Important Travel Trends for 2023
Travel Is Changing
No one can predict everything the coming year will bring. We can be sure, however, that the tourism industry will remain competitive. It’s also possible to identify certain travel trends that will become increasingly important in the coming year. Being aware of these travel industry trends can help your business thrive.
As you’ll see, a number of tourism trends reflect an awareness of climate change. Travelers hope to reduce any negative effects on the environment. Others simply reveal changing tastes and interests, particularly among the young travelers of Gen Z (aged between 10 and 25.)
Travel Trends: Go Green
Don’t Fly
Airplanes leave a big carbon footprint. This means people who would like to reduce their carbon footprints are turning to train travel instead. The rail carrier TGV Lyria is already seeing a 30% increase in service from Paris to various places in Switzerland.
There is, however, another approach that may soon be available to travelers.
Fly Electric
Electric planes won’t have emissions to adversely affect the environment, and they’re already in development. Rolls Royce tested its ACCEL in 2020. The ACCEL flies 300 mph. That’s slower than a Boeing 787’s 560 mph, but not too shabby. Airbus launched the E-fan X airplane in 2021, Israel’s Aviation launched the Alice in 2021, and Easyjet and its partner Wright Electric aim to have a fleet of electric planes in the air by 2030.
Climate Neutral Travels
You can go green in other ways than by choosing an eco-friendly mode of travel. The website Ecosia provides a convenient way of choosing hotels and products that embrace sustainability. The website even devotes its profits to planting trees.
Spartan Holidays
When taking a Spartan holiday, you travel a relatively short distance and live with minimal comforts and conveniences. Naturally, this is an eco-friendly way to go. That’s not the only attraction, however. Spartan holidays provide a way for travelers to get back in touch with themselves and Nature. Vacationers also get a break from digital overload. Forest micro hotels are seeing brisk business providing Spartan vacations.
Vegan Hotels
There are plenty of studies that suggest that if we all became vegan, that would do a lot to combat climate change. People are starting to change their diets accordingly, and hotels are beginning to take notice. The UK’s Saorsa 1975 is the world’s first fully vegan hotel. The menu in the restaurant is purely plant-based, and there are no wool, silk, or feather duvets in the guest rooms.
There are other travel trends involving hotels and hotel alternatives as well.
Travel Trends: Hotels and Hotel Alternatives
I Swear, the Hotel Was Here Yesterday
Nomadic hotels are hotels that change location every six months or so. They take over private homes for the duration, but put the emphasis on guests dining and sleeping (comfortably) out of doors. It’s as if they were camping. 700,000 Heures is a pioneer in this area. In 2020, it opened two sites in Japan, one in a fishing village and one in a temple.
It Feels Like Home
Thanks to pioneering companies like Airbnb, increasing numbers of travelers are choosing accommodations in so-called home-tels. In other words, in someone’s home or a home-like space. As time goes by, some of these operations are providing services like some of the ones available in hotels. Depending on where you stay, it’s possible to get housekeeping, rides to and from the airport, and the refrigerator stocked with your snacks and beverages of choice.
Bunk Beds
If you’re tired of the usual boring hotel twin beds, luxury bunks may be for you. A number of hotels are offering or planning to offer this alternative.
Other Travel Trends
Flying That’s Fun
We’ve already mentioned that many travelers are trying to avoid flying or hope to fly in electric planes in the interests of sustainability. That’s not everyone’s priority, however. Some travelers would like a flight that’s enjoyable if not luxurious, and certain carriers are working to meet the demand. They’re looking at providing spaces for communal dining and yoga on long flights and turning cargo holds into spaces for lounges, children’s play areas, clinics, and sleeping areas equipped with bunk beds.
Eating Well at the Airport
Many airports worldwide are aiming at providing a fine dining experience. They’re providing restaurants with superior cuisine, restaurants with striking décor, and/or a wider choice of restaurants. The goal is to create airports that are tourist destinations in and of themselves.
Where Are My Roots?
The home DNA kit allows people to learn where their ancestors came from. Naturally, people who are interested enough to find out are also often interested in going to see those places. 23andMe has partnered with Airbnb to make this simple.
Surf’s Up
The popularity of surfing is increasing dramatically, especially among women. That means more travel to the world’s best surf spots. Surf parks that provide artificial waves will share in the bounty as well.
Cruise Like a Hipster
Cruises that cater to a particular interest group have been around for a while, and ships offering voyages tailored specifically for today’s hipsters will soon be taking to the seas. They’ll offer features like karaoke studios, tattoo parlors, vinyl record shops, open-air gyms, CDB cocktails, and craft beers.
Clothing Optional
Increasing numbers of people are interested in vacationing in the buff. Tourist destinations offering “nakations” including nude cruises, camping, canoeing, hikes, yoga, and wild swimming are giving them what they want.
Really Get Away from It All
For those who would like to take a break from the entire Earth, space tourism has arrived. Virgin Galactic is nearly ready to take the adventurous on 90-minute suborbital space rides. Blue Origin tested its New Shepard in 2020, which is still existing. NASA granted Blue Origin and another company a $300 million share of the commercial launch service. SpaceX plans to take a Japanese billionaire around the Moon in 2023, and the first space hotel could be open by 2025