One of the world’s fastest growing travel companies, Luxury Escapes, has released its latest annual trend report, Travel 2023, detailing Australia’s views towards travel in 2023.
The report surveyed over 4,000 people, uncovering that Australian are more eager than ever to plan their dream getaways. Travel has become a top priority for discretionary spending, with bucket-list adventures and immersive experiences taking center stage.
The demand for travelling of Australian is stronger than ever with a siginicant number of 90% of Australians are all set to explore either within the country or abroad in 2023. The pandemic seems to have motivated a fresh wanderlust among over half of the respondents (56.5%), driving their desire to travel.
Food and wellness experiences driving motivators for travel in 2023 Australians are motivated to expand their horizons through travel in 2023, engaging with emerging and established tourism trends from wellness to sustainability.
For 75% respondents, leisure and enjoyment rank first on reasons for their travel plans in 2023 with more than a quarter (28.75%) of respondents planning a bucket list holiday this year. The most popular tourism trends are revealed to be food tourism (63.59%), wellness tourism (46.42%) and sustainable travel (29.53%).
A lot has changed in the last few years, but what hasn’t changed is how we all love to plan incredible holidays and enjoy new experiences. And as the world has changed, the team at Luxury Escapes has spent the last few years working to create the world’s best travel experiences for our 7 million+ members. For more than ten years, Luxury Escapes has been sending customers on the world’s best holidays and we couldn’t be more excited about the future of travel
Adam Schwab, CEO and co-founder of Luxury Escapes
Tropical gems like Whitsundays, Gold Coast, and Hobart are calling for domestic trips. And on the global map, Indonesia steals the show as the top 2023 destination, followed by familiar favorites Italy and France. But let’s not forget Bali, Thailand, and Hawaii—they’re giving the classics a run for their money.
And when it comes to spending, cost isn’t holding Aussies back. A whopping 60% plan to splurge more on travel in 2023 than pre-pandemic, with many dropping over AUD $10,000 per international holiday.
Schwab wraps it up, “Our changing world has sparked an unmatched travel craze. From hotspots to smarter travel, our members are after a new travel norm—one filled with top-notch experiences.”
Luxury Escapes, renowned for curating world-class travel, offers a suite of products—from bookings to seamless travel experiences.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS STATISTICS
The State of Travel
- 9 out of 10 (87.90%) respondents plan to travel within Australia in 2023. 9 out of 10 (87.59%) respondents plan to travel internationally in 2023.
- 307,828 – Luxury Escapes bookings in 2022 and 56%– increase in Luxury Escapes’ sales in 2022 compared to 2019.
Tops Destination
- The 5 most popular Aussie destinations for travel in 2023 are (1) Tropical Far North Queensland, (2) The Whitsundays & QLD islands, (3) Gold Coast, (4) Hobart and (5) Melbourne.
- Top 5 ranked countries respondents want to visit in 2023 are (1) Indonesia, (2) Thailand, (3) New Zealand, (4) United Kingdom and (5) Italy.
- Top 5 all-time favourite destinations as ranked by respondents are (1) Italy, (2) France, (3) Bali, (4) Thailand and (5) Hawaii.
- The international destinations with the highest volume of bookings on Luxury Escapes in 2023 are (1) Thailand, (2) Indonesia, (3) Singapore and (4) Fiji.
Elevated Experiences
- More than a quarter (28.75%) of respondents plan on taking a bucket list holiday in 2023.
- For 75 per cent of respondents, leisure and enjoyment rank #1 on reasons for their travel plans in 2023.
- The most popular tourism trends in 2023 are (1) Food tourism (63.59%), (2) wellness tourism (46.42%) and sustainable travel (29.53%).
- 68 per cent of respondents are prepared to travel overseas to attend a wedding in 2023.
The most important motivators driving travel plans in 2023 are (1) To experience new things, (2) To relax and unwind, (3) To explore different cultures, (4) To improve health and wellbeing and (5) To meet new people.
Cruising Comeback
- Number of Luxury Escapes tours and cruise bookings in 2022 = 8,334
- Number of Luxury Escapes tours and cruise bookings to date in 2023 = 1,100+
Spending Resilience
- Majority of respondents plan to spend AUD $10,000+ on their international holidays.
- For the majority of respondents, travel ranks #1 on the discretionary spend list in 2023.
- 58 per cent of respondents say their travel plans remain the same despite cost of living pressures.
- 60 per cent of respondents are willing to spend more on experiences while on holiday.
- 55 per cent of respondents prioritise saving for travel.
For an elevated travel experience, Australians are most willing to spend money on: (1) Flight & Room Upgrades, (2) Fine Dining, (3) Spa Treatments and (4) Airport Lounge Access.
Smart Travel
- Almost one third of Australians believe the threat of Covid has passed, but more than half will take precautions when travelling in 2023.
- 70 per cent of Australians will purchase insurance for their travel plans in 2023.
- 72 per cent of Australians want better facial recognition at airports to speed up the customs process.
- More than half of Australians use frequent flyer points to book flights (56%).
- 5+ months – the length of time Luxury Escapes’ members plan their trips in advance.
Australian Hospitality Alumni Network Vietnam 