Compared to 2022, people around the world are much more hopeful of traveling in 2023, and despite some current global turbulence, more than 72% believe traveling will still be worth it. The mood shifts from cautious optimism to courageous flexibility.
Unlike 2022, where travel made a triumphant return, 2023 will be about rethinking travel in innovative ways amid disruption. Everyone will try to find the perfect balance in a contradictory environment, so nothing will be forbidden and everything will be on the menu.
Seven developing travel forecasts were made by digital travel company Booking.com, using extensive research with more than 24,000 travelers from 32 countries and territories, including India, to understand how travel would be reinvented in 2023.
People find themselves in a multi-directional tussle, trying to balance what is important to them with the demands of everyday life, in a time of general upheaval where war, increased societal polarization, rising inflation and pressing concerns about climate change continue to dramatically change the world. This mood is reflected in travel projections for 2023, which show traveler needs are moving in many different directions to keep up with trends.
Preppers in Paradise: camouflaged cabins, campfire kitchen and compasses; getting off the grid will never be more in demand than in 2023. Sixty-four percent of Indian travelers want their travel experiences to have a back-to-basics feel and are constantly seeking “off-the-grid” style vacations to get away from it all. from reality, disconnect and experience life with only the bare necessities. Seventy percent of Indian travelers also want to use travel in 2023 as an opportunity to learn survival skills. Expect to see more eco-friendly land stays springing up to accommodate weary city-dwellers seeking simplicity, as well as accommodation offering advice to Indian travelers on how to be more self-sufficient.
“Off the grid” in 2023 won’t necessarily mean doing it the hard way. There is a common perception that this means foregoing luxury (67% of Indian travelers think so), but there is a strong desire to combine the two, with 65% only considering traveling ‘off the grid’ if it can be a more forgiving stay.
Virtual travellers: With 70% of Indian travelers saying they will turn to virtual reality next year to inspire their vacation choices, travel will enter the ever-evolving 3D virtual space of the metaverse in 2023. With 61% Indians eager to embark on a multi-day VR travel experience, the Metaverse will be more than “try before you buy”; it will educate people, opening the door to endless adventure. Travelers will become bolder in their actual travel choices, having been able to visit them in the metaverse first through their online avatar. Although the Metaverse will offer a new way to travel in the coming year, it still won’t stop people from booking a ticket to their next destination.
Revel in the discomfort zone: whether it’s bottled energy, a new breath of life, the world is ready to dive headfirst into other cultures and new experiences. 71% of Indian travelers want to experience complete culture shock in 2023 – whether traveling to a place with completely different cultural experiences and languages 63% or exploring lesser-known cities with hidden gems not already on radar 27%. Forget the usual favourites, in 2023 Indian travelers will be looking for unique vacations that shock, surprise and delight.
Ninety-six percent of Indian travelers are eager to experience a trip “outside their comfort zone” that pushes them to their limits, there will be an influx of niche experiences encouraging people to take their travel escapades to the extreme. Unsurprisingly, this “culture-shaken” Indian traveler also tends to shy away from caution, with 46% wanting to buy a one-way ticket in 2023 and follow their instincts wherever it takes them.
Glamorizing the good old days: Amid the desire to escape, people are intent on carving out travel experiences that harken back to simpler times, with 95% nostalgic getaways that provide the thrill of reliving the days of fame at the top of the wish list in 2023. There’s a longing — even for millennials and Gen-Zs who’ve never experienced it — to fade into the romance of a pre-digital era, with 28 % of Indian travelers seeking experiences that evoke moving (fake) memories of yesteryear, such as visiting landmarks or attractions featured in iconic retro movies or opting for buses as their primary mode of transport to experience the group spirit school trips.
Travelers are no longer forgoing gaming in favor of rest and relaxation, with 76% of Indians increasingly seeking the adrenaline rush of theme parks and appealing to the imagination with activities such as escape, treasure hunts and building fortresses with giant building blocks. Millennial travelers will be the first to book emerging era-themed accommodations that take them back to a time close to their hearts, and are likely to do so with family by their side 54% with multi-generational trips from “family reunion” of the travel program in 2023.
Pilgrimages of Peace and Pleasure: Travel is set to take the well-being of mind, body and soul to the next level in 2023 – a fully immersive and unrestricted approach to achieving peace and pleasure, including less conventional ways of experiencing happiness. Seeking to refocus the mind, meditation and mindfulness getaways are still popular with 70% of Indian travelers while 63% aim to find peace on a silent retreat and 59% are keen on a health break focused on mental health, health transformative or that helps with life stages like menopause or pregnancy.
For those seeking enhanced spiritual experiences to stir the soul, alternative substances such as cannabis or herbal psychedelics such as ayahuasca or mushrooms will become a more common offering, with 64% keen to try this type of experimental wellness experiences as part of their 2023 journeys.
From Daily Grind to Great Company Escape: A sea change from the “work from anywhere” policy that is now almost as common as annual leave, employees are increasingly keen to preserve vacation time for a complete escape. Seventy-five percent of Indians want their trips to be strictly work-free in 2023, and while 64% are not interested in working while away, they would consider showing up for a retirement or corporate trip. Thus, business travel will be back in 2023.
2023 will see an increase in destination business retreats where the focus will be on relationship building and corporate leisure rather than work. In fact, 68% of India’s workforce are looking forward to their employer planning a “real life” work trip to bring people together and 69% would like to see their employer use the money saved from switching to remote/hybrid work. models spent on business trips or retreats. In response, businesses should also see benefits: 76% of Indians believe that exploring new places will make them more productive at work.
Saving to splurge: Indian travelers in 2023 will continue to prioritize travel, but will be more mindful of how to get the most out of their travel budget and what comes first. Sixty-nine percent of Indian travelers will invest in a vacation as it remains a top priority for them, but being budget-conscious is essential, with nearly 75% of Indians continuing to emphasize travel while looking for more for their money. 2023 will see financially savvy route curation at its best, with people planning travel budgets more tightly by taking advantage of deals, hacks and smartly timed trips and prioritizing value for money with discounts and loyalty programs. 69% of Indians will seek to save money by considering off-season destinations or longer routes during the trip, while 72% will plan their trip further in advance in the hope of getting a better deal. 71% believe that the best use of their budget is to opt for one or two longer holidays instead of several short breaks.
Against this backdrop, Indian travelers are also surprisingly willing to upspend — and even splurge — on the elements of their trip that matter most to them. Seventy per cent admit they plan to be more forgiving in their holiday spending habits to make up for the lack of travel over the past two years, while 67 per cent plan to spend lavishly to insure themselves to maximize their trip and every experience. worth it.
Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Booking.com comments: “The pandemic years have given us an opportunity to reminisce and recognize that travel should not be taken for granted. Our research into 2023 travel predictions demonstrates the desire for travel to be a way to seek out moments of happiness and unabashed escape to counter the weighty realities of our newsfeeds. At Booking.com, our goal will continue to be to make it easier for everyone to find their unique travel bliss in a more personalized and connected way in the coming year and beyond.
IANSlife
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