Interesting Travel Trends in 2023
Are you wondering where are people traveling this year? Which destinations are most popular at this moment and why? Or you are curious to know how people are traveling, how they pick their accommodation and what to visit? Then you click on the right article.
If you are following a lot of travel bloggers on Instagram or Pinterest, as you should if you want to get the best tips and travel inspiration, then for sure you noticed that every year some destinations are more popular than others and some trends stand out more.
Just to let you know… This post (probably) contains affiliate links, including Amazon Associates links, and I may receive a small commission when you click on the links. This is at no extra cost to you and allows me to keep running this website. How cool is that?! I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own.
Why is learning about travel trends in 2023 an interesting topic for you?
- you will get inspired to try new travel styles;
- you will expand your travel bucket list;
- you will find out the best travel gear that is trending and maybe upgrade your travel game;
- if a specific destination is too popular according to travel trends 2023, then maybe you should postpone your visit if you don’t like overly crowded places, or to the contrary make it a travel priority;
- enjoy a fun and interesting read.
The world of traveling today
We live such interesting and exciting times in the world of traveling. The pandemic, tragic and heartbreaking as it was for a lot of us, changed our lives and our perception about the world.
I feel like prior to the catastrophic events hit, most of us (myself included) felt like we had time to postpone plans or traveling or life events.
As we navigate the world of remote work and flexibility, it motivates us to take advantage of our ‘new’ freedom. The funny thing is that we always had this freedom, but the world refused to acknowledge it. Remote work was always possible, but we needed a pandemic to learn that coming to the office isn’t a must for people to do their jobs. It didn’t only change us as individuals, but also the collective mentality. The companies and industries saw a lot of opportunities and advantages in offering their employees the possibility to work remotely.
For most of us, our jobs were the ones that kept us traveling more and limited us to only one or two big holidays every year and other small city breaks. Now we are no longer bound in one location, now we can work from every place in the world. Now we are free to enjoy life while also making money and providing for our families.
Now travelers are looking for destinations where they can stay longer, while spending less money.
Top travel trends in 2023
Remote work is a thing
Now is the time to start embracing digital nomadism. Traveling while working is such a liberating and awesome thing to do. For so long, for most of us, planning a trip was a ‘holiday’ thing to do. We worked a lot during the year to have that two-week vacation in a dreamy location. Now, with remote work, we can feel and live the ‘holiday’ feeling all year long, if we want to. Starting with 2022 I saw people either quitting their traditional jobs and searching for companies that offer remote work options, or renegotiating their current contract in order to include remote work as benefits. Digital jobs are more and more popular and it has become an ultimate goal for travelers to experience even more of this world.
With digital nomadism, the tourist industry changed as well. Nowadays there are accommodations that offer special packages that cater to the needs of remote workers, which is pretty amazing. Since most of us work using a phone, a tablet or laptop, it has become easier to travel with our ‘work’ and if we are in a place with great wifi, then basically we have anything we need. Making money and living the dream was never so exciting as it is today.
I feel like embracing digital nomadism will be a travel trend beyond 2023.
Meaningful traveling
Appreciating life and all the things that this world has to offer is one of the lessons that we understood during pandemic. I still remember all those days when we were stuck in our apartment and the only thing that I missed the most was traveling, learning about our world, going to a new place and feeling that ‘wonder’ like sensation, or the joy of planning a trip and including all my bucket list experiences. In the past I used to get inclined to rush my trips, to check out as many landmarks as possible, but now my main focus and goal has become meaningful traveling.
After speaking with other travelers I was surprised to see that meaningful traveling was one of the top travel trends in 2023, and I feel like it will be for years to come.
Nowaday, travelers put more value in their travel journeys, so expect them to be more selective on their accommodation or in choosing a destination. They are placing higher value on fulfilling experiences that fuel their heart desires, guilty pleasures or their thirst for personal growth. Organized custom tours that are infused with knowledge about a specific culture, food or art are more and more sought among tourists. If you are interested in trying organised travel tours, then you should go check out GetYorGuide or Viator.
There is no surprise that a lot of accommodations had hopped on this travel trend and adjusted their offerings and perks to include fulfilling and wholesome experiences. Accommodations that adopted the spiritual retreat atmosphere have become more popular in 2023 and I feel like this travel trend is here to stay for years to come.
Modular accommodations
Speaking of meaningful traveling, modular houses have become one of the top travel trends in 2023, due to the unique experience that such places can offer. Modular accommodations are prefabricated houses. Basically the parts of the house are made in a factory and assembled on-site, like a puzzle or a lego. You can place these houses in a forest, on the shore facing a lake, or you can build an entire resort made up of modular houses.
Staying in such a place is a one of a kind experience for sure, especially if it’s a remote location, somewhere in nature. Choosing this accommodation style instead of an all inclusive hotel, can make you enjoy your trip even more, by its simplicity and intimacy. You should check out Booking to find amazing modular accommodations.
More nature and off the beat paths
I think that there is no surprise for anyone that the sound of silence is one of the travel trends of this year. More and more people are looking to take a step back from their daily jobs, routines and chores in favor of isolating themselves and going back to nature. The big cities are getting crowded every year and thus the pollution is increasing as well. For me, not only the pollution is the problem, but also the sounds. There was a time when I loved hearing the city’s hustle and buzzle, seeing people hurrying to get to work or to meet with friends, but now all I think of is moving away or traveling in places where nature is dominant. I feel like this travel trend is related to the pandemic and the pollution in equal measure.
Same goes for traveling off the beat paths. Traveling has become an occasion for people to explore the unknown, the hidden treasures and the less populated locations.
Sustainable traveling (traveling slower and greener)
Sustainable traveling has started as a travel trend for a few years, but I feel like there is a significant rise in eco-tourism, especially in 2023. There are so many types of accommodations that offer different kinds of experiences and styles. We have so many options, that sustainable places aren’t so rare anymore.
Travelers are choosing to stay in eco-friendly accommodations and to support the local economy. Travelers prefer to buy souvenirs or food from local and family businesses. The things that we are buying from a small family business are more precious than a fridge magnet that wasn’t even produced in the country that we are visiting.
It’s amazing that more and more businesses are offering sustainable travel options.
Beside chosing a sustainable accommodation, you can also support the eco traveling lifestyle by buying travel products that are safe for the environment. For example, check out these amazing travel eco-friendly containers! Supporting a sustainable travel trend never looked so cool and chic!
The underrated destinations are more popular
Same as discovering hidden gems or following offbeat paths, the underrated destinations have become one of the travel trends popular in 2023.
Underrated destinations have so many advantages, and a lot of travelers learned about this secret lately. A place that isn’t as popular as Rome, Paris, London or Tokyo isn’t automatically not beautiful. On the contrary, I feel like the underrated destinations are even more gorgeous and worthy of your money and time.
An underrated destination can be a little cheaper, more raw and natural and a little less crowded (which is the best part, in my opinion). Also, it’s a bigger chance that you are going to have a more authentic experience in a place that isn’t very popular, because your host is more inclined to promote their city or country by making you feel welcomed and precious.
Here is a list with underrated destinations in 2023 (if you need more travel inspiration):
- Alberta (Canada)
- Kotor (Montenegro)
- Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Bruges (Belgium)
- Slovenia
- Croatia
- Georgia
- The Dolomites (Italy)
- Ecuador
- Guatemala
- Kyoto (Japan)
- Bhutan
- Romania
If you want to have a huge list with underrated destinations, then check out this article, here.
Also, I already have cool travel guide for some of these countries, go check them out!
Crypto traveling
No matter in what domain you are working or if you follow news reports or not, there is a big chance you already have an idea about the crypto market. I don’t know a lot about this topic, you should ask my husband if you want to know all the interesting aspects and details.
That being said, I do know that crypto payments have become a thing and every market is trying to see how they can make it happen.
Ever since 2021 cryptocurrency has already started to gain some traction in the travel industry as well. It was slowly becoming an option for travelers to make payments for travel related services like accommodation and flights.
In 2023 paying in cryptocurrency has become a more widely accepted form of payment in the travel industry, by becoming an interesting travel trend.
There are companies in the travel industry that are using cryptocurrency as a form of payment, like the following:
I hope this travel trends article was a fun read for you and it inspired you to try new travel styles, or put more dreamy destinations on your bucket list. Which travel trend have you already adopted in 2023? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy traveling! 😁