Travellers are planning multiple trips in 2023, according to the summer 2023 Global Rescue Travelers Sentiment and Safety Survey. “Half of the world’s most experienced travellers are planning four or more trips this year, and they’re using credit card reward points to help pay for them,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
A fifth of respondents are planning six or more trips in 2023, another 31% will take four-to-five leisure trips, and 41% said they would take two-to-three vacations. Only seven percent said they would take a single trip and one percent reported they would not take any leisure trips in 2023.
With inflation and the rising cost of travel, it’s no surprise that most respondents (64%) reported using credit card reward programs to offset leisure trips and vacation expenses.
Travellers are catching up on lost trip opportunities due to the pandemic. Demand for adventure tourism has shot up since COVID-19 with African safaris, hiking trips, camping excursions and motorcycle tours experiencing the fastest growth. But, there’s a limit to the risks travellers are willing to take, according to the survey.
The overwhelming majority of respondents (75%) would decline space tourism, even if they could afford the half-a-million-dollar cost for a few minutes of weightlessness. When it comes to undersea adventure tourism, 65% of respondents said they would take part in snorkelling or scuba diving tours of reefs, underwater caves, marine life and shipwrecks. Only 5% would stay at an undersea hotel or dine at an underwater restaurant. Less than 2% would sign up for a deep-sea tour in a submarine.
“Travellers are demonstrating a growing desire for authentic experiences in an increasingly globalized and connected world,” Richards said. “While pent-up demand is playing a role in the adventure travel boom, we don’t expect to see it subside anytime soon.”
As more people return to travel and plan multiple trips, most (61%) are traveling with a guide, an outfitter or an expedition organization in 2023. “Respondents consistently indicated they include on-the-ground experts on their trips to reap the benefits of their local language skills, cultural knowledge, touring efficiency and overall safety,” said Matt Aubin, associate director of Global Rescue partner and channel programs.
