In this article, we will discuss 13 Best Vacation Stocks to Buy Now

In early 2024, The World Travel & Tourism Council projected a strong year for travel & tourism, with the sector’s global economic contribution expected to touch an all-time high of $11.1 trillion. As per the global tourism body’s 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR), travel & tourism should be able to contribute an additional $770 billion over its previous record. WTTC anticipates that ~142 countries, of the 185 analysed, are expected to outperform previous national records.

WTTC forecasts a strong future for the next decade, characterized by healthy growth and unmatched career opportunities. By 2034, the sector is expected to supercharge the global economy with a staggering $16 trillion, accounting for ~11.4% of the entire economic landscape.

Travel and Vacationing in 2024 and Beyond

In 2024, the travel sector continues to break boundaries. Mastercard Economics Institute expects that this momentum will continue, with consumers prioritizing meaningful experiences and earmarking more of their budgets to travel.

Apart from air travel, cruise vacationing saw extraordinary growth, outpacing 2019 records. Through 1Q 2024, the US travel story was characterized by contrasting outbound and inbound dynamics. By November 2022, the US travelers vacationing overseas (excluding Canada and Mexico) outpaced 2019 levels. As of March 2024, the US travel overseas stood at ~20% above that level.

In comparison, the visitor traffic arrivals in the US from abroad were ~6% below 2019 levels as of March 2024. At this pace, the Economics Institute estimated that foreign passenger traffic in the US is expected to surpass 2019 levels later in 2024.

As per the Conference Board survey of consumer attitudes and buying plans in the US, the data as of April 2024 demonstrates that around 1 in 5 of the survey respondents expect to travel internationally in the upcoming 6 months. This was the record high since the survey began in February 1967. During this similar time in 2020, only 1 in every 20 Americans wanted to travel.

Recent Trends in Vacations

A big trend for 2024 remains the preference for experiential traveling over traditional celebrations for achieving some milestones. A recent survey demonstrated that ~40% of respondents continue to plan vacations for celebrating milestone occasions in 2024. One major shift in travel trends is the concept of a journey as the final destination. While travelers are seeking rail journeys along with epic boat trips, some travelers are opting for extended stopovers in certain destinations. This helps in turning layovers into small vacations.

The Cruise Lines International Association expects that ~82% of those who have cruised are expected to cruise again. The vacation rental market has been pegged at US$99.6 billion in 2023 and should be able to compound at more than 3% between 2024 and 2032 (as per Global Market Insights). This is expected on the back of elevated demand from the younger generation as they seek unique and authentic travel experiences. Notably, millennials and Gen Z are prioritizing experiences rather than material possessions, resulting in an increased demand for engaging and authentic travel.

Therefore, growth in the vacation rental market should stem from the increased use of online booking platforms, advancements in AI-driven property management technology, and the adoption of remote working.

Our methodology

To list the 13 Best Vacation Stocks to Buy Now, we used the Finviz screener to compile a list of 20 stocks catering to relevant industries. We then ranked the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment, as of Q2 2024, and chose the following 13 companies.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

13 Best Vacation Stocks to Buy Now

13) Golden Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:GDEN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 11

Golden Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:GDEN) is a US-based company, focusing on distributed gaming, casino, and resort operations.

Golden Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:GDEN) appears to be well-placed for a strong long-term outlook as the completion of major renovations in The STRAT, together with the opening of Atomic Golf, should fuel the company’s revenue and EBITDA. The company wrapped up the sale of the Distributed Gaming sector and Maryland Casino Resort in a bid to focus on its Nevada operations and enhance its margins. Moreover, the funds from divestitures were mainly deployed to significantly reduce the leverage and lower interest expenses.

The divestitures seem to be beneficial for Golden Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:GDEN)’s shareholders over the long term. This is because the remaining sectors provide increased EBITDA margins as compared to the sold assets.

Progress was made in reducing reliance on OTAs as there was an increase in direct bookings. The company has not been considering selling its real estate at current cap rates and is waiting for a change in the interest rate environment. With consistent efforts to strengthen the balance sheet (repaying $750 million of debt via FCF and non-core asset sales), Golden Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:GDEN)  plans to maintain both strategic and financial flexibility.

As per Wall Street, Golden Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:GDEN)’s stock has an average price target of  $38.50. Notably, 11 out of the 912 hedge funds, which were part of Insider Monkey’s Q2 2024 database, had bought a stake in Golden Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:GDEN).

12) Bally’s Corporation (NYSE:BALY)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 13

Bally’s Corporation (NYSE:BALY) is a casino-entertainment company, which owns and manages casinos, hotels and resorts, spas, and horse racetracks. The company also provides online gaming and sports betting solutions.

Wall Street analysts believe that the company is expected to see growth in its gross margin because of the expansion into online sports betting and iGaming. The company appears to be well-placed to exploit the opportunities available in expanding online sports betting and iGaming services and enhancing VIP programs. Its growth strategies consist of the expansion of customer databases and developing relationships, mainly in Chicago.

The roll-out of online sports betting should complement Bally’s Corporation (NYSE:BALY)’s existing iGaming offerings in the United Kingdom. This enables the company to capture a significant share of the gaming wallet from present customers who continue to spend on sports offerings with competitors. This can be the company’s strategy to leverage the cost-effective way of tapping new customers. As a result, the company should be able to achieve increased revenue and profitability.

Next, the recent removal of advertising restrictions in Spain is likely to aid Bally’s Corporation (NYSE:BALY). Now, there is a possibility of increased investment and growth in that market. In North America, Bally’s Corporation (NYSE:BALY) continues to focus on its Gaming operations mainly in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. This is expected to act as a strong growth enabler. Bally’s Corporation (NYSE:BALY) is targeting to capture a larger market share in the Gaming sector. The company continues to prepare itself for a licensing submission in New York for a new resort in 2025.

As per Insider Monkey’s 2Q 2024 database, 13 hedge funds were long Bally’s Corporation (NYSE:BALY).