Summer vacation already booked? If you’ve chosen the Mediterranean, you’re right on trend for the top destinations in Europe 2023. If you’re also looking for “relaxation and leisure activities,” congratulations: your trend awareness apparently knows no bounds 😀 The summer trends for traveling in Europe look pretty much exactly like this.

At least that’s according to Trip.com’s latest “How Europeans Travel” analysis of travel behavior. Of course, Trip.com isn’t the measure of all things, but we always find it exciting to look at (and share with you) commercial travel trends. It helps you see if you’re riding the wave with your travel ideas – or going against the tide. And sometimes such analysis gives you some pretty good food for thought. For example, if you really want to visit this summer’s hot destination with everyone else. Or if it’s better to save it for fall or winter, when everyone else has already moved on to the next trend.

Mediterranean vacations are in in 2023

Back to the survey: Trip.com’s analysis shows that the travel market is back in full swing and has even picked up compared to 2022. Everyone is in a vacation mood! Most Europeans will travel within Europe.

By the way, Trip.com Group is a Chinese company and one of the largest online travel agencies in the world after Expedia.

Long-distance flights down significantly

In the summer of 2019 – before the Corona outbreak – Trip.com recorded 47.5 percent long-haul flights in flight bookings. That has now dropped dramatically. In 2023, only 13.2 percent of bookings were long-distance and a full 67.3 percent were short-distance.

Travel analysts see two reasons:

1. European travelers are still waiting. (That means, long-distance travel is being postponed because people are still critical of the pandemic years and feel safer vacationing closer to home).
2. Long-distance travel is seen as a sin against the climate (With increasing environmental awareness, more and more vacationers are foregoing long-distance travel. If you’re interested in this topic, we recommend our blog post Are we still allowed to fly?)

Top 10 travel destinations in Europe in summer 2023

According to Trip.com, these are the top 10 destinations for Europeans:

• Spain
• Italy
• United Kingdom
• Greece
• France
• Portugal
• Germany
• United States
• Turkey
• The Netherlands

As you can see, the USA is the only long-haul destination in the top 10 and the only one outside of Europe.

Sustainable holidays in the Mediterranean

In addition to individual countries, the analysis showed that the Mediterranean is a popular destination.

If you’re thinking, “Oh, I’d love to go to the Mediterranean,” we have some sustainable accommodations to recommend:

A’ Crápa Mangia – sustainable vacation rentals in the Mediterranean

Our Green PearlsⓇ partner A’ Cràpa Mangia is a lovingly restored country estate in southern Italy. It consists of nine apartments, each of which has a terrace with a direct view of the sea. “Relaxation and leisure activities” can be found here in abundance. In addition to the beach, there are many hiking trails, medieval villages, the submerged city of Punta Licosa and the famous archaeological site of Pompeii to visit.

Or how about spending the winter there? Stefany from Green Pearls® had just tried it last winter and really loved it. Read: Winter in Cilento

ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA – Luxury on a natural beach

If relaxation and recuperation are the most important travel criteria for you, the ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA is perfect for you. It has a large spa area with indoor pool, outdoor pool, natural pond, steam bath, saunas, fitness area and relaxation areas.

There is also direct access to the beach. This is a protected area and difficult to access (except from the resort). It is therefore one of the most beautiful beaches on the Italian island and the resort contributes significantly to its maintenance.

Relais del Maro – Relaxation in Liguria

Not directly on the Mediterranean Sea, but not far from it, is the Relais del Maro in the small town of Borgomaro. Being an albergo diffuso, the hotel is spread over several rooms in historic buildings in the village. There’s a pool, whirlpool, romantic garden and terrace, as well as delicious breakfasts and pastries. From here you can explore the tranquil Italian idyll on foot or make excursions to the Ligurian Sea and the Côte d’Azur (France).

Holidays in the Canary Islands

Since Spain is one of the most popular destinations for Europeans, we have two more recommendations for you in Spain, or more precisely, in the Canary Islands, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

OCÉANO Health Spa Hotel – Wellness by the Atlantic Ocean

The OCÉANO Health Spa Hotel is perfect for a wellness and beach vacation. It is located on the volcanic Canary Island of Tenerife, right on the Atlantic Ocean. All rooms and suites have ocean views. You can swim in the sea, in the salt water pools or in the swimming pool. There’s also a spa and sauna area and daily yoga.

Casa León Royal Retreat – Boutique Hotel in Gran Canaria

Casa León Royal Retreat is located in the interior of Gran Canaria, but a shuttle bus brings you to the beach several times a day. The family-run property, with its pool and native plants, also offers a variety of activities through its in-house “Lion Program”. These include hiking, sports, and a tapas cooking class.

This is how Europeans travel: Two-thirds of Germans focus on health and fitness on vacation

A survey by Marriott Bonvoy, the bonus program of the Marriott Hotel Group, complements the analysis of European travel behavior. It showed that 66 percent of Germans pay attention to “health and fitness” while on vacation. This is despite the fact that only 26 percent of them exercise regularly at home!

At 53 percent, swimming is the most popular vacation sport. This is followed by fitness in the hotel gym and yoga. You want to know more about how to stay fit on your vacation? Check out our blog post: Fitness Vacation in sustainable accommodations

Finally, let’s recap – if you are traveling like most Europeans this summer, you

– prefer to travel within Europe in 2023
– Choose accommodation by the sea/Mediterranean
– want to relax on holiday
– Leisure activities should also be offered
– Swimming and sports are important

Do you think so too? Tell us in the comments if the trend analysis applies to you, or if your perfect vacation looks completely different! And if you are planning to travel with the family – check out:

12 ideas for a sustainable family summer vacation

This one focuses on activities you can do while on vacation, such as SUPing, adventure bridge climbing, or wildlife watching.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to save the hotel recommendations for later? Then the easiest way is to use Pinterest!