2023 Travel Trends

2022 proved to be an enormous comeback for travel as the pandemic eased. Americans swarmed international cities. 2023 will be no different, according to the luxury travel network Virtuoso. "For 2023 you're going to see two things happening. You're going to see far more demand and much higher prices because of that demand," says Virtuoso Global PR Managing Director, Misty Belles. Virtuoso forecasts France, Italy and Greece will once again be among the top international destinations. Japan and South Africa are also expected to be very popular this year.

In December, the International Luxury Travel Market Trade Fair took over Cannes, France, as a few thousand travel advisors, brands and destinations prepared for 2023. A joint report from ILTM and American Express travel finds 57% of travelers will spend more. Only 10% intend to cut back. 50% are planning revenge travel to make up for lost time from the pandemic. And 60% of travelers will plan well in advance, versus 13% taking last-minute trips which were common in 2022. "This year we're going to be looking at people really wanting to use travel agents after the pandemic," says ILTM Global Portfolio Director, Alison Gilmore. "They want that security."

Another trend is more immersive stays. It's why brands like Hyatt are rolling out new programs like FIND, which allows World of Hyatt loyalty program members to use points or buy experiences at hotels like a gourmet six-course tasting meal at a chef's table at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome where CBS News Correspondent Wendy Gillette got a special rate. "Experiences which are meaningful and which are thoughtful make a big difference," says the hotel's general manager, Gorka Bergareche. He says it's those experiences that linger in guests' memories and entice them to return. The new Hyatt program currently offers more than 200 experiences that can also be gifted to friends or family.