2023 Travel Trends

When you ask someone about their vacation and they bark back, “Trust me – I will never go there again!” your yikes meter goes off, doesn’t it?

And, now, TheVacationer took the time to study all those “never agains” and chart all the U.S. cities people said they visited and wouldn’t go back even if their life depended on it.

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas might’ve danced in the streets of Detroit in 1964, but 22.50% of those surveyed in TheVacationer’s latest study said they wouldn’t set foot in Motown again. A close second was the Windy City, with 21.71% saying they were anything but blown away.

Rounding out the Top 3 was Atlanta with 18.47%. Add those three together and you’re looking at 162 million visitors going somewhere else.

The worst of the rest

4. New York City, New York — 18.07%

5. Baltimore, Maryland — 17.39%

6. Anaheim, California — 17.19%

7. San Francisco, California — 15.62%

8. Austin, Texas. — 15.42%

9. Miami, Florida — 14.83%

10. Dallas, Texas — 14.34%

11. Jacksonville, Florida — 14.34%

12. Los Angeles, California. — 14.15%

13. Houston, Texas — 13.16%

14. San Jose, California — 11.69%

15. Sacramento, California — 11.49%

16. Tampa, Florida — 11.39%

17. Las Vegas, Nevada — 11.20%

18. Portland, Oregon — 10.81%

19. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — 10.61%

20. Washington, D.C. — 10.61%

21. Milwaukee, Wisconsin — 10.51%

22. San Diego, California. — 10.31%

23. Seattle, Washington. — 10.31%

24. Minneapolis, Minnesota — 10.12%

25. Orlando, Florida — 10.12%

26. Indianapolis, Indiana — 9.82%

27. Boston, Massachusetts — 9.72%

28. New Orleans, Louisiana — 9.33%

29. San Antonio, Texas — 9.14%

30. Charlotte, North Carolina — 8.84%

31. Phoenix, Arizona — 7.76%

32. Nashville, Tennessee — 7.47%

33. Denver, Colorado — 5.70%

34. Honolulu, Hawaii — 4.91%

Hard times for the City by the Bay

One of the surprises, the survey analysts said, was San Francisco. “San Francisco’s reputation has plunged across America,” TheVacationer’s Eric Jones, said. “At least where I live, there seems to constantly be a news story about theft or burglary in San Francisco. San Francisco’s residents are becoming frustrated by the city’s reputation. Despite all of this, San Francisco is not ranked in the top five major U.S. cities Americans avoid traveling to at all costs. San Francisco ranked only in seventh place with 15.62% of people avoiding it.”

On the other hand, Honolulu is the least likely major U.S. city Americans will avoid traveling to at all costs. Only 4.91% of American adults said they would avoid traveling there – nearly five times less than the number of people who said they would avoid going to Detroit.

No matter where you’re going, you won’t be flying these airlines, either!

The Vacationer also asked travelers to name all the airlines they’d avoid flying on at all costs. To be fair, there were also two “None of These” options – one for Americans who said “cost” was the most important factor and the other was for Americans who said flight dates and times were the primary reason.

For convenience purposes, the study’s analysts ranked the airlines Americans avoid flying, starting with the worst or one most often brought up.

1. Spirit Airlines — 21.06%

2. Allegiant Air — 16.36%

3. American Airlines — 14.40%

4. Frontier Airlines — 14.30%

5. Delta Air Lines — 12.63%

6. JetBlue — 12.63%

7. Alaska Airlines — 10.68%

8. Southwest Airlines — 10.28%

9. United Airlines — 7.64%

10. Hawaiian Airlines — 5.48%

None of these because the cost of the flight is most important to me. — 31.73%

None of these because flight dates and times are most important to me. — 16.65%

Now that summer vacations are pretty much in the books, what places hold possibilities for 2024? Maybe you want to vacation in the U.S. and get a great return on your dollar and not have to worry about safety issues?

Two new studies show that travelers are thinking about mixing it next year and looking for perks and places they typically haven’t in the past.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of YMT Vacations, one survey revealed that 51% of respondents seek relaxed vacations, 43% prioritize cultural exploration, and 38% look forward to visiting historical sites.

The number of people traveling to different destinations is expected to increase in 2024. France, Mexico, and Canada were the top three candidates, each with 42%. In second place was Spain with 40%, Italy with 32%, and Greece with 21%.

The American Revolution and Ancient Egypt were the top historical scenes travelers (46%) desired to see. The Greek Golden Age (40%) and Viking Age (38%) followed closely behind. In addition to Renaissance Italy (30%), 28% would like to explore World War II-era Europe.

An interesting trend is that some travelers are so caught up in the movies and shows they’re watching, that nearly half (44%) want to go there and savor that slice of life firsthand. The streaming shows "Emily in Paris" (21%) and "The White Lotus" (16%) were the popular choices.

Movies were also influential (36%), with "Triangle of Sadness" (16%) and "Top Gun: Maverick" (13%) mentioned as notable films that travelers would like to visit the sites where the movies took place.

Safety and uniqueness – the best of both worlds

Another study conducted by Vivint – one that scoured subreddits of travelers nationwide – shows that home-sharing vacationers are prioritizing security as a top factor when booking a rental. On average, home-sharing renters would go over budget by 33% for a safer rental.

Breaking that down, the cities with the most secure short-term vacation rentals include Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, CA, and Bakersfield, CA. As for the cities with the most positive reviews about home-sharing rentals, the top three were Tulsa, Okla., Milwaukee, Wis., and Louisville Ky. – places that offer some uniqueness that many travelers haven’t sampled yet.

With 67% positive comments on Reddit, Tulsa, had the most positive home-sharing sentiments. There are plenty of short-term vacation rental options in Tulsa, which is home to first-class museums – like the new Bob Dylan Center – a zoo, and the Center of the Universe.

With nearly 60% of the comments positive, Milwaukee, located on Lake Michigan, was the second-most friendly home-sharing city according to the subreddits surveyed. Beer, baseball, bikes, Summerfest, and where the average summer day never gets past 77 degrees. What’s not to like?

Another rarely-visited gem is Louisville. Not only did it rank number three on the Vivint survey, but according to Airbnb, the Derby City was the number one trending destination in the U.S.

Like Milwaukee, it’s got baseball with the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, but also a whole section of town devoted to bourbon. Plus, there’s the Muhammad Ali Center, the Kentucky Derby Museum, and it’s a foodie haven.

Where not to go? As for the cities at the bottom of the list, reviewers hardly had any positives to share about their stays in Portland, Oregon (26%); Raleigh, North Carolina, received only 20% positive mentions; and Wichita, Kan., bottomed out with only 15% positive comments.

“If you plan on visiting any of these three locations, you may want to skip the home share and book a hotel instead,” the researchers said.

While many consumers may be looking to get away in 2023, a new survey revealed that doing so may come with an additional purchase: travel insurance. 

According to a new study conducted by VisitorsCoverage, a travel insurance company, nearly 80% of travelers are more likely to protect their trip with travel insurance this year than in previous years. It may not be that surprising, considering how chaotic air travel has become.

“Travelers are now more aware of unforeseen circumstances that can affect their travel plans, and they are eager to take precautions to protect their environment,” said Rajeev Shrivastava, VisitorsCoverage CEO. 

Better safe than sorry

The survey included responses from over 1,000 adults across the country who reported traveling more than twice a year. They answered questions about their top travel concerns in 2023, their travel ideas and plans for the year, how they plan on traveling, and more. 

First and foremost, protecting a trip with travel insurance was a popular topic among survey respondents. Nearly 80% said that they’d be more likely to buy travel insurance this year than in previous years – a figure that is up 50% from years past. This highlights the fact that regular travelers are thinking differently about their travel plans in general. 

While the number one travel concern for the year was inflation and the rising costs associated with traveling, concerns about safety, weather, and delays were also prevalent. Fifteen percent of respondents are worried about both inclement weather and the risk of illness, while over 20% are concerned about flight delays, and 16% cited the fear of the unknown as one of their concerns. 

Consumers are ready to travel

Despite these concerns, consumers have plans to travel in 2023 – and no destination is off limits. Overall, nearly 90% of participants reported that their 2023 travel plans will be for leisure.  

Nearly 45% of participants said they’ll be taking more than five trips this year, and nearly 45% said they’ll be taking three or four trips this year. Seventy percent of respondents plan to travel both within the United States and abroad, with Europe being the most favored international locale. 

For those who may be looking for inspiration for their next getaway, the majority of the participants turn to their trusted friends and family or social media. So, if you’re thinking about your next vacation, consider asking those closest to you or those you interact with online. 

Consumers are making their 2023 travel plans like there’s no tomorrow. Various reports show that everything from car rentals to domestic flights to international travel are taking advantage of Americans' desire to get back out and enjoy the post-pandemic world.

But in surveying a panel of travel experts, ConsumerAffairs found that travelers aren’t interested in simply going to the Grand Canyon or the Caribbean anymore – they want something bigger and full of life they haven’t witnessed before.

Here’s what we found, including the confidence level the experts have for their predictions.

Prices Should Continue to Come Down 

As predicted, airfare prices have come down, but there's even more good news: even though the travel volume continues to increase, hotels and other travel providers aren’t trying to take advantage of the opportunity and charge consumers more, either.

According to Tim Wheatcroft, Emburse's vice president of Corporate Communications, the average daily spend on hotels saw a slight drop in Q4 from Q3, as did the average domestic airline ticket price.

“One quarter isn't enough to confirm a trend, but should we see continued declines in Q1 2023, it could point to travelers looking for more affordable options, such as lower-grade hotels, in order to conserve travel budgets,” he told ConsumerAffairs.

Go Pacific!

Scott’s Cheap Flights (now known as Going.com) Co-founder and Chief Flight Expert Scott Keyes thinks that one super consideration travelers should make is going to Asia.

“With China—the last major country with Covid travel restrictions—reopening, I’m anticipating a huge uptick in transpacific flights, which are currently down 50% compared to 2019. More competition equals cheaper fares,” he said. “The average cheap flight to Asia soared to $775 in 2022; it’ll fall this year.”

And with Japan now fully reopened to Americans, Keyes says he’s expecting far more cheap Tokyo fares this year, too.

Paul Melhus, founder & CEO of ToursByLocals, thinks there are other places in the Pacific Ocean worth considering, too. He said that besides Japan (7% of his company’s bookings for far this year), 3% are for New Zealand and 2.5% for Australia, putting these countries as second, 15th and 16th places globally in terms of popular destinations. 

And there are others in the region that Tim Hentschel, CEO and co-founder of HotelPlanner, thinks are worth considering. In addition to Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, he suggests The Maldives, Bali, The Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Fiji.

Confidence Level: Keyes-80%; Melhus-90%

Multi-Country Trips Are Making A Comeback

From his perspective, Adam Armstrong, CEO at Contiki, thinks that in places like Europe or Southeast Asia where countries are clustered together, travelers can double-down on their experiences in one trip.

“Multi-country trips, where travelers often visit eight to nine countries in two weeks, have increased in popularity. During the pandemic, people were more cautious about crossing borders. Now that it’s easy to cross borders, multi-country trips are rock-and-rolling again,” he said.

Travel Perks to Sweeten Job Satisfaction – and Work from Anywhere

Orestes Fintiklis, vice chairman of Mondee, says that more employers will offer discounted leisure travel to employees as a benefit to increase the possibility of keeping people on the job longer and happier.

“Businesses are looking for additional ways to provide value to their employees and increase overall job satisfaction -- which reflects in overall retention rates,” he told ConsumerAffairs.

And, workers want to be able to do their job from anywhere, too.

“COVID left people craving experiential things. They are over buying big TV's and Peloton and want to ‘live,’” Beth Tofel, president of FootprintID, added. “As well as with remote work people can work from anywhere. So they can travel and work simultaneously."

Confidence level: Fintiklis-90%; Tofel-80%

Increased Train Travel – Especially for Gen Z’ers

“We saw this toward the second half of 2022 on TikTok with train journeys going viral on the platform regularly, showing the sights you miss when you fly,” Giacomo Piva, travel industry analyst and co-founder of global luggage network Radical Storage, said.

“Gen Z especially are far more eco-conscious than other generations and are happy to spend the extra time to enjoy the journey and not just the destination. With some employers offering extra vacation days purely for more sustainable travel like trains/coaches, expect this to boom and see the growth all over social media.”

A rise in the popularity of travel by rail is also expected by Annie Morris of  Made in CA.

“I think that the availability of cheap flights has made people more inclined to go everywhere for any reason at all, but once they start traveling more often—even if it's only within their own country—they start to realize just how much there is left to see,” she said. “And even if they don't want to travel overseas, they might want to explore their own backyard a little bit more than they have in the past. It takes longer and allows you to see more than just what's right outside your window.

Confidence level: Piva-90%; Morris-75%

Small Ship Cruising Will Continue to Become More Popular

One of the travel categories that got hit the hardest by the pandemic was the cruise industry. But Covid’s gone and cruisers are back and packing cruise ships. However, the nuance here is that more clients are focusing on small and luxury. 

And now -- what's called Wave Season, between January and March -- is the absolute best time to book cruise for the summer when they're at their lowest discounted rates.

“One of the main reasons for this is that smaller expedition ships offer the opportunity to get up close to the beauty of each destination and a more intimate cultural experience,” said Scott Kertes, President of Vacations by Design. 

Kertes said that he’s finding that because travelers had no seas to sail for nearly two years, they built up savings and are more than happy to spend that money on a better cruise experience with higher-end cruise lines, including Viking, Explora, and Regent with destinations such as Antarctica becoming more in demand than ever before. 

Kertes adds that river cruising has also exploded as travelers are looking to avoid larger crowds while also seeking an experience that allows them to enjoy luxury accommodations and service while experiencing the panoramas of natural, historical and cultural splendor sailing by.

Confidence level: 70%

More Service Requests, More Space, More Luxury, More Experiences

Travelers showed some early signs in 2022 that they’re expecting more from the companies they do business with. With that, travelers should go all-in in 2023, demanding service that makes the rates they’re paying for things like hotels worth their investment.

“In line with increased occupancy and travelers booking “bucket list” trips, the travel industry will also expect to see travelers using more concierge services,” Mokhtar Jabli, founder and CEO of The Nightfall Group, told ConsumerAffairs.

“As travelers are booking properties and experiences with our luxury travel company, more of them are adding on concierge services including private chefs, chauffeurs, spa and beauty services, personal trainers, butlers, and more. Travelers want to ensure they are getting the most out of their trips by upgrading to bespoke experiences, and this is a trend we will continue to see as more trips are booked this year.

“That trend is only continuing to grow based on what we are seeing with client requests,” added  Helen Giontsis, President of Kensington Tours. “They want the ultimate privacy in the form of a luxury villa along with full service and in-destination unique experiences such as private guided tours, yacht charters and private jet services.”

Lance Zaal - who owns and operates businesses in the tourism sector including Junket and US Ghost Adventures – said that his crystal ball is showing that travelers want all the high-touch experiences they lost because of Covid back in their lives.

“The great outdoors is still attractive, but people's thirst for concerts and activities prohibited by covid will not be quenched in 2023. Expect to see more desire for interactions in travel experiences.

Confidence level: Jabli-100%; Giontsis-90%; Zaal-60%

Luxury Pet-Friendly Hotels Will Up Their Game

Another area where personalization will be key is when guests travel with a pet. “As post-covid demand for luxury travel involves pets, hotels will anticipate their every need – from the basics like a cozy bed, adequate water and food bowls, treats, toys, accessories and a choice of food – to easy access to a veterinarian, a pet spa, grooming, pet-sitting and walking services,” Diana Vicheva, travel expert and editorial manager at Expo Travel Group, told ConsumerAffairs.

As an example, Vicheva said that a cat-friendly hotel room will include features like stylish scratching posts, a cat cave or a cabinet providing a safe hideaway, a concealed litter tray and floating shelves that can be used for climbing and naps.

Confidence level: 90%