'Group therapy' is the group travel trend we're fully on board with
Big holidays with family and friends are back, and we couldn’t be happier about it
Luxury, bespoke tour operator Black Tomato knows a thing or two about travel trends. After all, they help plan dreamy trips for worldly travellers and keep their fingers on the pulse of what the most discerning holidaymakers want. A few trends caught the eye of the team at Black Tomato for 2024, including one that they call Group Therapy.
Black Tomato noticed that holiday bookings for eight or more people increased by 35%, accounting for almost a third of all their holiday bookings. It suggests that friends and extended families are getting together in new ways, choosing to spend better quality time together on memorable holidays. They call it ‘see you in the moment’, and it’s all about sharing experiences and a feeling of togetherness that can be savoured and remembered. And couldn’t we all do with a bit more of that?
In a world where there seem to be more inward-looking escapes, more solo travel, and more emphasis on creating meaningful moments for couples, travelling in larger groups with our friends and family is something we can get firmly on board with.
What is considered ‘group travel’?
Arguably, anything that isn’t a solo trip could be considered group travel. But for Black Tomato and the wider travel industry, a group of eight or more people is group travel. That could be multigenerational holidays where kids, cousins, parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents find that perfect break that suits everyone. Or it could be groups of couples with a shared love of foodie holidays, cruise holidays or railway holidays experiencing a holiday together. Or it could be gathering together a group of your favourite people to experience the enjoy the friendliness and sociable energy of an escorted tour.
What are the best trips for group holidays?
If you’re thinking about planning a group holiday for 2024, you'll need to choose wisely. It may need to be something that might be suitable and appealing for different ages or something themed that you know you can enjoy with friends with shared interests. Either way, it should be something that is easy to plan with simple-to-follow logistics (you don’t want any stragglers) and the sort of trip that’s as stress-free as possible.
So, if embracing the trend for group holidays sounds appealing, here are some holiday ideas to try on a group travel trip in 2024.
An Italian cooking and tasting trip
If a foodie holiday is your idea of heaven, gather together the people you like to dine out with and suggest that instead of your local town's latest restaurant opening, you get together in Puglia next.
Take your dinner party on the road in southeast Italy on a six-day trip. It’s an escorted tour for no more than eight guests, so you could book a trip exclusively for you and your group. You'll have the chance to try local produce and wine, dine at renowned local restaurants, and take part in a cooking masterclass.
A UK-based mini break to see beautiful gardens
The perfect group travel starter trip might involve something that doesn’t require flights. Keep things short and sweet (and simple) with a four-day trip in June 2024, visiting some of the most beautiful gardens in Kent and Sussex and hearing from garden designer and writer Sarah Raven.
You’ll stay in Tunbridge Wells, a lovely spa town for you and an extended group of friends to enjoy between visiting Lullingstone Castle, Great Comp, Pashley Manor, Great Dixter, and Scotney Castle.
A railway holiday in Switzerland
Round up your favourite couples and suggest you take a memorable trip to Switzerland together. You don’t have to worry about planning all the details. On a Good Housekeeping Holidays trip to Switzerland, everything is pre-planned, including your Glacier Express tickets, return Eurostar travel and a day trip to Bern to explore Lake Thun and Lake Lucern by boat.
A gardening-themed cruise in Amsterdam
If you’re part of a local gardening group or have friends you love to swap gardening tips with, why not plan something extra special with them this year? In April 2024, you can set sail on the Dutch waterways to visit the renowned Keukenhof Gardens on a delightful river cruise. You and your group will also have a chance to meet Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost.
A royal-themed break in Norfolk
If you and your friends love nothing more than catching up on what Queen Camilla has been up to, then take your conversations on the road this year and join historian Lucy Worsley in Norfolk.
This five-day trip visits Sandringham, the royal family’s country retreat, and you’ll explore it on a tour guided by Lucy herself. There’s also plenty of time to catch up with your friends on three scenic railway journeys through the countryside and over dinner at the lovely Sprowston Manor Golf & Country Club.
A once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy for an extra special occasion
In July 2024, Good Housekeeping Holidays has a pretty extraordinary holiday in Italy. It's the perfect holiday for when you need something with a wow factor.
Perfect for big birthdays, anniversaries, or special occasions that you want to celebrate with a group of your favourite people, this exceptional trip includes prime tickets to see Andrea Bocelli perform, a tour of the Bocelli vineyard by one of the Bocelli family, and lunch at the family’s exclusive Alpemare Beach Club.
A big and unforgettable family holiday to Costa Rica
Round up your extended family – group holidays are perfect for those big and special moments with the people you love the most. Understandably, grandparents often want to join big family holidays and be there in person to watch younger members of the family experience new things.
As the average grandparent has six grandchildren, a trip to Costa Rica with cousins, aunts, uncles and more could prove to be the ultimate group holiday trip. The Good Housekeeping Holidays trip to Costa Rica in the 2024 summer holidays is an adventure designed with families in mind, with an incredible mix of exciting activities like zip lining and rafting and wildlife escapades to see the animals this beautiful country is renowned for.
A leisurely journey through Scotland
Perhaps you and your friends are fans of Scottish broadcaster Kirsty Wark, maybe you share a love of Harry Potter (after all, you're never too old for that particular type of magic), or perhaps you enjoy witnessing remarkable feats of engineering. There's much to love about our gorgeous and varied adventure through the Scottish Highlands in July 2024.
Travelling with a large group of friends is a wonderful way to enjoy the different experiences on offer. You'll ride on the Jacobite steam train (which crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, otherwise known as the Harry Potter bridge), take a voyage on a historic paddle steamer, hear from Kirsty in an exclusive Q&A session, and visit the remarkable Falkirk Wheel - the world's first and only rotating boat lift.
A cruise to Scandinavia, sailing from the UK
Cruise holidays are a perfect option for group travel. Everyone still has time to spend in their couples if they wish, but they can get together for dinners onboard or shared excursions on shore. And when you’re thinking about which cruise to choose, one that sails from the UK can be logistically easier when planning a trip for eight or more people. Good Housekeeping's Scandinavian cruise takes place over Easter weekend, departing from and returning to Newcastle, with visits to Oslo and Gothenburg.
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