LONDON, UK, 8 March, 2023 - Tripadvisor®, the world's largest travel guidance platform, today released its first Seasonal Travel Index of 2023, providing insight into travel demand this season (March 1-May 31). The Spring Travel Index uses a combination of demand and sentiment data to reveal Brits’ attitudes to travel over the next three months - and where they’re heading off to.
As we move towards warmer days and lighter evenings, Brits are planning getaways both home and abroad. Travel is still on the up, with almost three quarters (71%) of Brits planning trips this Spring, compared to just over half (54%) in the same period last year. This also represents an increase of 11% on the Winter season (December 2022-February 2023).
Despite the rising cost of living in the UK, travel is a growing priority for Brits. Almost half (45%) intend to travel more than they did last year, and spend is also set to increase, with just under half (43%) planning to splash more cash on their biggest trips this year.
But amid increased confidence in travel spend, affordability is the most important factor for Brits planning trips, almost twice (69%) as important as trip length (36%) and trip type (32%), slightly above the global average. The vast majority (90%) will only take 1-2 trips, reflecting a steady increase in Brits prioritising a big trip.
Alice Jong, Research and Insights Senior Analyst, Media at Tripadvisor, said: “As seen in previous editions of our Seasonal Travel Index, consumer appetite for travel remains strong as we head into the spring months in the Northern Hemisphere. Destination-wise, we can expect robust demand for city breaks from Northern Hemisphere travellers, with several of the world’s most iconic capitals dominating the list of most popular destinations.”
Hottest new destinations for spring 2023
Demand for international travel remains strong, with over half of Brits (52%) looking to travel abroad this Spring. Keen to take advantage of reduced restrictions for international travellers in Asia Pacific this year, this region forms the entire Top 10 Fastest Growing International Destinations list for British holidaymakers this season. Japanese destinations make up almost half of this list, followed by Vietnam which takes the top spot with Ho Chi Minh at No.1, followed by Hoi An at No. 3 and Hanoi at No. 4. The Philippines is also popular, with Lapu Lapu at No. 6 and El Nido at No. 10.
The North of England dominates as the top trending domestic travel destination for Brits this spring. The Lake District continues to be a hot spot for British holidaymakers staying closer to home, with almost half of the Top 10 Fastest Growing Domestic Destinations located there - including Gosforth which takes the No. 1 spot - jumping from 9th place in Tripadvisor’s Winter index in December. Coastal breaks are also popular, with seaside towns making up almost half of the list, including Guernsey and Isle of Man.
Most popular spring getaways
International city breaks are sought after this spring, making up seven of the Top 10 Popular International Destinations, with Paris, France at No. 1 and Amsterdam, The Netherlands at No. 2. Brits are also in search of sun and relaxation with Spanish beach holidays topping the charts with Benidorm at No. 3 and Costa Adeje, Tenerife at No. 4.
Looking to the UK, London is the most popular destination for Brits this spring, followed by Edinburgh at No. 2 and Liverpool at No. 3. Hoping to soak up some early sun, the most booked experiences for these destinations this spring include this Thames lunch cruise, a Mersey River cruise and this Scottish Highlands tour which sets off from Edinburgh.
Top Trending Destinations for Spring 2023
Most Popular Destinations for Spring 2023
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Methodology
The data cited in this release was gathered and analysed from two key sources:
A Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of over 2,100 consumers, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between 1/8/23 and 1/20/23 across five countries - U.S., UK, Australia, Singapore and Japan.
Site behavioural data sourced from first party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform, gathered between December 01, 2022 and January 25, 2023, for searches made by travellers in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Japan and Singapore for travel between March 01 through May 31, 2023.
Authors
This report was compiled by Tripadvisor’s research (Alice Jong) and communications (Duncan Skehens) teams in partnership with survey results conducted by Qualtrics Research.
Contact:
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emeapressoffice@tripadvisor.com (United Kingdom)
About Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, helps hundreds of millions of people each month** become better travellers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travellers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than 1 billion reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travellers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby. As a travel guidance company available in 43 markets and 22 languages, Tripadvisor makes planning easy no matter the trip type. The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIP), own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps.
* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, January 2023
** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files
