The global picture for travel entering 2023

With 2023 just around the horizon, we continue to see progress as the global appetite for leisure travel is at its highest point since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a YouGov survey of more than 26,000 consumers from 25 countries, tourism’s outlook appears to be strong as we approach the new year:

.

The data comes from

YouGov Global Travel Profiles

and shows that appetite for leisure travel is highest in countries such as the UAE (82%), Finland (77%), Norway (77%), Indonesia (76%) and France (75%).

Amid a period when economic considerations eclipses COVID-19 concerns, there’s still a strong desire among consumers in the UK for travel.

.

In the UK, domestic travel remains in the lead in terms of recovery, although desire for international travel is closing the gap. More than half of UK consumers plan to take a domestic trip while 47% say they’ll travel abroad.

Taking a closer look at some of the places British travellers want to travel to reveals that, as usual, many are keen on a European getaway. Spain tops the list, with Italy, Greece, Portugal and France being other sought-after holiday destinations among this group of travellers.

Of all the destinations YouGov tracks in Asia, Japan is the top considered destination among British travellers, followed by Australia and Thailand.

The situation in the UK is at odds with what’s happening in the US, where 55% of consumers overall say they’ll take a domestic or international vacation. While 47% of US consumers say they plan to take a vacation within the US, less than half of that number plan on taking an international vacation (20%).

And in terms of the number of trips people will take over the next 12 months, that figure is also reassuring for destinations and travel businesses alike.

.

The travel outlook for big trips and luxury travel also shows positive signs. Of the traveller types that YouGov tracks, Luxury Travellers show the highest propensity for planning a leisure trip over the next 12 months (86%).

Looking ahead to 2023,

people who want to travel for sustainability and wellness (I.e., Responsible travellers) will also be key to travel’s continued recovery

. Through the last few years, we’ve seen sustainability emerge as a growing travel theme as consumers across the globe want to live more sustainably and carry through on that desire when it comes to how they travel.

Close to three in four (72%) Responsible Travellers say they plan on travelling next year, the second most likely group to say so behind Luxury Travellers.