Blog and News

Dry Tripping, Sober Cruising, and In-Flight Mocktail Sipping

By Erin Trauth

Whether completely sober or sober curious, more and more of us are seeking travel and excursions that deliberately exclude alcohol. For some, drinking alcohol is nearly synonymous with vacation: sipping a drink by the pool or drinking copiously before and on a flight are common tropes so ingrained in our society and culture that these scenes pervade almost every television or movie scene in which a person is traveling or vacationing. In a 2021 survey by The Vacationer, 53 percent of respondents noted that they “always drink” while on vacation, and 70 percent of respondents stated they planned to have one or more alcoholic drinks per day while on vacation. 

However, these trends are in a real state of flux – with a continual rise in interest in non-alcoholic drinks and the fact that each new generation is drinking less alcohol than the generation prior, among other factors, many people are looking for purposeful ways to abstain while on vacation. What’s more: abstaining while on vacation doesn’t always simply mean just staying away from the bar–instead, a whole new movement of “sober travel” opportunities is on the rise. A simple Google search for “sober travel,” for example, brings up a slew of companies offering sober travel services: take Sober Vacations International, a company that curates vacations for individuals and groups in recovery from alcohol. Travel Sober, another company, provides travel experiences and retreats for the sober crowd. For even more individualized experiences and sober travel advice, one can follow Alex Brown, a sober travel expert. Alex, a sober travel agent and LCSW licensed therapist, and owner of the Instagram page “The Recovering Traveler,” explores hotels, cities, and travel experiences, and then provides reviews of how sober-friendly these options might be. Alex and his team also offer services to those who might want assistance curating an individualized experience that removes or reduces the temptation of alcohol altogether. “A lot of people struggle with travel,” Alex said. “After witnessing the challenges myself, I created a company that supports and advocates for alternatives for people wanting to stay sober or try sober travel.” Alex, who started out in the hospitality industry, grew to quickly understand that alcohol is ingrained deeply into the entire industry – from the guest experience to the hospitality workers themselves, and he wanted to help change this trend. With these principles in mind, Alex now runs CXN Travel and Recover Hospitality, both of which can support sober or sober-curious people in travel or in sober-inclusive hospitality initiatives. 

Thankfully, future generations are already making moves in this direction. For the youngest group in the legal drinking age bracket, sober travel is seemingly being embraced. Earlier this year, the BBC explored a new trend popular with spring breakers – a group, in past years, traditionally known for wild, alcohol-fueled trips to tropical locales while on break from university semesters. Instead, “dry tripping” – or traveling without alcohol – seemed a growing choice for many. In a 2024 Civic Science survey of those aged 21 to 34, even those respondents who at least occasionally drink alcohol noted they planned to take at least one alcohol-free vacation in the next 90 days – a whopping 63 percent affirmed this!

This trend reflects increasing coverage in mainstream news of alcohol-free vacations for people of all ages; National Geographic covered the “sober tourism” movement in the last year, and CNN declared sober travel as a “hot trend.” Even the major airlines are doing more: Alaska Airlines, Delta, and Jetblue now all offer a mocktail and/or non-alcoholic beer on their in-flight menus. Hotel chains Marriott and Hilton offer non-alcoholic drink menu sections, and Travel + Leisure recently covered the slew of cruise lines getting in on the mocktail and zero-proof movement. Alex affirmed these trends, noting “inquiries have been increasing, especially with Generation Z making up so much of the market. People are really starting to see the benefits of not drinking while traveling: they want to get up early, see the sites, and do active things. Being present and remembering the trip is very important to today’s traveler,” he said. 

Whether in recovery, completely abstaining, or just sober-curious, it seems the options for people of all ages seeking a vacation experience sans booze are looking increasingly vast and varied. And, with mocktail and non-alcoholic drink options on the rise, even in mainstream travel locations, you can also join in and have something to drink that isn’t “just water or soda.” Here at Dray, we are always available to support you, whether you’re at home, sipping a zero-proof drink, or traveling to the farthest corners of the Earth to seek adventure and cold non-alcoholic beer: come see us and join in on our community of sober-friendly travelers!