'A global shift in mindset'
Expedia in conjunction with Hotels.com and Vrbo has released a new Travel Trends Report based on a survey of 24,000 travelers in 17 countries.
Key findings:
There's renewed interest in:
- Culture capitals
- Wellness retreats
- Outdoor destinations beyond beaches and mountains
Top 10 Culture Capitals of interest are:
- Edinburgh
- Lisbon
- Tokyo
- Dublin
- New York
- Sydney
- Dubai
- Montreal
- Munich
- Bangkok
Top TV inspired destinations:
- New Zealand, inspired by fantasy-thriller landscapes
- UK, inspired by historical dramas and stately homes
- Hawaii, inspired by stunning resorts
- Paris and New York, inspired by cosmopolitan scenes and the prospect of romance
Hotel trends:
- Multiple spontaneous, easy trips to replace one big blowout trip
- Flexibility as to when and where to go
- Shorter stays at 3-star properties
- 35% say they plan to stay in 1 to 3-star hotels in 2023.
- But 38% want extras like free breakfast.
- 1 in 4 plan to be more frugal in 2023 but without compromise on quality.
Wellness breaks:
- Demand is up 30% from 2022.
- 46% considering
- Weird experiences sought include:
- Forest bathing
- Chakra sessions
- Food boot camp
- Puppy yoga
- Laughter therapy
- Fruit harvesting
- US was top wellness destination in 2022 except for GenZ who preferred Norway, Turkey, Switzerland, Iceland and Sri Lanka.
Destinations with new hotels opening for 2023 include:
- Capri
- Edinburgh
- Corfu
- Kefalonia
- Princeville, Kauai
- Tamarindo, MX
- Maldives
- Rome
- Dubai
- London
People want vacation rentals with cooking amenities:
- Outdoor kitchen/barbecue (50%)
- Fancy coffee machine (37%)
- Air fryer (30%)
- Pizza oven (25%)
- Access to pick-your-own produce (24%)
- 38% use cooking to reduce expenses, 41% for group bonding.
Rustic accommodations at destinations with "mind-blowing landscapes" are hot for vacation-rental stays:
- Ranches, lodges, farmhouses in Montana and Colorado (Demand for whole-house rentals is up 30%+.)
- Converted barns in Europe
- Outback farmhouses in Australia
Obscure but up-and-coming US destinations for vacation rentals include:
- Nampa, ID
- Greensboro, NC
- Layton, UT
- Irmo, SC
- Oneonta, NY
- Hampton, VA
- Bristol, RI
- Spokane, WA
- Las Cruces, NM
- Missoula, MT
Survey data were collected online for Expedia Brands by OnePoll between 22 September and 14 October 2022 across 17 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Survey population included 24,000 adults who said they were planning domestic or international travel in the next 36 months.
