New Year 2023 Travel Trends
After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 marked the global return of tourism and Travel trends will transform.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the last 12 months have been a period of recovery, with the number of international tourists almost tripping between January and July 2022—a 172 percent increase over the same period in 2021.
Translation: According to the UNWTO, the travel sector has recovered to almost 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
And while 2022 was a year of recovery, 2023 is likely to be a year of reinvention. A separate report, this one from Booking.com, predicts that the next 12 months will be a time of “creative reimagining” of travel amid the chaos facing the world.
What exactly does a reimagined journey look like?
We asked some of the industry’s leading voices to share their predictions for 2023, and the answers ranged from exciting and exciting to truly inspiring. From revolutionary adventures and new-age wellness retreats to immersive, slow-paced journeys, the coming year promises to be full of dynamic offerings. Here are 15 of the most interesting trends to watch in 2023.
Multigenerational travel continues to grow in popularity.
Although multigenerational travel has been around for more than a few years, the trend has gained new meaning and momentum following global retention demands. pandemic “Family travel is changing for more and more generations to replace the time and memories lost during the pandemic,” said Jennifer Spatz, founder and CEO of Global Family Travels. “Families who haven’t spent much time together during the pandemic are looking for targeted bucket trips to connect and bond.”
Beach vacations dominate.
According to data from an October survey Of Travelzoo’s 15 million members, 57 percent of travelers are interested in beach vacations in 2023, 53 percent of whom are looking at cultural and historical vacations, and
percent are looking forward to the beach. holiday road trip next year.
“Shore vacations are hot in 2023,” said Travelzoo Editor-in-Chief Gabe Saglie. “Especially post-Covid, the beach is seen as a destination that offers both a much-needed escape and plenty of open space.” Demand for classic destinations like Florida, California, and Hawaii is steady this year, meaning anyone looking for a beach or island vacation will want to book early.
Transformative Adventures
Transformative experiences that allow participants to make deeper connections with their inner and outer journeys are also on the rise now, Spatz said. As part of this trend, Global Family Travel has created new regenerative wellness retreats. For example, the company’s immersive, 10-day rejuvenating wellness trip in Bali focuses on aligning the participant’s seven chakras and awakening spiritual clarity, while GFT’s seven-day Greater Seattle: Restore and Reconnect trip focuses on restorative wellness for women in a beautiful environment. in the Pacific Northwest. “Call her Mother Earth, Pachamama, or Gaia, we connect to this living ecosystem we call home in countless ways, both as individuals and through cultural practices,” says Spatz.
High-class sustainable tourism
The luxury tourism market is booming. And at the same time, the threat of climate change is an increasingly serious problem, says Matt Berna, president of North America at Intrepid Travel. In the coming year, we will focus even more on the answer with these two developments. “Creating a more sustainable and high-quality travel product was Intrepid’s main goal,” says Berna. “Launched during the pandemic, our Intrepid Premium line now includes 100 routes in two countries and five continents.”
New for 2023 is a 10-day Premium Alaska itinerary that includes low-pollution rail travel, conservation tours, and a stay at the sustainably built Talkeetna Lodge. Also, Intrepid’s 9-day Premium Costa Rica itinerary includes a visit and overnight stay at Mawamba Lodge in Tortugero, which runs on biodigestion and renewable energy to support the country’s indigenous Chorotegan people.
2023 Will Be Asia’s Great Awakening
As the first region to close its borders in 2020 amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, Asia will experience its big breakthrough in 2023, Berna predicted. Anticipating this reality, Intrepid focused on revitalizing and launching cruises in Asia. “Japan is the latest country to reopen, and Intrepid has relaunched 12 voyages from 7 to 24 days—including Japan Real Food Adventure and Japan: Hike, Bike, and Kayak,” says Berna. “Other notable trips for the big comeback in 2023 include Mongolia’s Nadaam Festival and 10 days of highlights in South Korea.” Intrepid is also introducing a number of brand new itineraries for 2023, including the 11-day Hike Trans Bhutan route and the 15-day Tibet: Beijing to Kathmandu Overland, during which travelers spend two days on the world’s highest railways.
Set-Jetters
Expedia experts recently coined the term “set-Jetting” in response to an unexpected travel trend in 2023. The trend is such that 61 percent of travelers say they booked a trip inspired by watching TV. (And honestly, who hasn’t wanted to fly to Sicily after watching White Lotus?) “Research shows that TV is now the number one source of travel inspiration, ahead of social media,” says Melanie Fish, global PR specialist and head of travel for Expedia Brands.
“The most popular destinations are New Zealand, whose landscape was featured in a major fantasy epic this year, and Britain, which has served as the setting for several historical dramas such as Bridgerton and House of Dragon.” Other hotspots include the cosmopolitan cities of Paris and New York, thanks to the blockbusters Emily in Paris and Inventing Anna.
Climate change education plans
Travelers are becoming more aware and asking how they can be more aware of their travel and reduce or offset their carbon emissions as our warming climate becomes more severe, according to Global Family’s Spatz. Travel brands respond to this demand in a number of ways. for Global Family Travel, which included developmental educational adventures designed to inspire participants to take climate action. Most notably, the company recently embarked on a pioneering transformation adventure in Iceland.
The uniquely designed carbon-neutral journey involves witnessing firsthand the dramatic changes taking place in Iceland as a result of climate change and immersing participants in life science.
Authentic, immersive, and slow travel vs. tourism
One way to travel is to move from place to place to capture your Instagram selfie at an iconic location. Recently, however, there has been an increased demand for purposeful and meaningful travel experiences, especially among families who want to use travel as a learning tool. “We’ve seen demand for many of our culturally engaging, family-friendly tours that work with local communities and nonprofit partners to focus on critical global issues and support the UN’s key Sustainable Development Goals,” says Spatz.
Unique new itineraries, such as GFT’s 12-day Global Classroom Adventure in Bali, offer travelers a unique opportunity to face some of the sensitive destinations’ most pressing challenges, including exploring the devastating effects of plastic on marine life and the island’s looming water crisis. The Bali Adventure is just one example of itineraries that are increasingly being designed to give travelers the opportunity to make a positive impact during their visit or learn about global issues.
Cruises continue to grow.
As part of Travelzoo’s recent 2023 Traveler Intentions Survey, cruises are the fourth most popular destination for travelers next year. Saglie said cruises were also the most interested in other travel categories in a year-over-year comparison. “As the comfort of cruises continues to grow post-pandemic, travelers are focusing more on the value-added aspects of cruising,” explained Saglie. “Brand new cruise offerings, such as Disney’s Wish, which launched in July, and Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, which launched this month (December), show that the industry is focusing on unique, often tailored, onboard experiences. We welcome back the avid cruiser and want to attract the new cruise traveler…
Domestic trips are the first worldwide, but both will increase to 2,023 trips within the United States in 2023, compared to43 percent of respondents plan only one international trip in the next year.
This is good for the car market and for those who plan to travel, in classic destinations like national parks, mountain resorts, and beach paradises, as well as in our favorite big cities,” said Saglie. International destinations are encouraged by the fact that so many pandemic restrictions have been lifted, making it more convenient for Americans to travel beyond US borders.
Indigenous and First Nations Travel
One of the biggest benefits of the domestic tourism boom in various countries has been the growth of indigenous tourism, says Berna Intrepid. As a result, tour operators, including Intrepid Travel, began to focus more on developing indigenous travel experiences. In the United States, it included eight new experiences that strengthened BIPOC culture, Berna said. And in Australia, the company is currently offering more than
40 First Nations experiences by 2023, up from just 12 in 2020. “The 6-day Great Ocean Road and Grampians Adventure includes a cultural walk with a Gunditijmara guide, and our 5-day Walk on the Scenic Rim is led by our host, Gurruhmu, “Old Man Kangaroo,” a Ugarapuli and Bidya man.”
Traveling with family
The post-Covid family travel experience is based on broadening children’s horizons through real human connection, in addition to prioritizing “green time” over screen time, says Berna. Intrepid Travel’s family selection now includes 93 trips, and several new experiences will be added in 2023. “Notable additions include meeting a local farmer and learning how to make traditional products from pandan leaves in Candidasa on day
of our teen Bali family vacation,” explained Berna.
“And in Costa Rica, on a family vacation with teenagers, there will be a cooking class on the 7th in Manuel Antonio National Park with Javier and Dora, a couple who closed their restaurant after 20 years due to the pandemic, in Quepos. teach children and parents new cooking methods and authentic, three-generation Costa Rican recipes.”
Cowboy-Connections
When it comes to the vacation rental market of 2023, Expedition experts say “cowboy cations” will be trending. “Demand for private vacation rentals in western U.S. destinations has grown by more than 30 percent,” says Fish. “It elevates Montana, Colorado, and other western states to traditional beaches where people want entire private vacation homes.”
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