Jirawat Plekhongthu / Eyeem | eye | Getty Images
Americans are poised to travel overseas in a big way in 2023.
Households continue to shed two to three years of pent-up demand as Covid-19 fears subside and the last vestiges of pandemic-era border restrictions ease.
The U.S. dollar also remains relatively strong against currencies like the euro, hybrid work makes for more flexibility for long trips and some airlines have added new long-haul routes to overseas destinations, according to travel experts.
“The travel industry is just going gangbusters,” said Erin Florio, executive editor of Condé Nast Traveler.
Why travel abroad is poised ‘for a big comeback’
Thirty-one percent of Americans are more interested in international travel than domestic travel, according to a recent survey by travel market research firm Destination Analysts. That was an increase of six points from February and a high year to date, according to the survey, published in November.
Meanwhile, 62% of 2023 flight searches in the first week of December were for international destinations, up from 55% at the same time last year, according to a recent Hopper report. On the same subject : Adam Silver on Kevin Durant’s trade request: ‘We don’t like to see it play how it is’. He cited international travel among the top three trends for 2023, saying it is poised “for a big comeback.”
Searches in Kayak for flights abroad are in 1.3% versus a year ago, according to the company’s data of December 18. Those for domestic flights are down 13%.
In 2022, the share of international trips for which Americans bought travel insurance was on par with 2019 levels, the first time that had happened in the pandemic era, according to data from the Squaremouth online travel insurance marketplace. The trend has continued for trips booked for 2023.
American travelers largely remained at US borders in 2020 and 2021 amid health concerns and overseas restrictions related to Covid-19, such as testing requirements, mandatory quarantines or direct bans on foreign tourists. Visits to US national parks have soared and RV rentals have soared as outdoor vacations offer the dual benefits of travel and relative virus safety.
Now, the fear of the virus has subsided. In September, the share of travelers who are not worried about contracting Covid exceeded those who are worried, the first time this had happened in the era of the pandemic, according to Destination Analysts.
‘There’s a lot of pent-up travel demand’
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2022 was also a year for more big trips abroad – but a spike in virus cases towards the end of 2021 and into the new year, fueled by the highly contagious variant of omicron, has somewhat dampened the ‘enthusiasm, said the experts.
“There’s a huge recovery in travel demand,” said Jessica Griscavage, travel consultant and CEO of Runway Travel. “We missed the trip for two or three years.”
This trend called “revenge trips” – a term recently coined to describe the exercise, pent-up wanderlust – coincides with the broader health rules abroad and at home.
The US dropped a Covid test requirement for air travelers inbound from abroad in June. This rule, which also applied to US citizens, sent a negative test within a day of flight.
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Many countries have also completely closed their borders to foreign tourists. Now, most are again welcoming visitors – especially those with a Covid vaccine.
Fully vaccinated tourists can enter 197 countries without Covid-19 testing or quarantine, and another 16 are open but require testing, according to Kayak data.
“We’re almost at a place where we can go anywhere,” Florio said.
Only 12 countries, including China, Libya, Turkmenistan and Yemen, are still closed to vaccinated Americans, according to Kayak.
Many countries have more restrictions in place for the unvaccinated. About 69% of Americans are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends being informed about vaccines before traveling internationally.
Many nations – including Australia, Bhutan, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, the Philippines and Singapore – will ease border closures in 2022. Many European nations have also dropped testing requirements for Americans. (Travelers should consult the US State Department website for country-specific Covid restrictions.)
Additionally, the pandemic-era increase in remote work has made “bucket-list travel more of an attainable reality,” said Nitya Chambers, executive editor and senior vice president of content at Lonely Planet.
Indeed, Hopper found that 67% of travelers make trips more often and 20% travel further due to the flexibility of remote work.
Where travel is ramping up most
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The Asia-Pacific region is poised for the biggest rebound in 2023 due to its wide reopening in the second half of 2022, travel experts said.
Japan saw perhaps the biggest boost in interest, they said. The country reopened its borders to travelers on October 11, with some restrictions remaining.
“It’s almost impossible to talk about travel without the country of Japan being referenced for 2023,” Florio said, adding that Australia and New Zealand are also “massive.”
Asia increased demand more than all regions, according to Hopper data, which shows that 27% of international flight searches are in Asian cities versus 19% last year.
Indeed, eight of the top 10 trending international flight destinations in early December were in Asia and Oceania, Hopper said. Tokyo; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Bangkok were the top three, with an average price of about $1,200 for a round-trip ticket.
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G Adventures, an international tour operator, saw 2023 more sales in Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, said CEO Ben Perlo. This November was a record in the general month for the company; Sales for the three Asian nations each exceeded their November 2019 numbers, he said.
However, Europe remained the most popular destination in terms of total volume, with European cities capturing a third of all international flight searches, roughly the same as in 2021, Hopper said.
Long-term rentals (those 28 days or more) have “become substantially more popular in Asia-Pacific compared to a year ago,” according to an AirBnb spokesperson. Most of the long stays are in Europe and North America, however.
The main European centers were among the first searched this year on September 30, according to Google Flights data. London ranked No. 1, followed by Paris (No. 3), Rome (No. 6) and Lisbon (No. 9). Ho Chi Minh City was No. 2, while other Asian cities such as Delhi and Mumbai also ranked highly (No. 4 and 7, respectively).
We are almost in a place where we can go anywhere.
executive editor of Condé Nast Traveler
Italy, the United Kingdom and France ranked first, third and fifth respectively among the top foreign destinations in 2023, according to a recent survey by Destination Analysts. (Canada, Mexico and Japan ranked second, fourth and sixth, respectively).
“Everybody wants to go to Europe,” Griscavage said. “It was a destination that everyone missed because of the pandemic.”
Because of demand, people are becoming more “creative” about how to travel in Europe, he added. Many opt for the typically less busy (and less expensive) shoulder season, perhaps as early as March or late fall, Griscavage said.
Global travel demand played out similarly, with most of the interest directed to Europe and Asia, according to Expedia data. Edinburgh, Scotland, and Sydney, Australia, rank No. 1 and 6 in part because of their respective major events such as the Fringe, the world’s largest arts and media festival, and WorldPride, Expedia has said
Economic concerns, inflation ‘aren’t stopping people’
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This is not all to say that the journey is without headwinds. The value has been of particular concern to travelers, whose budgets have been stressed by high inflation. Prices in general for air fares and hotels are in 36% and 3%, respectively, in the last year, according to the consumer price index.
International travel is poised to be more expensive next year, Hopper said, despite signs from the consumer price index that the prices of flights, hotels and cars rent have a tendency to decrease in recent months. The desire to travel abroad has grown until 2022 despite these economic anxieties, said Destination Analysts.
The euro has been trading at historically weak levels against the US dollar, meaning Americans were able to get deals when they booked trips to countries like France, Germany, Italy and Portugal. That dynamic is likely driving at least some of the popularity, Perlo said. (The euro has strengthened somewhat in recent weeks, however.)
“The economy right now and the prices are not stopping people from traveling,” Chambers said. “People have been at home, they want to come back here, they have a list of things they want to experience and they do that.”
Do US citizens still have to quarantine in UK?
You do not need to take any COVID-19 travel tests or self-isolate on arrival in England if you qualify as fully vaccinated. The testing and quarantine rules for international travel to England will change on 11 February 2022.
How long do you have to quarantine from the US to the UK? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a minimum isolation period of at least five full days. Any assistance for those required to quarantine will depend on the local authority. The CDC has updated guidance with recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
Do fully vaccinated US citizens need to quarantine in the UK?
You do not need to take any COVID-19 travel tests or self-isolate on arrival in England if you qualify as fully vaccinated. The tests and quarantine rules for international travel to England will change on 11 February 2022. You can now choose a lateral flow test or a PCR test as your post-arrival test.
Do you have to quarantine in UK now?
There are no coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in the UK. You can get vaccinated against COVID-19 from the NHS. You do not need to undergo a test or quarantine when you arrive in the UK. You should check the travel advisories for the country you are going to.
Do you need to have PCR test to travel to USA?
This means that starting at 12:01 AM ET on June 12, 2022, air passengers will not be required to take a test and show a negative COVID-19 test result or show documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight to the United States. regardless of vaccination status or citizenship.
Do you still need a Covid test to enter the US? Air travel: All non-US citizens, non-US immigrants traveling to the United States by air are required to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Only limited exceptions apply.
Do I need PCR or antigen test to enter US?
A: All air passengers traveling to the United States, regardless of vaccination status, are required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result or recovery documentation.
What kind of Covid test do I need to enter the US? ALL Travelers. Test with a viral test 3-5 days after arrival. Find a US COVID-19 testing location near you or use a self-test. If you have already had COVID-19 in the past 90 days, see specific testing recommendations.
Does travel to USA require PCR or antigen test?
A: Yes. Every passenger on a flight entering the United States, even for a connection, needs testing before departure.
Can you enter US without Vaccine 2022?
Air travel: All non-US citizens, non-US immigrants traveling to the United States by air are required to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Do I need to be vaccinated to travel to USA 2022? Air travel: All non-US citizens, non-US immigrants traveling to the United States by air are required to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Only limited exceptions apply. Learn more about this requirement and accepted vaccines.
Can you travel to the US if you’re not vaccinated?
Non-immigrant non-citizens seeking to enter the United States by air are required to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before boarding a flight to the United States from a country stranger
