17 Travel Trends to Expect in 2023

Here are the travel trends we’re most excited about for the coming year, from pop-up hotels to slow travel to multigenerational trips planned years in advance.

We finally saw the world open up again this past year. This year, we finally got to travel again after being stuck at home for almost two years. We took to the skies, seas, and roads to see more than ever before, whether we were going back to an old favourite or planning a big, bucket-list trip to a new place.

In 2023, travellers will take these experiences one step further by trying to make a lasting positive impact on the places and people they visit. We’ll try out new, mind-bending wellness practises that have benefits that last long after check-out. We’ll also make changes to the way we travel that will help protect the planet.

Here are 17 travel trends that are likely to shape how we see the world in 2023, from psychedelic retreats and adaptogenic menus to flat-pack hotels and electric road trips.

1. Retreats that change people

A triangle like Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” can be used to show what makes us want to travel. At the bottom would be travel as a need to get away from danger, which is what Maslow’s diagram calls “safety.” Next could be travel to help us get closer to people (called “love and belonging”), then travel to improve our knowledge and status (known as esteem). This level is based on the idea of the “experience economy.” This is the idea that goods or services are valuable because they can make our lives better. So, what is on top of the pyramid? Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, says that once we’ve met all of our other “needs,” the ultimate goal is self-actualization, or, in other words, “being your best self.” This is also true of travel. Next year, people will use transformation retreats more and more to help them reach their full potential.

What’s the point in 2023?

After a year of travelling for fun, relaxation, and reunions after the pandemic, we will travel for personal growth in 2023. Whether you want to get over grief, figure out your life’s purpose, or find out what your body can do physically, there is a transformation retreat for you. Healing Holidays is a good place to start planning because it brings together retreats from all over the world based on what you might want to do. At Euphoria in Greece, for example, you can sign up for an “emotional and physical” transformation retreat that includes dance therapy and group sessions on self-awareness. In Kent, England, next year, Advivum Journeys will host “Radical Sabbaticals,” and in the British Peak District in the fall, the Heartbreak Hotel will host its signature “Moving Beyond Betrayal” retreat for women. On a private island in the Caribbean, the Aerial BVI will host a series of summits with the themes of abundance, strength, love, presence, and dream. They cost around $10,000, but you can now pay for them over time.

2. Modular hotels

Flat-packed hotels are based on the ideas of modular housing and prefabricated architecture. They are not as gimmicky as they sound and have a strong commitment to sustainability. The parts of the building are made in a factory, shipped flat, and then put together on site. Flat-packing is usually associated with cheap mass production, but this changed when hotel group Habitas opened its first flat-pack hotel in Tulum in 2017. This gave tired city dwellers who wanted to combine light-touch vacations with stylish simplicity a place to stay that was both thoughtful and sustainable.

What’s the point in 2023?

The hotel group built its own factory in Mexico using 3D-printing technology. The factory can make modular hotel parts that can be flat-packed, shipped, and put together on-site in less than a year. There isn’t much of a foundation, and each hotel is built around trees, rocks, and water instead of fancy lobbies and big buildings. The effect taps into the growing trend of nature-based, off-grid retreats that promise access to widescreen wilderness. Since Tulum, Habitas hotels have opened in places all over the world that are very far away. The most recent ones are in Saudi Arabia’s Ashar Valley and the countryside of San Miguel de Allende. In 2023, they plan to open more retreats in Mexico, Morocco, Costa Rica, Bhutan, and other places, with the goal of opening 10 to 12 hotels a year. This way of building is not only environmentally friendly, but because building costs are going up, it is also much cheaper than traditional building. This is how Habitas is able to build its flat-pack hotel empire so quickly.

3. Traveling by plane and car

Hybrid, flight-light plans are not only better for the environment, but they also make getting from A to B or B to A part of the fun. We’re becoming more flexitarian and climate-conscious when it comes to what we eat, switching out animal proteins for plant-based alternatives. Now, we’re also becoming more flexible when it comes to how we travel. A more environmentally friendly way to see Europe is to take the train instead of a short-haul flight there or back. We love how slow travel company Byway makes trips that don’t involve flights so appealing. They plan multi-destination trips by train, bus, and boat so that we don’t have to worry about planning or paperwork and get the most out of our time in transit. They also like small, locally owned boutique hotels, and we love how they put all of our plans into one PDF that is easy to use and includes all of our train and travel tickets.

What’s the point in 2023?

As companies and people become more committed to cutting emissions, it becomes more important to travel more slowly and in a more environmentally friendly way. If we fly the same distance, our carbon footprint is up to 90% bigger than if we took the train. People aren’t bragging about being jet-setters as much as they are about travel adventures that use less carbon. We’re also more eager to give our money to businesses with good values. Byway is not only making train travel very cool, but they are also a certified B Corporation. This means that the company has been through a thorough evaluation of how it affects its workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. Intrepid Travel is another responsible travel company that has B Corp status and is adding more train travel routes. This means that their B Lab team has confirmed that they meet high standards of social and environmental performance and are open and accountable.

4. Set-jetting

We spent most of 2020 and 2021 glued to our TVs, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that our love of TV will affect our travel plans for 2023. Next year, a lot of people will take their favourite TV shows on the road, using the beautiful and interesting places where the shows were filmed as inspiration for an exciting new vacation spot.

What’s the point in 2023?

Recent data from Netflix showed that 70 percent of the shows a typical Netflix user watches were filmed in a foreign country. Often, the places where the shows were filmed were their favourite places to go on vacation. “This is a growing trend among our guests,” says Simon Lynch, global sales and product director for Scott Dunn. “Bookings for France in 2023 are already 20% higher than they were before the pandemic, thanks to the halo effect of hit shows like Emily in Paris.” Over 80% of Scott Dunn Private members are travelling to warm places this winter, including Mexico, the Maldives, Oman, Australia, and Barbados, to name a few. The idyllic, sun-drenched locations where HBO’s hit show The White Lotus was filmed may have also inspired them. Natalie Allard, a spokesperson for Expedia brands, says that TV is now more important than Instagram when it comes to influencing travel. “We think set-jetting is going to be a big thing next year. Today, Expedia data shows that movies and TV shows are more important than social media when it comes to booking trips. “Two-thirds of travellers around the world have thought about doing it, and almost 40% have already booked trips because their favourite show made them want to go there,” she says. What are Natalie’s top trends for locations in 2023? “There will be a lot of people going to Paris to find love. I can’t wait to go back to New Zealand, where I’ll be on the lookout for those awesome Middle Earth spots!”

5. A new way to include everything

All-inclusive retreats have been looked down upon for decades. People who think they’ve seen a lot of the world usually don’t like the idea of a vacation where you don’t leave the resort and eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and happy hour at the same few restaurants. But smart brands are now giving the idea a back-to-the-roots twist.

What’s the point in 2023?

The term “all-inclusive” has been laughed at in the luxury travel world for a long time. We don’t know why, because who doesn’t want to drink a G&T by the pool and not worry about getting a huge bill when they check out? But the good news is that a number of beautiful properties are giving the idea a new twist. The Gallivant, a California-style beach hotel in Sussex, has been turning the idea on its head for a long time from its bad location over Camber Sands. When you stay here, you get a three-course meal that might feature wood-roasted Romney lamb rump, Kentish Blue cheese beignets, or a whole crab with Maldon rock oysters. For breakfast, you can get Turkish eggs or fluffy pancakes. It’s so popular that in 2023, the team will open a second base on the coast of Kent. In France, the 17th-century French country house Les Maisons de Campagne has given the idea a new twist by including everything in the price, from free beer to yoga classes. The Ikos brand goes one step further. When it opens in Mallorca in 2023, it will have five restaurants on-site and will also let guests book local restaurants for free as part of an all-inclusive stay, giving them a taste of the island and helping the local community at the same time. None of these smart stays can be called “cheap,” but as we all become more aware of where we spend our money, this is a trend that makes the cost of our vacations more clear and makes it easier to save for those well-deserved trips without any nasty surprises.

6. Swankier airport lounges

As more people figure out how to use credit cards or other memberships to get into airport lounges, airlines are working harder than ever to make their top-tier lounges stand out as special places. Recent perks include a premium Champagne bar in British Airways and American Airlines’ just-opened lounge at JFK, a Clarins spa with facials and other treatments in Air France’s business-class lounge at JFK, as well as 36,000-square-foot first-class-only Delta One lounges coming soon to New York and Los Angeles. On the credit card side, Capital One will launch a new concept for a lounge with chef José Andrés that will serve tapas-style food from Spain in both Washington, D.C. and New York. Chase Sapphire is also getting ready to open a bunch of premium lounges across the U.S., after opening its first one in Hong Kong in October 2022.

What’s the point in 2023?

People with the best credit cards or the highest levels of airline elite status will want to get to the airport early to take advantage of the perks. These updated lounges will also make layovers easier for some passengers. As part of the lounge-reset process, however, airlines and credit card companies will make it harder for travellers to get into these places over the course of next year. Delta has already made it harder to get into its lounges and limited who can buy memberships to deal with overcrowding. Other companies are likely to do the same. Even more reason to plan your points-and-miles strategy for 2023 with extra care.

7. Trips with crypto

Before, the only way to pay for a trip, flight, or hotel stay was with “fiat” currencies like dollars or pounds, points, or air-miles. But thanks to technological advances from companies like Revolut and Hayvn, cryptocurrency owners can now use Bitcoin and Ether, for example, on vacations.

What’s the point in 2023?

Insider Intelligence says that almost 13% of adults in the U.S. now own at least one type of cryptocurrency, and that by the end of 2023, about 3.6 million people will be using cryptocurrency (previously it was just about investing and trading). This is a huge chance for the travel and tourism industry to change with how people spend their money. Soneva Resorts in Thailand and the Maldives started accepting cryptocurrency as payment in the summer of 2022. Pelorus, a travel and yachting company that focuses on experiences, started taking cryptocurrency payments for trips abroad in the fall. Borrow a Boat started taking crypto for boat rentals in November 2022. More firms will do the same.

8. Yachts made by high-end hotel chains

The announcement of a new breed of luxury yachts from the world’s top hotel brands has been a long time coming. Loyal customers have been eager to take to the seas in the same comfort and style as their hotel counterparts on land. Thanks to The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, the dream has already come true. The Evrima was launched last October. It is the most advanced and expensive civilian ship that Spain has ever built. CEO Douglas Prothero is very excited to explain how these new experiences will be different from what we know about cruising: “Nine out of ten of our guests have never been on a cruise before, which shows the kind of client we’re dealing with. We don’t have things like casinos on board because we want our guests to spend as much time as possible in the places we visit.

What’s the point in 2023?

This is only the start of what we can see in the world of luxury cruises. Four Seasons has confirmed that it will launch a cruise ship with 95 suites at the end of 2022. “Love makes waves” was its motto. Even though the first cruises won’t start until 2025, people will be able to buy tickets by the end of 2023. The first itineraries for Four Seasons Yacht will be in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. They will be based around beautiful places that offer unique shore experiences and adventures on land. In 2025, Aman will launch Aman’s Project Sama, a 600-foot-long luxury yacht with only 50 suites and a partnership with Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design. Belmond was a leader when it opened its first péniche-hotels on rivers in 2004. But the popular travel brand from LVMH has news for 2023 as well: The Coquelicot, an updated version of Belmond’s famous Hirondelle barge, will be released next summer. Prices start at $81,500 per week for three suites that can fit up to six people and a full, high-end itinerary through the Champagne region.

9. Hotels owned by artists

The art-hotel mash-up trend has been going on for a while, from the quirky Fife Arms in Scotland, which is owned by the same couple behind the powerful gallery Hauser and Wirth, to Margate’s super-smart Fort Road Hotel, which caters to travellers who want to go beyond cookie-cutter hotels and have more personal, immersive experiences that touch their creative spirits.

What’s the point in 2023?

This trend is growing thanks to two young female artists. It appeals to a new generation of travellers who want to stay in places where creativity and connection thrive. Lrnce, an artist, is opening her colourful seven-bedroom riad, Rosemary, in Marrakech. It has hand-painted tiles and fabrics, as well as a rooftop where like-minded guests can get together for events. Later this year, modern photographer Kate Bellm will open Hotel Corazon on the island of Mallorca, which, like Marrakech, has always been a hub of creativity. Bellm’s place is in the village of Deià. London chef Magnus Reid runs the health-focused restaurant, which is known for Bellm’s dreamy, ethereal pictures of island life.

10. Sleep tourism

Sleeping used to be a side effect of travelling. It was something we did at the end of the day, preferably in a bed that felt like a cloud. Now, getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most popular travel trends, with “sleep concierges,” AI-powered beds, and other innovations.

What’s the point in 2023?

The latest sleep technology is being used by more and more hotel brands. Take Bryte mattresses, which use artificial intelligence to adjust body support and room temperature to keep you sleeping deeply. They are now available in hotels across the U.S., like the Carillon Miami, the Four Seasons Beverly Hills, and a special sleep suite at the Park Hyatt New York. Hastens, a well-known Swedish mattress company, has gone even further by opening the Hastens Sleep Spa Hotel, a 15-room boutique hotel in Coimbra, Portugal. Everything in the hotel, from the acoustics to the hypoallergenic horsehair mattresses, is designed to help people get the best sleep possible. At the smart Belmond Cadogan Hotel in Chelsea, a “Sleep Concierge” service includes a meditation by Harley Street hypnotherapist and sleep expert Malminder Gill as well as a choice of weighted blankets, pillows, and pillow mists based on the guest’s sleeping preferences.

11. Adaptogenic menus

Steve Jobs wrote a list of things he had learned about life as he was dying of cancer. “Eat your food as your medicine,” was one of them. If not, you will have to eat medicine instead of food.” We all know that food has health benefits, but a new era of knowledge is revealing the hidden power of certain edible plants and mushrooms to help the body deal with things like stress, anxiety, and fatigue. This is because they contain “adaptogens,” which are active ingredients that help the body deal with things like stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Siberian ginseng, Ashwagandha (Indian Ginseng), Tulsi (Holy Basil), and Schisandra berries are all adaptogenic herbs that are popular right now.

What’s the point in 2023?

Plant power can be taken in pill form, but innovative food and drink brands like Three Spirit, which replaces alcohol with adaptogens, are setting new standards by offering them raw, cooked, or distilled. With adaptogenic menus, food will be used in more targeted ways, such as to improve mood, clear the mind, and even boost the immune system. In London, the Sweeties bar at The Standard hotel has been experimenting with adaptogenic cocktails (Gold Dust Woman is made with turmeric), but Los Angeles has been ahead of the curve when it comes to blending adaptogenic smoothies, lattes, and teas (see Moon Juice, Cafe Gratitude, and Kreation). Soon, we will also be able to order Lion’s Mane mushroom soup or Arctic Root salad at a restaurant.

12. Electric road trips

Since On the Road, a famous American book by Jack Kerouac, road trips have had a special appeal. But because they used cars or RVs that used a lot of gas, they also left a carbon footprint. Today, electric vehicles with ranges of 450 miles or more (meaning they can be driven farther between charges) mean that they can finally be done in a way that is less harmful to the environment. You’ll need to carefully plan your route to make sure there are charging stations along the way, but more and more car rental companies are offering fleets of electric vehicles for rent. Hertz says that the Basel-Baden-Zurich-Appenzell “Grand Tour,” which is about 1,000 miles long and has 300 EV chargers, is one of the best routes in Europe.

What’s the point in 2023?

In 2023, Tesla will start making a lot of the electric Cybertruck, which looks like it came from the future. It will quickly become one of the coolest cars to take on an electric road trip. It has solar panels on the roof that let you charge up even in the middle of nowhere. It also has a fold-out kitchen and a place to sleep in the back. The new electric VW iD Buzz camper van is another ride that people want.

13. Immersions in psychedelics

If you’ve seen Michael Pollan’s Netflix documentary How to Change Your Mind, which looks at the history and uses of psychedelic drugs like LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), and mescaline, you know that there is a growing body of evidence that hallucinogenic drugs can have a hugely positive effect on mental health. Because of this, laws in a few countries are starting to change so that they can be used for therapy. For example, in 2022, Awakn Life Sciences opened the first psychedelic psychotherapy clinic in London. Oregon will be the first state in the country to let people use psilocybin in a supervised setting. This will happen in 2019.

What’s the point in 2023?

The Covid-19 pandemic caused a lot of trauma for everyone, but many people don’t recognise it, bury it, or don’t deal with it right away. In 2023, psychedelic immersions will be ready to take off as a fast-track therapy alternative (many people have profound realisations when tripping). The Synthesis Institute already sets up group psilocybin sessions in the Netherlands. In 2023, they will also open a centre in Oregon just for that purpose. At the same time, Beckley Retreats will host a series of five-night trips to a mansion in Jamaica for $4,500 per person.

14. Native groups will bring attention to their lands

Travel companies that care about Indigenous communities have done so for a long time. What’s different now is that Indigenous people are leading the way in promoting their areas, and travellers will be more aware of the cultural roots of the places they visit.

What’s the point in 2023?

There will just be more ways to travel around the world that are led by Indigenous communities. Take Australia, where big changes are happening everywhere. For example, the Kuki Yalanji people have been recognised as the rightful owners of Queensland’s Daintree National Park. The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape along the Great Ocean Road has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list for its Aboriginal cultural value, which includes ancient Gunditjmara eel farms. And there are new experiences like Baiyungu-led tours along Western Australia’s Ningaloo coast, which include exploring shell midden Canada has also had to face this problem, and First Nations-owned businesses have sprung up everywhere. In British Columbia, new ocean-facing cabins at Haida House on the nature-rich island of Haida Gwaii and the upcoming Nemiah Valley Lodge in the inland Chilcotin region are just two of the new Indigenous-owned properties that will open after the pioneering Klahoose Wilderness Resort north of Vancouver. But this new movement feels truly global, from Uganda’s new Gahinga Batwa Village, which gives a permanent home to what may be Central Africa’s oldest living Indigenous group, to new Indigenous-led groups like Bonanza Tours, which runs tours of the Peruvian Amazon northeast of Cusco.

15. ‘Lisness’

The experts at Black Tomato have noticed a shift to “Bleisure.” Where travellers used to add a few days to the end of business trips, they now do the opposite. They call this “Lisness.” “This is being driven more and more by travellers who plan vacations that include time for work, taking advantage of the fact that they can work more flexibly from anywhere,” says Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant. “Some of our clients are taking trips that last a month, with 75% of their time spent on leisure and 25% on business. This gives them more time to relax and get back into their normal lives, and these hybrid trips are clearly geared toward leisure.”

What’s the point in 2023?

Covid has made a huge difference in how we think about and do our work. “The old way of thinking was to work and maybe take a vacation. Now, people want to take a vacation first and work around it,” says Marchant. “In turn, leading hotel groups and tour operators need to change their services and experiences to fit this pattern, in which strong wifi and flexible time zones are more valuable than ever. It means spending more time in one place, often in places like Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, and Guatemala where longer stays lead to more memorable travel experiences over a longer period of time.

16. Planning for the far future

During the years of 2020 and 2021, when the pandemic was still going on, it was impossible to plan trips abroad more than a few weeks in advance because governments were always changing entry requirements, closing borders, and making airlines cancel flights. In 2022, travellers were starting to feel better about travelling again, but by 2023, demand will be at its highest, especially if China finally reopens to international tourists. Already, there is a lot of competition to stay in the best suites and hotels, so only those who book far in advance will be sure to get what they want.

What’s the point in 2023?

There will be a lot of new hotels and experiences opening in 2023, but jet setters are already thinking about what they can do in 2024 and beyond. Itineraries will include the first Orient Express Hotel, Minerva, in Rome, cruises on MSC Group’s new ship Explora II (which will arrive in summer 2024), the Six Senses Svart in the Norwegian Arctic Circle, Accor’s Mantis Masai Mara Eco-Lodge in Kenya, the Rosewood Miyakojima in Japan, and Aman’s Amanvari on the Sea of Cortés in Mexico (all in 2024). In Saudi Arabia, the Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills, the Edition Lake Como, and the Park Hyatt Riyadh Diriyah Gate will be on the list of places to see in 2025.

17. Plans for school trips

Travelers don’t want to go somewhere and just scratch the surface. Instead, they want their experiences to be deeper and more meaningful than ever, and they want to learn something new in the process.

What’s the point in 2023?

Adam Sebba, CEO and founder of The Luminaire, says, “After a wave of post-pandemic revenge spending, we can now expect travellers to be more picky and put a higher value on experiences that satisfy their thirst for knowledge and help them grow as people.” In fact, almost 90% of people who took part in a recent survey by a luxury travel provider gave “luxury educational travel experiences” a score of 8, 9, or 10 out of 10. Tom Marchant, who helped start the company Black Tomato, says that this will be a big trend next year. “We’ve seen a rise in demand for trips that are meant to teach people something in 2022, and we expect this trend to continue next year,” he says. In 2023, they will go on trips that are both immersive and educational. For example, they will spend time with one of Japan’s top architects to learn more about the country’s traditional architectural style. They will also help protect the rare Black Rhino in Kenya by spending time with a team of vets and rangers to learn more about conservation efforts.