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Top Travel Trends for 2023 According to HotelPlanner 

From ‘Revenge’ and ‘Heritage’ travel to the rise of digital nomads, pub lodging and cannabis tourism – leading booking platform HotelPlanner describes the biggest trends expected for the travel industry in 2023.

HotelPlanner, one of the world’s leading providers of individual, group, and corporate travel bookings has announced their Top 10 Travel Trends of 2023. 

London-based HotelPlanner power bookings from around the world, finding the best possible rates for a variety of travel purposes, including individual or group holidays, weddings, corporate events, sports travel and much more. The company has long-term partnerships with the world’s largest online travel agencies, well-known hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, sports franchises, universities, government agencies and tourism boards.

Analysing data and customer demand, HotelPlanner are constantly in-the-know for the current travel trends as well as those we can expect to see in 2023 based on booking patterns and insider industry knowledge.

Top Travel Trends for 2023, according to HotelPlanner: 

  • Revenge Travel – Travelling the world is an absolute must for some people, offering the opportunity to explore, unwind and build lasting memories. When the pandemic struck, and travel became completely off bounds or extremely limited, it built up a sense of lost time. With global restrictions predominantly eased, and travel firmly reinstating itself on the agenda for millions around the world, the travel sector is expected to experience a seismic boom in 2023 to further build on the rising figures throughout the past year. ‘Revenge travel’ is the notion that we should book more trips now than ever before to make up for that lost time. It will be a key trend next year and HotelPlanner believes the mindset of travellers in 2023 will be to book a long-awaited, well-deserved trip to a new city, dream resort or a new corner of the world to experience as consumers don’t put off their dream trips any longer. 
  • Luxury Travel – Among all the new travel trends, luxury travel may be the biggest to emerge from the pandemic. Millions of people were diligent in saving their increased disposable income and now have the financial means to spend on bespoke, upscale, inclusive, or other luxury experiences. This may include staying at an all-inclusive resort, going on an exotic safari, ski trip or cruise, or simply staying in more upscale hotels and eating at nicer restaurants.   
  • Digital Nomads – These are the remote workers whose employers allow them to work from wherever they want. Millions of digital nomads are now taking advantage of this new freedom from the office. These are people who might visit five cities or five countries over several months, and work from coffee shops, extended-stay hotels and AirBnBs. This trend has created a brand-new category of traveller: the digital nomad. 
  • Bleisure Travel – This is a combination of business & leisure travel where a typical employee is on a business trip from Monday – Thursday, and then extends their trip for a mini-vacation, sometimes with their spouse or family in tow. Given that corporate travel is still down, customers should take advantage of the ‘Saturday Night Stayover’ deal where many airlines and hotels will offer discounts if you extend through the weekend.  
  • Wedding Travel – About one in four are travelling this year for a wedding-related event. After two years of couples waiting to make it official, there will be an unprecedented demand for wedding event space and wedding hotel blocks in 2023. Given the waitlist for venue space, many couples are choosing destination weddings, such as in the Caribbean or Hawaii, or in their family’s country of origin. 
  • Multi-Generational Travel – Travelling with three or even four generations of family members is becoming more popular as people realise that the older generation within the family won’t be around forever. We’re seeing an increase in trips with multi-generational families all travelling together.  This could be a large family reunion, or just inviting grandparents to join the family on a weekend road trip.  
  • Heritage Travel – With the increased popularity of websites like 23 & Me and Ancestry.com, people are rediscovering family roots and tracing their lineage all the way back to their ancestors’ country of origin. This has led to an increase in heritage travel, where families are travelling all over the world to visit the hometown of their great-great-great grandparents.
  • Sustainable Travel – Travellers are becoming more environmentally conscious about the carbon footprint of their travel and the positive or negative impact their travels may have on the planet.  Travellers are searching more for ‘eco-friendly’ hotels and transportation options, as well as ‘environmental impact’ or ‘sustainable travel’ trips where part of the experience includes local philanthropic events like growing a community garden, or cleaning up a beach, almost like a mini week-long “Peace Corps” of sorts.  
  • Pub lodging – Several pub companies, including major PLCs, have in recent years built up large lodging platforms across the UK, typically serving more regional markets and often competing with the major budget-branded hotel chains. Post COVID-19, pubs have been able to ride the staycation boom – meaning more and more people are looking to book affordable stays in pub locations which offer comfortable rooms with easy access to quality food and beverage options.
  • Cannabis Tourism – with many destinations across the world offering various forms of legal marijuana – travellers will be going further than Amsterdam in 2023. It has created a whole new market of travellers who are visiting places where cannabis is easier to obtain legally. Many hotels are now promoting being ‘420 friendly’ to jump on this trend. 

Philip Ballard, HotelPlanner’s Chief Communications Officer, says “These trends reflect just how dynamic and diverse travelling preferences have become in the post-pandemic environment. Some travellers simply want to make special memories with friends and family, regardless of the location, while others want their social media channels to reflect just how adventurous they are. Others long for remote locations with no crowds and more privacy and are willing to pay more for it. For lack of a better term, I would summarize all these trends as ‘purpose-driven travel.”

Featured Photo by Derek Thomson on Unsplash

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