Last year, a hotel manager in Koh Samui, Thailand told me about an unusual order he once received in the middle of the night.
A traveler has flown his entire family on a private jet from Brunei to the island of Thailand after learning on landing in Brunei that it is a “dry country” – that is, the sale of alcohol is prohibited.
It is a man who prioritizes drinking or drinking during holidays.
He was not alone, of course. Many people consume alcohol to relax and relieve stress, which is also the main reason people travel. Plus, it’s everywhere at many resorts, from swim-up bars by the pool to Champagne brunches that serve endless bubbles for breakfast.
But drinking on vacation isn’t all about sipping frozen cocktails on the beach; can help people deal with issues that arise while traveling, to calm their fear of flight to social anxiety, according to Texas-based New Dimension Day Care Center.
Airports can also be a trigger, with people celebrating the start of their holiday – or mourning its end – mixing it up with a killer time in bars and lounges drinking at all hours.
Can you travel without a tipple?
While many people have no interest in trying it, many people are exploring the “curiously sober” lifestyle for reasons related to physical health, mental health and work/life productivity.
A former heavy drinker based in Asia, who asked to remain anonymous to protect his identity at work, told CNBC Travel that the sober lifestyle is like having “superpowers,” citing business trips where his colleagues would struggle to get out of bed, for long periods of time. he has been exercising and returning emails to clients.
Mix alcohol-free spirits at The Virgin Mary, Dublin’s first alcohol-free bar.
Artur Widak Nurphoto Getty Images
The “sober curious” trend has also led to a proliferation of non-alcoholic spirits, beers and cocktails appearing on bar and restaurant menus around the world. Some bars are even completely alcohol-free.
Social media conversations about topics like “dry trips”, “sober travel” and “alcohol-free holidays” are also on the rise, increasing by 205% on X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Reddit and Tumblr in the last six months, compared to the six-month period months before, according to social media company Sprout Social.
The number of unique authors posting about sober travel trends increased by 186% with engagement – or the number of times posts were publicly interacted with through likes, comments or shares. – almost doubled during this period, according to the company.
How about a discussion about a sober journey on TikTok?
- #alcoholfree – 200.6K posts
- #sobercurious – 88.1K posts
- #sobertravels – 158 posts
The data also shows that conversations peaked in June 2024, at the start of the summer travel season, mainly from social media users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and Australia.
Sober-curious travelers have their fair share of detractors as well though. Last year’s sentiment showed that among social media interactions 32% were positive, 38% were neutral and 30% were negative.
Where to take a sober trip
For those looking to cut back – or cut out alcohol entirely – on holiday, some destinations may make this effort easier than others, according to a new ranking by insurance agency InsureMyTrip.
However, the ranking is not a list of countries where the sale of alcohol is banned – places like Brunei, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Instead, the US-based company evaluates countries on nine metrics – from the cost of domestic beer to the average alcohol consumption by citizens. The study also examines other activities that travelers can use to create their itineraries, especially those related to relaxation, such as national parks and quality health retreats.
These destinations are scored on a scale of 10, with the company naming the “best destinations for quiet travel” as:
- Nepal: 7.02
- Morocco: 7.00
- Costa Rica: 6.73
- Turkey: 6:57
- Greece: 6.41
- Indonesia: 6.31
- Jordan: 6.00
- Italy: 5.93
- Singapore: 5.92
- India: 5.67
Six of the 10 countries are in Asia, with Nepal taking the top spot for its abundant hiking and cheap health retreats, averaging $584 per retreat, the cheapest in the study, according to InsureMyTrip.
Morocco ranked No. 2, buoyed by the scant drinking culture of its Sunni Muslim population. “It also has a high rating for a national park (4.42/5), with many wildlife areas and beautiful tracks to enjoy,” the report said.
Costa Rica came in third – the only North American country to make the top 10 list. The focus on outdoor tourism, from beaches and rainforests to eco-wellness, appeals to those looking for a vacation that improves their physical and mental health.
Costa Rica ranks high on the list of “sober travel” destinations, in part, because of its outdoor activities and national parks.
Jordan Siemens Digital vision Getty Images
Greece, ranked No. 5, the top of the list for “best to do” and “best to relax.” Travelers can stay busy visiting one of the 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the world-famous Acropolis, while spending downtime at the highly-rated, but affordable spa, according to the rating.
Greek citizens drink, on average, more than seven liters of alcohol per year, which is more than those from Jordan – No. 7 on the list – those who drink less than one bottle of beer per year, according to the data.
The remaining countries made the list for various reasons: for some, alcohol is rare due to religious or societal beliefs (Indonesia, parts of India), in other countries it is available but expensive (Singapore) or drowned with many other things that convenient. what to do when visiting (Italy – wine regions aside).
‘Wake up in the morning and feel good’
For those looking to resist, careful planning and a proactive mindset are key, according to the New Dimension Day Care Center website.
It advises travelers:
- Plan a mix of physical activity and relaxation to relieve stress.
- Tell everyone in your group you plan not to drink, to promote accountability.
- Keep a travel journal to stay current and mindful.
American Jessica Watson said that, after giving up drinking four years ago, she changed her feelings about some tourist destinations, including the popular tourist town in central Texas.
“I went to Fredricksburg early when I stopped drinking, and I realized that everyone was walking around with wine and shops, so it wasn’t an interesting place for me,” he said. “Once you take drinking out of the equation, you realize how many people revolve around it.”
Watson said she took up skiing in Colorado after she quit and found she enjoyed it more.
“Taking alcohol away from your vacation makes you focus more on your real goals, being more active on your trip, waking up early and feeling good.”
