These 2023 travel trends will fuel your wanderlust

It’s that time of the year—when we are eager to say goodbye (and good riddance?) to the current year and plan for a better year to come. I’ve never been a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions, but I do love thinking about what the next year might bring. For many of us that means dreaming about travel plans. If travel is on your 2023 list of things to do, we have put together a list of travel trends to get your travel daydreams (and plans) started. 

Related: 12 trips in 12 months: Vacation destinations on our bucket list this year

2023 travel trends to put on your to-do list

1. Set-jetter locations 

Expedia reports that set-jetting—traveling to locations of your favorite television shows or movies—will be a trend next year. According to the travel site, 66% of travelers have considered visiting a destination after it was featured in a show or movie and 39% have actually booked a trip to that location. Which means that places like Paris (“Emily in Paris”) and Sicily (“The White Lotus”) will be hot travel destinations in 2023.

2. Capital cities

Expedia also expects travel to capital cities to experience a resurgence. If this travel trend appeals to you, consider Lisbon, Portugal; Munich, Germany; Bangkok, Thailand; or Tokyo, Japan.

3. “Bleisure travel”

Bleisure travel—combining work and personal travel—jumped onto the scene in 2022, and travel experts expect it to continue into 2023. In fact, many employers are supportive of employees adding a few days of personal time to a work-related trip. 

 “Travel wellbeing relates to job satisfaction, which means people stay productive and stay longer in their jobs,” Jeanne Liu of the Global Business Travel Association told the BBC. “Being able to take your kids or your family, to add some fun elements to a trip, makes that trip much less stressful.”

4. Off-grid travel

Being constantly plugged takes its toll on our mental health, and people are becoming more intentional about scheduling digital vacations. Digital vacations could include a long weekend at a wellness retreat without your laptop or smartphone, or it might be a staycation where you turn off your phone. 

5. Little-known destinations

Travelers are done with packed tourist vibe; they want new adventures in little-known locations that are off the beaten path. Not sure where to go? We’ve got you covered with these hidden gems perfect for family travel.

6. Travel instead of gifts 

Multigenerational travel and experiences are increasingly taking priority over gifts. Celebrities like Drew Barrymore sing the praises of travel instead of gifts, and 2023 is likely to see more families jumping on this well-deserved bandwagon.

7. Wellness trips

After the brutality of the past three years, I think it’s safe to say we could all use some rejuvenation. According to Conde Nast Traveler, wellness travel is one of the travel industry’s fastest growing sectors. Hotels are offering things like health scans, forced solitude and “mindful movement” (the latest industry buzzword). It might go without saying, but it’s probably best to leave your kids home for this kind of vacation.

Related: Yes, after kids, vacations become trips—so take a solo mom vacation

8. Train travel

“Eco-friendly and hassle-free countries that get train travel right will see a big boost this year,” says Samantha Brown, an Emmy-award winning travel expert. “[Trains are a more] enjoyable way to see many destinations (and avoid fights over whether or not you should have taken that last exit on the highway!).”

Related: Family-friendly national parks for your next group adventure 

9. Sleep-cation

Sleep tourism is the hot new vacation trend, with hotels and resorts around the world offering an increasing number of sleep-focused stays. If you’ve ever felt like you could use a vacation after your vacation (haven’t we all), a sleep-cation might be what you need. Sleep tourism has one priority: catering to guests’ need for sleep.

10. Nature-ish getaways

Travel Daily reports that almost half of global travelers want their 2023 vacation to have a “back-to-basics” feel without losing the phone and internet phone and internet connection. If this is your jam, consider a farm stay or glamping.

Happy travels!