Culture shock and nostalgia. Those are among the travel trends that Booking.com is predicting for 2023. 

The travel site surveyed more than 24,000 travelers in 32 countries to determine seven travel trends for the upcoming year. They found that people are increasingly seeking to go ‘off-grid’ and get away from the hustle. Off-grid doesn’t necessarily mean being cut off from the internet, but rather escaping the city and visiting more remote places. 

Travelers also showed increased interest in virtual adventures. 39% of US travelers said they would be interested in trying VR travel and even virtually visiting a place before committing to booking a trip.

You can see all the trends here, but another standout discovery was that travelers are increasingly interested in nostalgia-based travel. Millennials are seeking out things like retro Christmas markets and are reviving 80s travel hotspots like Budva and Montenegro. They’re also seeking out more multi-generational and family reunion-type trips.

Most people surveyed, 74% to be exact, said they wanted to travel outside of their comfort zone. 47% even said they wanted to experience complete culture shock (which we highly recommend).

Whether you’re looking to go UFO-hunting or to a wellness resort, it seems that the biggest trend is that people have a renewed interest in exploring the world around them. After a year of climate change, inflation, a global pandemic, and tense geopolitics, people are finding comfort in the delight of travel and exploring the unfamiliar.