The traditional annual holiday is facing a new challenger: the one-night escape. Dubbed “trip snacking” by industry analysts, this behaviour sees travellers breaking their leisure time into smaller, more frequent getaways rather than saving up for a single long break. The trend is gaining traction across key source markets, and its implications for hotels, destinations, and travel technology are significant.
Expedia Group’s Unpack ’27: The Trends in Travel report, released on 14 October, identifies trip snacking as a defining behaviour for 2027. According to Hotels.com data cited in the report, 79% of surveyed travellers plan to book a one-night stay in the coming year, with the figure rising to 83% among Gen Z and millennial respondents. Searches for one-night stays on Hotels.com have climbed nearly 10% year-on-year, while social media conversations about 24-hour getaways have increased by 12%.
Why travellers are snacking on trips
The appeal is rooted in practicality. With busy calendars, rising costs, and limited annual leave, travellers are seeking micro-escapes that fit around their existing commitments. A concert in another city, a milestone birthday dinner, or a major exhibition can now justify an overnight stay. Hotels.com’s research shows that 34% of trip-snacking enthusiasts cite milestone celebrations as a primary motivator, 32% point to attending a concert, show, or sporting event, and 28% use short breaks as a reset between longer holidays.
This shift is particularly pronounced among younger travellers. Gen Z and millennials are leading the charge, with 83% planning a one-night stay in the next year. For them, travel is increasingly occasion-driven rather than calendar-driven, a trend that aligns with the rise of purposeful trips noted in other industry data.
Destinations built for 24 hours
Not every city lends itself to a quick turnaround. The best trip-snacking destinations combine convenient transport, centrally located accommodation, walkable neighbourhoods, and enough attractions to fill a short stay without wasting time in transit. Hotels.com has identified Las Vegas, Montreal, London, Stockholm, New York, Copenhagen, Seoul, São Paulo, Tokyo, and Paris as prime candidates for 2027.
For Asian travellers, Seoul and Tokyo offer obvious possibilities, from food markets and late-night dining to museums and entertainment districts. A single overnight stay can be built around one main experience, with a few additional stops along the way. Similarly, Southeast Asian travellers can apply the concept to regional city breaks or island escapes. Bangkok residents, for instance, might consider a short hop to a nearby destination without committing to a lengthy itinerary.
The key, experts say, 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.
Hotel and destination opportunities
For hotels, the rise of short stays presents a clear opportunity to rethink packaging. A one-night guest has different needs than a week-long holidaymaker: convenient check-in, flexible arrival times, central locations, late dining options, and bookable experiences all become critical. Hotels could explore packages tied to concerts, sporting events, exhibitions, or local food experiences, as seen with properties like BWH Hotels' SureStay Siriraj Bangkok, which targets niche traveller segments.
Destination marketers and tour operators can also promote itineraries designed around a single night, making it easier for visitors to understand what they can realistically experience in a limited timeframe. This aligns with the growing interest in secondary cities and authentic alternatives that are often more accessible for short breaks.
The commercial challenge is to make a short stay worthwhile without pricing it as a luxury. In Hotels.com’s survey, 45% of respondents identified finding a good deal as their most important consideration. 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 be automatically interpreted as a revenue windfall. 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. Hoteliers need to analyse their own data to determine if trip snacking is cannibalising longer bookings or expanding the pie.
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 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. The rise of night trains like the Hamburg-Munich service could also support trip snacking by offering efficient overnight connections.
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. For the industry, it is a reminder that the future of travel is not just about longer, farther, and more expensive—it is also about smarter, shorter, and more frequent.
