9 reasons why travel in 2023 will be more exciting than ever
Wild new musicals, lifted border restrictions, incredible cruise inventions, and more
It’s hard to believe, but the world is once again our oyster. Though 2022 could be described as a rocky travel year filled with inconsistent travel requirements, plenty of delayed and canceled flights, and tons of lost luggage, it shouldn’t deter us from getting excited about travel planning for the new year. Maybe it’s just us, but there’s a feeling in the air that everything’s falling back into place and we’re allowing ourselves to revel in the timeless magic of travel yet again.
Trips can mean so much to different people: a moment to relax and be whisked away to unfamiliar places, an opportunity to entertain the whole family, or a chance to indulge in personal passions and interests. Now is the time to start planning it all. Here, nine reasons why 2023 will be one of the best travel years yet.
COVID travel restrictions have loosened up.
By now, most travel restrictions related to the pandemic have either eased up or been lifted completely, making it easier to travel internationally in 2023. After long periods in national isolation, popular destinations like Japan and New Zealand have reopened to vaccinated travelers (no testing required), while others like Australia have dropped vaccination requirements entirely. Countries like Italy and France have dropped their “green pass” systems too, reducing the need for extra paperwork before traveling. Just be sure to always double check any visa and entry requirements your destination might require, respect local mask-wearing norms, and do what you feel is right when it comes to staying safe on the road.
New flight routes for everyone! Or at least a lot of us.
Just to name a few: Delta is launching a flight from Detroit to Iceland; the South American airline LATAM is connecting Los Angeles to São Paulo; British Airways will be flying from London to Cincinnati, connecting the UK to the midwestern US; and JetBlue is launching flights to Paris from Boston and New York. New flights like these make popular destinations accessible to more people and offer competitive fares on high-traffic routes (looking at you, New York to Paris), which means travelers get more time and money to spend on the ground.
At-sea rollercoasters, multi-level race tracks, and new Antarctica routes—cruising is getting an upgrade.
There’s something special about cruise ships, where you can get away from it all and yet have it all at your fingertips. Thrillseekers should check out the at-sea rollercoaster on the new Carnival Jubilee, or the three-level race track on the Norwegian Viva. For an adults-only itinerary, Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady is at last sailing the Mediterranean in the spring with room for over 2,700 guests, while Viking Cruises will offer a more intimate experience on its new ship Saturn for only 930 guests. For the adventurers, the Seabourn Pursuit is a new luxury expedition cruise ship that features extraordinary itineraries that go from the Amazon to Antarctica.
Theme parks are debuting new experiences for young ones—and the young-at-heart.
Theme parks are destinations in and of themselves and 2023 marks a major year of upgrades. Disney unveiled plenty of new attractions coming to its parks in 2023, among them: the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride at Disneyland in California; the new World Celebration neighborhood at EPCOT in Orlando; and the Tron Lightcycle Power Run at the Magic Kingdom Park (as seen at Shanghai Disneyland). Not to be outdone, Universal Studios Hollywood will open a new Super Nintendo World area early in the year.
More than a few exciting live events: FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Back to the Future Broadway musical (!), to name a few.
The new year brings with it the FIFA Women’s World Cup, held every four years, this time in Australia and New Zealand; and the inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, a new multi-discipline cycling event to be hosted in Glasgow, Scotland. Over on Broadway, it promises to be a big year with premieres of musicals based on the 1985 classic Back to the Future, the Scorsese film New York, New York, and the music of Britney Spears. Oh, and if you can snag a ticket to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, that’s worth traveling for, too.
Calling all aviation geeks: Double-decker planes are back.
Who can deny the majesty of a double-decker plane with a staircase onboard? As leisure travel demand recovers, many airlines are bringing their once-grounded A380s out of retirement. In addition to making more passenger seats available, the aircraft is generally a pleasure to fly. The plane is quieter than most, the air tends to be less dry, and seats in economy average at about 18 inches wide with 32 to 34 inches of legroom. If nothing else, the super jumbo is an undeniable reminder of the miracle that is air travel.
Conventions and festivals are back in full swing.
After a haphazard couple of years, convention circuits and festival schedules are firmed up for the new year. They’re a fantastic way to indulge your hobbies, to meet new people with similar interests, and to guarantee a joy-filled agenda for a trip. Whether your passion is jazz (the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is in the spring), or gastronomy (the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, CO, is on for the summer), or the art of drag (next year’s DragCons will be in London for the winter and Los Angeles in the spring), there’s something out there for everybody.
Oh, and there’s a historic coronation happening in the U.K.
Regardless of how you feel about the monarchy, the coronation of King Charles III is going to be a major global event. There hasn’t been a coronation in the United Kingdom since 1953—a staggering 80 years ago—and all the pomp and circumstance will be a once-in-a-lifetime way to experience British culture firsthand (just look at the plates!). If you want to witness the historical event in person, there are plenty of cool new London hotels opening in the new year: the Hoxton in West London is opening its doors winter 2022; the Mandarin Oriental in Mayfair (the city’s second) is coming spring 2023; and London’s first Peninsula Hotel will start taking bookings early in 2023.
If nothing else, you can make your work schedule work for you in 2023 (wherever there’s Wi-Fi, at least).
Spontaneous long weekend getaways are definitely the 2023 vibe, but a little planning can go a long way. Review your holiday schedule and suss out any extra days you might have off. For example, July 4th is on a Tuesday this year; see if you get Monday off and make it a four-day weekend. Moreover, if you can work remotely, consider extending the trips you take by combining business with pleasure: In Miami, you could work Monday through Friday under the Florida sun and party on the weekend. Or in Athens, you could explore the ancient city during the day and join work calls in the evening during U.S. business hours. We can see it now: That’s not a Zoom background, you might say, that’s the actual Parthenon.