With the world open for business and holidaying, there’s some good news all around. Travel trends reflect that Irish holidaymakers have firmly put the shadow of the pandemic behind them. They are looking forward to more travel in 2023.
Tour America, the Ireland-based tour operator specialising in the USA, Canada, Mexico and worldwide cruises, reveal the key travel trends for 2023. To begin with, the tour operator reports a 15% increase in enquiries when compared to 2019. There’s also been continuous growth for bookings month on month.
“From our booking data we can see that the demand for holidays amongst Irish people is stronger than ever before. After a turbulent two years for the travel industry, it’s fantastic to see that people have such an appetite to explore the world again,” says Mary McKenna, Managing Director of Tour America.
So where are people headed to? What’s hot for 2023 and what sort of holidays are likely to emerge as winners? In terms of destinations, travel trends point towards Orlando, New York and Las Vegas. Theme parks, city breaks and cruises are also some of the ways people are looking forward to spend their time.
There are several other emerging trends to take note of as well. People are booking their holidays much earlier – about 11 months in advance. There are also large group bookings, especially multigenerational group trips. Plus there’s the increase in spending, about “15% more compared to 2019”.
Top 10 Holiday Types According to Tour America
- Theme Park Holidays
- City Breaks
- Med Cruising
- Caribbean Cruising
- New York Shopping Breaks
- All Inclusive Holidays
- Honeymoons
- Fly Drives
- Escorted Tours
- RV / Campervan Holidays
Top 10 Destinations For Irish Holidaymakers
1. Orlando
2. New York
3. Las Vegas
4. Cancun
5. Miami
6. San Francisco
7. Los Angeles
8. Toronto
9. Washington
10. Chicago
It’s also worthwhile to consider that the bookings data reveal that holidaymakers are spending about 10.5 days on average if they are on a family holiday. And about 12 days for a honeymoon in comparison to four days for a city break. Plus, there’s a focus on the sustainability aspect as well. There’s been a significant increase in the number of travellers who are keen on cruise ships that promote sustainability.
