Looking back: 2022 travel by the numbers

As 2022 comes to a close — and boy was it a thrilling (and sometimes tumultuous) year for travel — Travel + Leisure is looking back at the year by the numbers. Here’s what we learned from travel in 2022:

Top destinations + trends

• International getaways: Bookings for international travel destinations skyrocketed in the second half of the year with top regions including Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Still, Mexico came out on top as a favorite international trip with Cancun being a top pick.

• Domestic picks: NYC was the most booked domestic destination in 2022. Las Vegas and Orlando followed closely behind.

• Last-minute trips: A surprising trend was the growth in last-minute trips. Travelers booked flights more than a week closer to their departure date pre-pandemic, according to Hopper’s lead economist Hayley Berg. Experts warned that this isn’t the trend to keep following in 2023 because, on average, flights end up more costly. 

• Airfare prices: Flight prices spiked up to 42% between September 2021 and 2022.

• Road trips: As airports turned into all-out chaos, people took to the highways. More people chose to take the scenic route and road trips became the popular alternative. Orlando, Las Vegas, and Nashville were the most popular road trip destinations.

Looking ahead

• International trips: In 2023, the top international destinations include Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok.

• The main theme: International travel seems to be the theme for 2023. Searches for international trips make up 62% of Hopper searches right now in comparison to 55% at the same time last year.

• Prices: Airfare prices should continue to drop in 2023. Airline staffing and flight schedules are getting back to normal. More competition between carriers means cheaper flights for travelers (yay)! Prices have already fallen 17% from May and November in 2022.

• The year ahead: See more 2023 travel predictions here.