The Rough Guide to 7 Must-See Travel Trends for 2023

2023 travel trends — what will they be? To find out, we quizzed our editors and local travel experts around the world. And we also asked you, our travel-savvy readers, to share your 2023 travel dreams and plans. After crunching the numbers, we now bring you seven unmissable 2023 travel trends, along with ways to make your travel dreams a reality.

Embrace the new — the number one 2023 travel trend
If you believe travel means trying new things in new places, you’re in excellent company — over 70% of you plan to do exactly that in 2023.

In fact, the overall theme of our 2023 travel trends survey can be summed up in one word: new.

So much for bumming around on the beach. You think travel should be meaningful. You want to meet new people. You long for authentic, immersive travel experiences that stir your soul and expand your horizons.

Talking of immersive, many of you intend to take culture-packed city breaks centred on your interests. Think food tours, wine tastings, fun festivals, and cool art shows.

Antarctica, Bhutan and the South Pacific – surprising new entries on your 2023 bucket list
While your top dream destinations aren’t new to this survey (New Zealand and Japan bagged first and second place), some exceptional hot (and cold) spots have jumped onto your wish list. Antarctica, Bhutan, and the South Pacific — we’re looking at you.

In addition, a bunch of you expressed a desire to visit Australia and Argentina, with cool, cultured Cordoba cropping up as an excellent alternative to capital Buenos Aires.

Costa Rica also loomed large, thanks to its astounding diversity: incredible beaches, rewarding hikes, awe-inspiring waterfalls, and wildlife-rich national parks.

You can’t get enough of Scotland and family staycations
When it came to our UK staycations survey, we were blown away by how much you adore Scotland.

Almost half of you can’t wait to explore the Scottish Highlands, while a quarter of you are keen to visit the Scottish islands.

Edinburgh and Glasgow — one of the world’s friendliest cities, according to you — also rated high when we asked which UK city you’d most like to visit.

After Scotland’s highlands and islands, Cornwall and Yorkshire are your next favoured UK regions.

Overall, London is the UK city you most want to visit, with return visitors keen to see its alternative attractions. And in good news for those on a budget (more on that later), there’s plenty of fun free things to do in London.

Japan, Thailand, the USA and South America are where it’s at
While we can’t deny the continued popularity of Italy, France, Spain and Greece, we saw significent upturns in your plans to travel to pastures new in 2023. There’s just no getting away from that theme.

Not only was Japan cited as a significant dream destination, but lots of you are already arranging your visit. From traditional tea ceremonies and riding ultra-modern sightseeing trains, to discovering Kanazawa’s cultural charms, your Japan travel plans are fabulously varied, and 100% thrilling.

The same can be said of your planned trips to Thailand. Though you’ll spend time on beautiful beaches, you also plan to trek Thailand’s best routes.

A sizeable number of you have the USA in sight, with Florida, California and New Orleans among the most-mentioned US destinations.

You’re still in it for the long haul … but budget and the environment are still a concern
While over 60% of you plan to fly long-haul in 2023, almost a quarter of you have ruled it out.

And the reasons? Over 60% of those who don’t intend to travel long-haul cited budget constraints.

In addition, environmental concerns were a major reason for your rejection of long-haul flights.

As an eco-friendlier alternative, many of you are planning rail trips, from going on UK city breaks by train, to visiting stunning places in Europe by train.