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As we look to 2023, several factors will shape how we travel this year. Of course, there are concerns about the economy and the possibility of a recession. Due to inflation, the cost of everything is increasing, and travelers are keeping a close eye on their spending. But financial issues aside, consumer surveys indicate that after three years of being hampered by the pandemic, travelers are not holding back and are planning and booking revenge trips this year.
As they plan their adventures, people are also looking to reconnect with friends, family and the world. And as you travel through that world, you’re becoming more aware of your impact on it. Health, wellness, and food are top of mind when we think about our mental health and overall well-being.
Looking at all of this, here are six trends that will shape how we travel in 2023.
Looking for less known areas
Booking.com ranks Hualien City on Taiwan’s east coast as one of the world’s most welcoming cities.
Photo by Su Sun Lee / Unsplash
Travelers are ditching the beaten paths for alternative, under-the-radar destinations. With a heightened awareness of the alarming impact tourism is having on the world’s most visited destinations, or simply a desire to find somewhere new, fresh and unique to the discoverer; Either way, in 2023 travelers will be flocking to unexpected places, hidden gems, and tiered options. For foodies and volcano hikes in the Azores, think Lyon over Paris rather than Hawaii. According to Skift Research, 70 percent of Millennials and Gen Zs report that they want a travel experience that their family and friends haven’t heard of.
Airbnb’s “Anywhere” searches—add dates and number of guests for far-flung suggestions—and for off-the-grid accommodations, shepherd’s huts, and “OMG!” They are tools that help explorers discover the next travel surprise. Another way to explore alternative destinations is through Booking.com’s new list of the world’s most hospitable cities (based on hotel and transit reviews), which includes a surprising lineup of places like Polignano a Mare, Italy. Hualien City, Taiwan; and Klaipeda, Lithuania.
Health that focuses on the benefits of natural healing
Forestis, a boutique wellness lodge in the Italian Dolomites, channels ancient forest observance.
Photo by Jeremy Austin/Forestis
The pandemic sent travelers fleeing to the wild — or at least the local parks — for comfort in natural social distancing, and it also created a new appreciation for the physical and mental health benefits of brushing and smelling the roses. We understand that nature is not just a beautiful sight, but a soul-restoring, endorphin-stimulating, stress-relieving outlet. So, biophilic or nature-loving design is everywhere, from the future expansion of Pittsburgh International Airport, to baggage claim outdoor gardens, to Ambiente, a landscape hotel in Sedona opening this month in 40 glass-walled cubes. For a deep dive in the Arizona High Desert.
Forest bathing, a practice from Japan Shirin-yoku, or meditation walks in nature, and proper bathing are being combined with back-to-basics wellness treatments and practices. With Nature at Forestis, a boutique wellness lodge in the Italian Dolomites, which conveys ancient forest honors in Druid-inspired Wdya movement techniques and alternates between hot tubs, cold soaks and sauna visits at New York City’s New World Spa. A true urban sanctuary.
Departure of the economy passenger
Why buy new gear when you can rent or buy gently used equipment for camping and other gear-intensive outdoor adventures?
Photo by Christopher Maximilian/Unsplash
Inflationary economy pinches, green rejection of consumerism, or the only way to avoid wanderlust are brave travelers on a shoestring budget. The virtue of thrift has already been shown in statistics for resale clothing – the second-hand clothing market is predicted to grow three times faster than retail by 2026, according to online retailer ThredUp. Travelers can now buy used Patagonia ski jackets at recent startups like Out and Back, shop for camping gear at outfitters like Arrive Outdoors, and see the world at bargain prices with the growing hostel-meets-working brand Selina. According to a survey by Hotels.com, nearly a quarter of global travelers plan to become more frugal by 2023.
Travelers will have more ecological options
We can expect to start seeing more electric vehicles being offered by rental agencies this year and beyond.
Photo by Michael Fousert/Unsplash
In the year By 2023, the travel industry will finally start walking the talk on its climate goals. According to a survey of 11,000 global travelers last year by Expedia Group Media Solutions, the majority of consumers (90 percent) are now looking for sustainable options when they travel. Half said they would pay more for sustainable travel. That’s a huge demand, and the industry is finally (truly) working to meet it. Actors such as UK-based Class2 Hotels are forging innovations such as “whole life net zero”, which include emissions during construction and eventual demolition. Big-player Marriott International plans to implement a search filter this year to identify its hotels as sustainable. G Adventures publishes a “Mozaza Point” for each trip based on the amount of money left at the destination, which is based on things like local food sourcing.
JD Power, which surveyed consumers on rental car satisfaction, predicts that car rental agencies will offer more electric vehicles this year. Aviation simplification is a more distant goal – waste-oil-derived sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is key to making the industry net-zero carbon by 2050, but more investment in the technology is needed. Although airlines such as Swiss have modeled hydrodynamic fuselage skins to reduce drag, we continue to see innovations in air travel. A ban on domestic flights, such as France’s, of 2.5 hours or less is pushing more people to train travel, a better local option.
Vacation homes with chef-worthy kitchens
Book a vacation rental and your inner chef will shine.
According to the World Food Travel Association, more than half of all leisure travelers are food travelers interested in experiencing food tours, cooking classes, wine tastings, craft breweries and local markets. All the offerings from the market and wineries have increased the demand for vacation homes to feature deluxe kitchens.
In a recent report, vacation rental company Vrbo said cooking services were the most important criteria for more than half of travelers looking for a rental with friends or family — often to cut costs and bond as a group. Airbnb’s new filter for “chef kitchens” results in places like a Wisconsin lake estate with Viking kitchen appliances and a Spanish villa-style home in downtown Avila Beach along California’s Central Coast with a huge, airy gourmet kitchen. Vrbo says high-demand cooking offerings include outdoor kitchens, pizza ovens and on-site gardens with fresh produce.
Hotels are creating unique spaces for meetings and celebrations.
Larger groups can book adjoining apartments at Bode Nashville.
In its 2023 trends report, Hilton noted the rise of intimate group travel to celebrate milestones, regardless of the date. Think 40th birthday-style party, but on your 42nd birthday. Travelers still have plenty to do in 2023, and while vacation rentals often discourage parties, hotels are creating slots in their properties specifically for small family or friends gatherings to celebrate.
“Covid has expanded multigenerational travel to include any type of group, and hotels are finding ways to encourage those interactions by creating fully-enclosed floors,” says Jack Ezon, founder of Emark Beyond luxury travel agency in New York City. The Atticus Hotel in Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine region reports increasing business for its five-bed Bunkhouse room. Bode hotels in Nashville and Chattanooga are designed with co-op apartments in mind. And groups of four can share a bedroom in a pad in Silverthorne, Colorado.
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