As we approach the new year, many reports are hitting the media predicting travel trends for 2023. To help you keep on top of the latest industry news and developments, TD has collected all the best trends reports to give you a 360-degree view of what’s in store for the future of travel and tourism.
Food is a key travel trend: As travelers continue to seek authentic experiences that are meaningful and rewarding, culinary and wellness trips will be popular in 2023. These trips take people out of their comfort zones and provide a chance to connect with locals through cooking, eating, and drinking in unique ways that make for memorable travel moments.
Authenticity will be important: With the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting concerns around sustainability, travellers are holding travel companies accountable for their carbon footprint. Specifically, younger generations are more concerned about this issue than older ones – with 37% of Gen Z and millennials saying they’re very or extremely worried about the environmental impact of their travels.
Travelers are seeking off-the-grid getaways: With the constant onslaught of emails, social media updates, and phone calls, people will be eager to disconnect from it all this year. This will be a huge driver for new travel trends in 2023, with people looking to spend their vacation time at detox retreats, glamping sites, and hiking or camping trips. These types of trips will also be popular for couples and groups who want to spend quality, distraction-free time together without the interruptions of home life or work.
The influence of pop culture will drive destinations: As popular TV shows and movies continue to inspire travel, they will encourage people to visit the places that were filmed or written. For example, Girls Trip spurred a wave of women’s groups travelling to New Orleans, Crazy Rich Asians boosted searches to Singapore, and Game of Thrones has driven interest in Croatia, Northern Ireland, and Iceland. This will likely have a lasting effect on how travel and tourism is marketed and portrayed in the future, and it will be interesting to see how this evolves.
With airlines resuming flights and countries relaxing their restrictions on incoming tourists, travel is back in full swing. In fact, Google’s data showed a 61% increase in travel-related search volumes in Southeast Asia since the end of the pandemic. This means that a lot of people are already dreaming about their next destination and it’s up to tour operators, DMOs, and other travel industry suppliers to provide them with the unique experiences they crave. This includes everything from a one-of-a-kind stay at a Japanese castle to a weekend of wine tasting in France.