• Top 10 trending destinations for 2023   

Excerpt from Kayak

When it came to 2022 trips, travelers were more than ready – destinations around the country and the world saw tourism coming back. The emergence of “revenge travel” was also too real and there are no signs of it stopping in 2023. So where is everyone headed this year? We’ve got a few educated guesses.

Region of the year: Asia and South Pacific.

Snapshots in London, Paris and the Amalfi Coast flooded our feeds in 2022 as US travelers were returning to travel. In 2023, we expect to see travelers branch out to destinations in Asia and the South Pacific. Based on our data, here are the places that we anticipate will generate buzz:

Top 10 trending destinations for 2023

  1. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Searches were up 769% year over year
  2. Taipei City, Taiwan: Searches were up 289% year over year
  3. Auckland, New Zealand: Searches were up 272% year over year
  4. Singapore: Searches were up 201% year over year
  5. Hong Kong: Searches were up 190% year over year
  6. Melbourne, Australia: Searches were up 167% year over year
  7. Bangkok, Thailand: Searches were up 166% year over year
  8. Tokyo, Japan: Searches were up 150% year over year
  9. Sydney, Australia: Searches were up 145% year over year
  10. Tel Aviv, Israel: Searches were up 134% year over year

Our takeaways: Travelers will be flocking to bucket list destinations in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand in 2023, likely because these destinations have (finally) re-opened to visitors. Already have your eyes on flights? We’ve got new data on when to book – keep scrolling for the details. 

*KAYAK US considered round-trip, economy flights for search dates 1.1 – 11.20.2022 and travel dates 1.1-12.31.2023. To find year over year percent change, the same search dates in 2021 and travel dates in 2022 were considered. Search volume thresholds were utilized, and destinations were excluded based on insufficient search volume.

Which places are cheaper? You’re getting warmer…

Skipped out in 2022 because of audacious flight prices? We hear you – fares this past year were out of control (which might bleed into 2023 too… but more on that later). That’s why we took a look at our numbers to see which destinations are seeing the biggest dips in flight prices: 

Destinations trending cheaper vs. last year

  1. Melbourne, Australia: 10% YoY price decrease in airfare
  2. Bora Bora: 9% YoY price decrease in airfare 
  3. Copenhagen, Denmark: 8% YoY price decrease in airfare 
  4. Sydney, Australia: 2% YoY price decrease in airfare
  5. Fiji: 2% YoY price decrease in airfare 

Destinations trending cheaper vs. 3 years ago

  1. Warsaw, Poland: 10% Yo3Y price decrease in airfare
  2. Bora Bora: 8% Yo3Y price decrease in airfare
  3. Mykonos, Greece: 7% Yo3Y price decrease in airfare
  4. Lisbon, Portugal: 4% Yo3Y price decrease in airfare
  5. Bogotá, Colombia: 2% Yo3Y price decrease in airfare

Our takeaways: You might have noticed that Melbourne and Sydney are also on the top-trending destinations list. While flights there are generally expensive, 2023 will see lower-than-usual prices… so this could be your time to plan a trip “down unda.” Additionally, if you’ve had your eyes on Bora Bora, our numbers show flights there are less pricey than they’ve been in years.

*KAYAK US considered round-trip, economy flights for search dates 1.1 – 11.20.2022 and travel dates 1.1-12.31.2023. To find year over year percent change in airfare, the same search dates in 2021 and travel dates in 2022 were considered. To find year over 3 year percent change in airfare, the same search dates in 2019 and travel dates in 2020 were considered. Search volume thresholds were utilized, and destinations were excluded based on insufficient search volume.

Staying within a budget? Here’s where to go.

For flights that don’t drain your bank account, we’d recommend a city adventure that’s closer to home. Based on our data, airfare to these popular destinations in and around the US are where you can see more… for less:

Destinations around North America seeing the lowest fares on average

  1. New York, NY, US: $337
  2. Chicago, IL, US: $343
  3. Austin, TX, US: $360
  4. Atlanta, GA, US: $363
  5. Houston, TX, US: $365
  6. Nashville, TN, US: $365
  7. Guadalajara, Mexico: $369
  8. Toronto, Canada: $375
  9. Raleigh, NC, US: $375
  10. Fort Lauderdale, FL, US: $376

Want to make use of your recently-renewed passport without paying a hefty price? It’s possible – based on our data, here are some places to consider for international travel on a budget in 2023:

Destinations outside of North America seeing the lowest fares on average

  1. Bogotá, Colombia: $534
  2. Medellín, Colombia: $542
  3. Guayaquil, Ecuador: $642
  4. Lima, Peru: $691
  5. Lisbon, Portugal: $708
  6. Quito, Ecuador: $712
  7. Reykjavik, Iceland: $718
  8. Warsaw, Poland: $747
  9. Copenhagen, Denmark: $749
  10. Krakow, Poland: $766

Our takeaways: For those staying closer to home in 2023, we recommend pursuing popular cities in the US, Canada and Mexico. For international excursions, consider flying to destinations in South America and Northern Europe to stay under $800.

*KAYAK US considered round-trip, economy flights for search dates 1.1 – 11.20.2022 and travel dates 1.1-12.31.2023 with the lowest average airfare. Search volume thresholds were utilized, and destinations were excluded based on insufficient search volume.

Click here to read complete article at Kayak.