If one trend is for sure this year, it’s that traveling is back in style
In those long months of quarantine and strict safety protocols, we took comfort in walking tours, e-numans and social media videos of people showing their personal (read: anything but our own) spaces. It was a way to get out without being out. But with borders opening up, we’re digging up old wanderlust goals and making a travel list for 2023.
Last year, some of us got some things ticked off, but 2023 is when we’re doing it for real. No more familial travel obligations and no more fear of getting visas rejected. This year is for us.
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All that said, there are some things to consider. We’re not just looking for countries to stamp our passports or places to snap a few pictures in. We want the full experience, and social travel brand Contiki provides us with 2023 travel trends to help make it all the more enjoyable.
1. Sustainable travel
We’ve all made the motion to be more conscious about what we consume—from beauty products to the food we eat—so why not take it a notch further and travel sustainably, too? It’s all about lessening our carbon footprints.
So when you hit up a new province, state or country, do the research and figure out what the best way to travel in between hotspots is. Commute, take a bus or a train or take a leisurely walk between one area to the next. Clean up after yourself and read about the places you visit (because that farm you’re visiting might not be a place you want to support and give money to). You don’t want to be that tourist.
2. Longer trips
Halleluiah. The generation that used to fear being away from work for long stretches are no longer afraid of putting those vacation leaves together. But it isn’t just that we’re getting what we’re owed; we’re more practical, too.
According to Natasha Lawrence, Contiki’s Commercial and Product Development Director: “The rising cost of flights plays into this…If you are going to take a long-haul flight, you want to spend more time in the destination at the other end.”
3. Multi-country vacations
If you’re going out, go all out. Why stop at one? Think of it like bar hopping, except it’s country hopping.
You’ll save a little money if you’re traveling the countries of Europe all together, as opposed to visiting them one by one and traveling home in between. See everything you can while you can.
4. Social travel
Three years ago, we were all about going solo and finding ourselves on our trips. But the travel list for 2023 urges us to book our flights with our loved ones—friends, colleagues, family. More and more people are looking for flights with more available seats, as well as bigger rooms to rent. Maybe it was because we had to isolate ourselves for so long; we don’t want to miss out on sharing experiences with those we love (and can tolerate 24/7) anymore.
5. Local experiences
I’m not sure when it happened, but people are putting a premium on local experiences when they travel. It’s not just about seeing the tourist spots and getting scammed for trinkets anymore; we want to see and experience places in the way that its locals do.
So skip the overpriced restaurants that have the English menu, opt for mom and pop restaurants that the locals flock to.
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Staying in this 2023? Not if we can help it.
Art Matthew Ian Fetalver
