Booking.com survey: The ten most sought-after travel destinations for 2023

Have you already chosen a holiday destination for the coming year? Despite – or perhaps because of – the global crises, travel is still very important for many people. In a recent survey of 24,000 participants from 32 countries by the travel portal Booking.com, 41 percent stated that holidays were at the top of their list of priorities. While 2022 is celebrating the return of carefree travel, according to Booking.com next year will be about “creatively redefining travel amidst chaos”. What exactly is meant by this is shown by the Travel Trends 2023, which the booking portal has worked out on the basis of the survey results.

It turns out that vacationers have different, sometimes contradictory needs. For example, half of those surveyed would like a simple holiday that is as self-sufficient as possible, with survival courses also being in high demand. But nobody wants to do without their smartphone. According to Booking.com, such contrasts reflect the current mood in society: In times of radical upheaval and uncertainty, people strive to reconcile their own desires with the demands of everyday life.

The longing for “culture shock”

That is why, among other things, the cost factor will come to the fore in the coming year. Due to inflation and rising living costs, the travel budget is smaller. Around half of holidaymakers want to make the most of this by waiting for special offers or traveling outside of the main season: Greece in spring instead of summer or Mexico in the rainy season instead of the dry season. In order to save money, 47 percent would accept a longer journey. However, many are willing to spend more money locally. For the parts of the trip that are particularly important to them, 35 percent would dig deeper into their pockets.

Domestic travel, which was particularly in demand because of the corona pandemic, has lost popularity. Instead, 67 percent of those surveyed want to experience a trip outside their comfort zone, a vacation that pushes them to their limits. A third would even like “a total culture shock”. These can be countries with a completely foreign culture or language, as well as unknown cities that are still spared from crowds of tourists. These include, for example, India, Malaysia or less crowded regions in popular holiday destinations such as New Mexico in the USA.

Booking.com evaluates the most popular travel destinations

In contrast to the culture shock, there are also travelers who long for security and light-heartedness. That’s why nostalgic stays are at the top of the travel wish list for the coming year. 83 percent of those surveyed are planning a holiday that reminds them of simpler times. According to Booking.com, there is a desire to “dive into the romance of a pre-digital era,” even among millennials and Gen Z who haven’t lived through those times. Travel destinations that were popular in the 80s and 90s are experiencing a revival in 2023. These include Budva in Montenegro and Bozen in Italy, which is known for its traditional Christmas markets.

The travel destinations that holidaymakers are aiming for in the coming year are just as diverse as the travel trends. In addition to travel behavior, Booking.com has compiled a list of the ten most popular cities in a second evaluation. This reveals exactly which places vacationers will be drawn to in 2023. To be in the top ten, destinations had to be among the 100 most booked destinations on Booking.com between August 2021 and the end of July 2022 and maintain national and international interest despite the easing of corona-related travel restrictions. The ranking shows that holidaymakers are once again being drawn out into the wide world: the travel destinations range from the Czech Republic to India and Australia.

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