Increased flight costs could be driving longer getaways
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2023 holiday searches are up around 477% on last year
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Flights in 2023 likely to be up around 57%
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Brits seem to plan month-long getaways
2023 will be a year full of travel for British holidaymakers, despite flight prices likely to be up around 57%, as searches are up around 477% for 2023 travel compared to searches in 2021 for travel in 2022.
The data from KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, shows that the increased cost could be impacting how long people will be going away for as well, as it seems people are looking to take extended holidays, with the average trip duration extending from around 22 days in 2022 for long-haul destinations to almost a month, at around 27 days for 2023 getaways.
Laure Bornet, vice president EMEA at KAYAK commented: “This is really interesting to see as one would expect travellers to adapt their travel behaviour, perhaps by looking at shorter, or cheaper destinations with the increased costs and the cost-of-living crisis. But we can see that travel is still gaining importance with the British public and how having some much needed downtime is on people’s agenda for 2023.”
As more destinations, particularly in Asia ease their COVID-19 restrictions for inbound travellers, more British people are looking for a long distance getaway next year with the often popular Bangkok, Thailand the most searched destination. As the pound value to the dollar is starting to increase again, a trip to the US is also becoming more appealing for next year, with Orlando Florida and New York both in the top five most searched destinations.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has seen the biggest surge in searches, up around 675% compared to travel in 2022, which could be for the Hajj pilgrimage. Jeddah also becomes more of a travel hub for onward travel to the Far East, as there are several destinations in Asia that Brits are keen to explore in 2023. Hong Kong, while easing COVID-19 travel restrictions slowly, has seen around a 529% increase in flight searches, while Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has seen around a 496% search increase. Hanoi, Vietnam has seen an increase of around 406%.
Laure Bornet, vice president EMEA at KAYAK continues: “Our data shows that 2023 looks like to be the year of long-haul travel and big getaways. Asia is a great place to explore next year, there are so many off the beaten track destinations and such beautiful scenery. With everything increasing in cost, extending a holiday is a great way to maximise the cost of flying long-distance and it would seem that the cost of a longer haul flight seems worth it when people haven’t been able to visit some of these destinations in over two years. Flight prices are looking around 57% higher than pre-pandemic prices and around 37% on last year, so it’s important to do your research on price comparison and find the best time to book and find a good deal.”
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Note to editors:
KAYAK offers a wide range of tools including a variety of search filters to find the flights, cars and hotels to help travellers book their next getaway including:
- Explore: Debating where to travel? Use KAYAK’s Explore tool to see all the amazing places you can visit within a given price range.
- Flexible Dates: KAYAK’s flexible dates tool shows you how much you’ll save just by having some wiggle room on your arrival or departure dates.
- Price Forecast: Use KAYAK’s price forecast tool so you know the likelihood of your flight price rising within 30 days, helping you determine whether you should book now or wait.
- Price Alerts: Never miss a deal by signing up for KAYAK’s customised price alerts so you know when prices change for the flight or hotel you want.
** Based on flight searches made on Kayak.co.uk and associated sites in the period between 01.09.2022 and 31.10.2022 for flights with departure between 01.01.2023 and 31.12.2023 for travel from any UK airport. They were compared to searches made in the period in 2021 and 2019. Percentages for changes in searches are approximate.
ABOUT KAYAK
KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings INC. (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay and rental car. We also support business travellers with KAYAK for Business, our free corporate travel solution, and are transforming the in-travel experience with our app and new hotel and accommodation software. For more information, visit www.KAYAK.co.uk.
