Written by Leah Sinclair
The digital travel platform has shared the travel trends to look out for in the new year, from mindfulness-based holidays to ‘off grid’ trips abroad.
With 2022 soon coming to a close, it’s a good time to look ahead to the new year and the plans we hope will come to fruition.
Whether it’s weddings, milestone birthdays, graduations or career moves, who knows what the future will hold, but hopefully it will be filled with celebratory moments and opportunities to travel.
Post-pandemic travel has seen a small boom, with people opting to travel where they can and when they can – and while people worldwide are feeling overwhelmingly more optimistic about travelling in 2023 compared to 2022, with Booking.com reporting that 66% of Brits believe travelling will always be worth it.
With the mood shifting, the digital travel platform has commissioned extensive research from more than 24,000 travellers across 32 countries and territories and combined it with its own insights to discover the seven emerging travel predictions for 2023 – and we’ve got them all for you right here.
‘Off-grid’ trips
Camouflaged cabins, campfire cuisine and compasses: going off-grid will never be more sought after than in 2023. A chaotic few years with natural disasters, political unrest and a global pandemic has seen people opt for ‘off-grid’ style holidays to escape from reality (57%) and switch off and experience life with only the bare necessities (33%).
Expect to see more eco-friendly stays springing up to accommodate burnt-out city dwellers searching for simplicity, as well as accommodations offering guidance for guests on how to be more self-sufficient.
‘Out of the comfort zone’ travel
Forget the usual favourites, in 2023 travellers will be seeking unique holidays that shock, surprise and delight.
40% of UK travellers want to experience complete culture shock in 2023 – be it travelling somewhere with completely different cultural experiences and languages (47%) or exploring lesser-known cities with hidden gems that aren’t already on the radar (24%).
Nostalgic getaways
Amid global instability and the desire for escapism, Brits intend to carve out travel experiences that harken back to simpler times, with nostalgic getaways (84%) that provide the thrill of reliving the glory days top of the wish list in 2023. There’s a desire – even for millennials and Gen Zs who never experienced it – to disappear into the romanticism of a pre-digital era, with 20% of UK travellers chasing experiences that evoke (faux) emotive memories of days gone past, such as visiting landmarks or attractions featured in iconic retro films or opting for a bus as a primary mode of transport to relive the group spirit of school trips.
Mindfulness holidays
Travel is set to take ‘mind, body and soul’ wellness to the next level in 2023, with more people seeking mindfulness getaways in the new year, with two in five (29%) aiming to find peace at a silent retreat and one third (33%) are keen to go on a break that focuses on mental health, transformative health or that helps with life milestones such as menopause or pregnancy.
Travelling for business
Travelling for business will be back on the agenda in 2023. But unlike the business trips BC (before Covid), employees are seeking more opportunities to build team camaraderie in real life – and away from the office – reflecting a growing demand to incorporate work travel with productive play. In fact, 32% of the UK workforce is looking forward to their employer planning a ‘real life’ work trip to bring people together and 40% would like to see their employer use the money saved from the shift to remote/hybrid working models spent on corporate travel or retreats.
In response, 2023 will see a rise in destination business retreats where the focus will be on strengthening relationships and corporate recreation rather than work. Employers will gamify the retreat experience and immerse staff in a world where teamwork is the only option.
Budget-conscious holidays
With the background of global economic uncertainty, travellers in 2023 will continue to prioritise travel but will be more mindful of how to make the most of their travel budget and what takes precedence. People will still place carefree getaways at the top of their agenda, with 44% of UK travellers saying that investing in a holiday remains a top priority for them. But being budget conscious is key, with 62% of UK travellers continuing to spotlight travel while seeking more bang for their buck.
Images: Getty
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