Staying Fit
Shelly Smee remembers vacations with friends to Mexico and Italy that didn’t go according to plan.
“I’ve been on trips where people get into the wine and before you know it, they’re hung over for the excursions the next day,” says the real estate agent from Vancouver, Canada.
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In 2022, Smee, who said she’s a casual drinker, went on her first small group tour as part of an alcohol-free trip to Iceland with Hooked — Alcohol Free Travel Adventure. The company has organized trips to Italy, Mexico and Nashville, Tennessee. Among its 2024 offerings are a visit to Canada, a cruise from Panama and a safari in Tanzania.
“I’m 56 and have a hard enough time getting out of bed just normally,” Smee says. “I was looking forward to doing a trip where the focus was on seeing the sites during a small group tour with like-minded individuals committed to trying all the differing experiences.”
Over the course of a week, Smee says, the group stopped at hot springs for an unforgettable dip in the clear waters and sampled nonalcoholic cocktails at a Michelin star restaurant in Reykjavík.
What the group didn’t do in Iceland was drink alcohol.
“We all got along. Quite frankly, I didn’t even think of drinking,” Smee says. “It just wasn’t a priority.”
Hospitality brands bet on sober travel
The alcohol-free travel trend is growing and goes beyond Dry January and Sober October, voluntary opportunities to forgo drinking during those months — whether to raise money for causes or for one’s own personal health.
Hotels.com reported more than 40 percent of travelers planned to book a detox trip in the next year, and even more expressed interest in staying at hotels that offer easily accessible alcohol-free beverage options.
For proof that there’s opportunity in experiences of the no-proof variety, you only need to look as far as some of travel’s biggest brands.
MSC Cruises and Celebrity Cruises are among the major lines offering alcohol-free drink packages to customers. On the Norwegian Viva ship, mocktails available at the Vibe Beach Club include the Espresso Notini, made with a nonalcoholic amaretto liqueur, and the Smoky Water, created with a nonalcoholic red vermouth.
Hotels, from big chains to boutique properties, also have jumped onboard the alcohol-free wagon.
“Hilton has absolutely seen a growing demand for nonalcoholic cocktails,” says Adam Crocini, senior vice president and global head of food and beverage brands at Hilton. In the company’s 2024 Trends Report, he says the brand explored emerging traveler preferences across generations, from Generation Z to boomers.
“Across all age categories, we continue to see an increased focus on personal wellness and mindful food and beverage choices,” he says.