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2023 turned out to be a strong travel year. Travel is now gradually approaching pre-pandemic levels, and at Sweden's largest tour operator Ving, the number of travelers increased by just over 20 percent compared to the year before. It was proven once again that travel remains one of the most prioritized areas that many spend money on, which also looks set to remain ahead of 2024. This despite challenging economic times, war and uncertainties and a weak Swedish krona.
In a recent survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Ving it appears that fully 21 percent of the respondents will travel more in the coming year compared to last year and for 64 percent, the travel will be unchanged. Only 15 percent say they will travel less in 2024.*
- If there is something that many people value, it is travel. There is a great longing to create new holiday memories and travel is certainly what many are least willing to give up. In troubled times, however, security becomes especially important, which we can still see is an important parameter for travelers. Package trips have undeniably had a renaissance, says Claes Pellvik, Comms Manager Ving/Nordic Leisure Travel Group.
The travel pattern in 2023 was characterized by a strong Greek summer where both volumes and interest in returning to popular Greek islands, large and small, received a boost. However, Ving's biggest holiday country was Spain, where both Gran Canaria and Mallorca became by far the biggest destinations. 2023 was also the year when travelers returned more and more to the big European metropolises like London, Rome and Barcelona. Many also looked east again to cities such as Prague, which made it into the top-five list of most visited big cities and where the number of trips increased by 119 percent compared to the year before. The more exotic destinations were dominated by the Maldives and Mauritius, but there was also an increased curiosity for other destinations in the Indian Ocean such as Sri Lanka and Zanzibar.
1. Gran Canaria
2. Mallorca
3. Cyprus
4. Rhodes
5. Crete
1. London
2. Rome
3. Barcelona
4. Palma
5. Prague
For the coming year, Ving sees the following travel trends.
A growing travel trend is to travel to so-called "destination dupes", i.e. places that can be compared to other more famous and well-visited destinations, but which are often more easily accessible and affordable. What they have in common is that they have a similar atmosphere or that they are visually reminiscent of the more "hyped" predecessors. In Ving's charter destinations there are many places to visit during the holiday that remind of more well-known destinations and attractions around the world.
"The duplicates are perfect options to add to the memory bank and immortalize with the camera lens without having to travel to the other side of the globe for that matter", says Claes Pellvik, Comms Manager Ving/Nordic Leisure Travel Group.
Nature experiences:
Coastal metropolises:
Tourist attractions:
Paradise beaches:
Activities:
In the past, traveling alone was often considered something exotic and controversial. Today, solo travel is something completely different and a form of travel that is here to stay, regardless of whether you are a digital nomad, want to meet new people or just experience the world on your own. Of Sweden's roughly 10 million inhabitants, approximately 2 million live in single-person households, according to statistics from the Statistics Authority. *
This makes Sweden the most single dense country in the world. Among them, but also among couples and families, curiosity about solo travel is increasing and more and more people are seeing the advantages of traveling on their own. Many people who are attracted to traveling alone also want to do it with like-minded people, for example on a training/theme trip such as yoga, hiking or cycling. With more flexible work, solo travelers also make room for workation, where vacations can be combined with remote work. At Ving, solo travel is the biggest among training travelers, but there is also an increased interest in the form of travel in general.
"Just this year, the interest in solo travel has increased significantly. The percentage on ving.se who searched for a solo trip is a significantly larger percentage of searches compared to previous years. A whopping 12 percent of the total percentage who searched for a trip this year did so for just 1 person, which is an increase of 70 percent compared to last year alone", says Claes Pellvik, Comms Manager Ving/Nordic Leisure Travel Group, who also highlights Ving's product Ving Solo, where solo -travelers can take advantage of offers such as canceled or discounted hotel room supplements.
In many ways, the pandemic struck a chord with the importance of family and the shared experiences that are created when we travel. The pandemic was also the period when many were forced to cancel planned trips to celebrate graduations and birthdays as well as other holidays. When we are no longer limited to travel, we want to make up for lost trips and create new memories together across generational boundaries. In the last year alone, bookings of so-called extended family trips with Ving have increased by 20 percent, and everything indicates that the trend will gain an even stronger foothold in 2024.
"We have seen that the three-generation trips with grandparents, children and grandchildren increase year by year, but it really took off in 2023. People want to treat themselves and prioritize time with loved ones. And traveling and creating new memories together is perhaps the best gift you can give each other. There, we undeniably have an advantage with our customized family product that paves the way for a joint vacation where everyone can find something that suits them, both young and old", says Claes Pellvik, Comms Manager Ving/Nordic Leisure Travel Group.
The Canary Islands, with Gran Canaria at the top, will be by far the largest destination in Ving's range in 2024 as well, just as the top list is dominated by several classic holiday favorites in the Mediterranean. However, more and more people are opening their eyes to the affordable and slightly more exotic destinations of Cape Verde and Egypt. The destinations do not yet qualify as top, but with increased volumes and increased demand, there are many indications that the destinations are becoming favorites as some of the Swedes' most popular winter destinations.
"Many see both Cape Verde and Egypt as exciting alternatives to the more familiar Canary Islands. We see a great deal of interest in these medium-distance travel destinations until the current winter, and everything indicates that the "bubbles" will take over the coming winter as well”, says Claes Pellvik, Comms Manager Ving/Nordic Leisure Travel Group .
Unsurprisingly, the most popular next summer is Mallorca, but the Greek islands also attract this summer. However, a destination on the rise is Cyprus, where more and more people are choosing to travel. Cyprus is now in the top 3 of the most popular summer destinations and in the top 5 for the whole year.
1. Gran Canaria
2. Mallorca
3. Rhodes
4. Cyprus
5. Crete
* YouGov survey on behalf of Ving/Nordic Leisure Travel Group, conducted 15-20 November 2023, with 2,013 representatively selected respondents in Sweden.
** The Statistics Authority, Statistics Sweden's, statistics on Swedish Households(scb.se), last updated 2023-12-19
