In 2023, the travel world finally recovered from the pandemic and returned to the usual flow of tourists. Find out more about how the gazillion felt over the past year, how hotels, airlines, cruise lines, and tour operators worked around the world, and other stunning figures

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2023 was the first post-pandemic year when all quarantine restrictions were lifted and travelers could easily return to the world of travel. The tourism sector is gradually recovering, so now is the time to explore the work of hotels, airlines and tour operators in different parts of the world.

How did 2023 go in the world of travel? The most interesting statistics are below.

- The sum of expenses for outbound tourism in the USA exceeded the previous year's level

Americans will spend more than $12 billion on outbound travel in 2023, up from $10.5 billion in the previous record year of 2019. This data most clearly confirms that travel is gradually returning, travelers are trying to make up for lost time and are very actively planning vacations.

- Europeans resumed travel in 2023

Like Americans, Europeans also traveled extensively in 2023. The number of tourist departures from Italy, Turkey, France, Great Britain, Spain and Germany reached the level of 2019, significantly exceeding the crisis years. The only exception is Russia - the number of departures of Russians in 2023 was only 60% of the previous level. The reason for this is the war that Russia started in February 2022 against Ukraine.

- Canada entered the ranking of the most desirable countries among Chinese tourists

Due to strict quarantine restrictions, the resumption of travel in China has been a little slower than in the rest of the world. However, despite this, Chinese travelers still managed to rest in 2023. France has become the most desired country among travelers, perhaps because of the summer Olympic Games, which will be held here in 2024. Japan and Australia also made it to the top five in the rating, due to their geographical proximity to China. As before the pandemic, many Chinese vacationed in the United States. It is interesting that for the first time Canada entered the list of leaders.

- Rising prices pose a threat to travel

At the same time, as part of the survey, it was found that many tourists are worried about the increase in travel prices. Analysts say that this trend could lead to a decrease in the number of tourists in 2024.

- 240 million trips are classified as deferred demand

Many tourists in 2023 postponed their vacations, especially international ones. Therefore, even with possible inflation and price increases, in 2024 we can count on 240 million travelers who intend to take their first post-Covid trip.

- The number of days on which people work from home has increased

According to Deloitte, before the pandemic, people spent an average of 0.7 days a week working from home. Due to the quarantine, this number increased to almost 4 days per week in 2021, and by 2023 the figure had decreased to 2.2 days per week. This factor has an impact on the development of the tourism industry, because many workers began to combine travel with work.

- Tourists are again returning to booking trips through travel agencies

If during the pandemic, experts said that tourists are moving away from booking through the system of travel agencies and are increasingly booking trips directly, then in 2023, the rate of tours purchased through agencies began to grow again. Direct bookings were more popular during the pandemic, as most travel was domestic, which in turn boosts direct bookings the most.

If in March 2021, 67% of Americans booked their vacations directly, then in 2023 this figure dropped to 55%.

- EXPEDIA and BOOKING to spend over $7 billion on online advertising

According to recent reports, Expedia will spend $3.8 billion and Booking $3.2 billion in online advertising in 2022. An estimated 65% of that investment went to Google alone. Meanwhile, Airbnb generates 90% of its traffic through unpaid sources, with a whopping 75% coming from direct traffic alone.

- Most often, young people book cruises with the help of a travel consultant

Young people tend to be more tech-savvy, but when it comes to booking cruises, most travelers prefer consultants. In fact, more than 2/3 of people between the ages of 20 and 55 believe they prefer to deal with a travel consultant rather than directly with cruise lines.

Only 44% of people over 55 use the services of an agent when booking a cruise.

- HOPPER, VRBO and AIRBNB have become the most popular travel apps

In recent years, vacation travelers have preferred vacation rentals, as evidenced by the ranking of the most downloaded mobile travel apps. Airbnb and Vrbo became the leaders in 2023. The Hopper app was the most downloaded mobile travel app in the US in 2021. The popularity of Priceline and Kayak has remained at the level of 2-4 million users per year for the past 5 years.

Are you planning to travel or move abroad? An important component of a successful trip is a travel insurance policy, because it guarantees the provision of high-quality medical care in any corner of the world and is able to protect you from unnecessary expenses during the trip.

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