply the same idea to regional city breaks, island escapes or overnight food trips. Bangkok residents, for example, can consider a short getaway to a nearby destination without committing to a lengthy itinerary.
The key is to choose one or two priorities rather than attempting to see everything. A tightly planned 24-hour escape should feel refreshing, not like a sightseeing competition.
A small trip with a business opportunity
For hotels and travel businesses, the rise of short stays creates an opportunity to rethink how accommodation and experiences are packaged.
A traveller staying for one night may be looking for something different from someone booking a seven-night holiday. Convenient check-in, flexible arrival times, central locations, late dining options and bookable experiences can all make a short break easier to organise.
Hotels could explore packages built around concerts, sporting events, exhibitions, food experiences or local cultural activities. Destination marketers and tourism operators could also promote itineraries designed around a single night, making it easier for visitors to understand what they can realistically experience within a limited timeframe.
The commercial challenge is to make a short stay worthwhile without turning it into an expensive exercise. In Hotels.com’s survey, 45% of respondents identified finding a good deal as their most important consideration when taking a trip-snacking break.
That creates an opportunity for properties to promote transparent pricing and value-added extras rather than relying solely on discounted room rates.
However, the trend should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of higher hotel revenue. More frequent stays could increase booking occasions, but profitability will depend on room rates, operating costs, length-of-stay patterns and whether short-stay demand is genuinely incremental.
The fine print of travelling small
A 24-hour getaway may sound effortless, but the economics depend on the journey as much as the destination.
Transport costs, airport transfers and time spent travelling can quickly outweigh the benefits of a short stay. A flight that arrives late at night and departs early the following morning may leave little time to enjoy the destination.
Travellers should also consider whether a central hotel, rail connection or ferry service makes the trip more practical. Where possible, choosing destinations closer to home can reduce both travel time and the environmental cost of frequent journeys.
For travel companies, the opportunity lies in removing friction: clear transport information, flexible packages and experiences that fit comfortably into a short itinerary.
Trip snacking may not replace the traditional long holiday, nor does it need to. Instead, it offers another way for travellers to fit meaningful experiences into busy lives.
Sometimes, the next great escape does not require a fortnight away. It just requires one free night, a good plan and a reason to go.
