Skyscanner: Global Travel Demand for 2023 Remains Strong

Global travel demand shows no sign of abating, according to a recently published report by travel marketplace Skyscanner.

Titled “Skyscanner Horizons: Outlook in 2023 as travelers redefine value,” the report explores a combination of consumer survey (11,000 travelers from 10 countries), proprietary search and booking data to provide a view of how travelers are thinking about their plans for the next 12 months, including spend, destination type and purchase experience.

According to the survey, despite inflationary pressures and global macro – economic challenges, a tourism industry recovery is expected in 2023 with people still planning to invest in travel next year.

Photo source: Skyscanner.

“There is reason for cautious optimism in 2023 as international travel continues its resurgence and travelers indicate their appetite to put their discretionary spend towards it,” said Hugh Aitken, VP of Flights at Skyscanner.

Indicative of this trend, is the find that 41 percent of travelers plan to spend more on travel in 2023 compared to 2022 while 82 percent of travelers are planning to take more or the same number of trips abroad in 2023 compared to 2022.

Meanwhile, when thinking about where they would go and spending during their trip, 36 percent of travelers would pick a destination where their money goes further, 32 percent won’t spend as much on their hotel and 32 percent will spend less during their time away.

The survey also points out that since March 2022, booking volumes for international travel from Europe, the Middle East and Africa have been above 2019 levels.

Greece is included in the markets’ and destinations’ list driving this trend alongside the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Israel.

Skyscanner’s report sees a mobile phone resurgence as the default device for planning and booking a trip with almost half of its survey respondents saying they had compared flight or hotel options (51 percent) and conducted destination research (49 percent) on a mobile device, while 43 percent indicated they had booked and paid for flights or hotels.

Photo source: Skyscanner.

Other key findings of the report include:

• Travelers are willing to upgrade their air ticket as ancillary selection increases by up to 725 percent – fare, seat, and baggage being the most popular upgrade choices.
• International travel continues its recovery across all regions, with significant recent gains in the Asia – Pacific area. However, travelers indicate a preference for short haul destinations in 2023.
• Instagram (40 percent) is the most influential social media platform for travel inspiration, with Facebook coming in second with 33 percent.
• Multiple locations in the US, Mexico, India and Jordan top the popular destinations list per market with Mexico City and Amman proving most popular across most markets.

Launched in 2003 as a flight search engine, Skyscanner today has a global clientele of more than 100 million per month who use its app or website to build their next travel plan.