Traveler Insights
Report
2023 | Q1
New year,
new outlook
In our last quarterly Traveler Insights Report, we saw reassuring signs of enduring
enthusiasm for travel amidst growing economic headwinds. Thanks to continued pent-
up travel demand and larger household savings, among other factors, our industry is
well positioned to withstand any concerns and outside factors.
Our research and data continue to point to traveler resilience as we venture through
the rst quarter of 2023. As usual, we look back to look ahead — and based on Expedia
Group rst-party data from Q4 2022, we saw search volume globally increase by 10%
year-over-year (YoY), driven by strong performance in Asia Pacic (APAC). APAC is an area
we will be watching, as the long-awaited easing of travel restrictions — especially in China,
Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan — resulted in early search volumes increases in Q4.
Traveler condence in general is also increasing, as people began planning earlier for
2023. During the last quarter of 2022, 35% of overall searches were for travel in 2023 —
a 55% increase YoY.
Our quarterly Traveler Insights Reports highlight the shifting traveler intent and demand
we see based on 70 petabytes of our rst-party data from hundreds of millions visiting
our sites around the world to dream about, search, consider, and book all types of travel,
including stays, ights, cars, packages, activities, and more. The insights in these reports,
which include our latest custom research, are intended to inform our partners of all types
to better understand and reach today’s travelers.
MONYA
Mandich
Global Vice President
Expedia Group
3Expedia Group
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Quarterly deep dive
Search volumes
increase YoY
Travel search volume increased 10% YoY
on our websites in Q4 2022, with APAC
search volumes up more than 50% YoY,
signaling positive responses to travel
restrictions easing in various countries,
including China, Hong Kong, Japan,
South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Globally, the week of October 3 saw
strong week-over-week (WoW) search
volume increases across both domestic
and international searches, corresponding
with easing travel restrictions in Canada,
South Korea, and Thailand, among other
destinations. As is often seen at the end
of the year, during the week of December
26, WoW search volume globally was up
Jun-22 Oct-22 Dec-22Feb-22 Apr-22 Aug-22Dec-21
Destinations super-regions | WoW search % change
Q4 | 2022
NORAM
APAC
EMEA
LATAM
Source: Expedia Group data, Q4 2021 -Q4 2022
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by 30%, led by Latin America (LATAM) and
Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA),
signaling a return to seasonality.
Domestic search volume
Domestic search performance uctuated
throughout Q4, with the strongest WoW
growth during the weeks of October 3
and December 26, when domestic search
volumes globally were up by nearly 35%.
International search volume
During the week of October 17, international
searches from travelers in LATAM were up
10% WoW. Among North America (NORAM)
travelers, international search volumes were
up during the weeks of November 28 and
December 26, perhaps bolstered by popular
holiday sales and promotions.
During the week of December 26, WoW
search volume globally was up by 30%, led
by Latin America (LATAM) and EMEA.
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Global traveler search windows | WoW % Change
2021-2022
Source: Expedia Group data, Q2 2022-Q4 2022
Travelers plan ahead
for 2023
While most travelers are planning and
searching for trips in the short term, share
for longer search windows increased during
Q4 2022, as travelers looked ahead to 2023.
Globally, the 180+ day search window saw
the strongest growth, with a 20% increase
in search share quarter-over-quarter (QoQ)
driven by 60% QoQ growth in EMEA.
Search share for the 61- to 90-day window
was up nearly 15% globally, with double-
digit growth in APAC and NORAM. The
31- to 60-day window was up 5% QoQ,
also led by growth in APAC and NORAM.
LATAM travelers are still planning in the
short term, with the strongest growth in the
0- to 60-day search windows, up 5% QoQ.
31-60 Days
0-21 Days
61-90 Days
91-180 Days
180+ Days
22-30 Days
Jun-22 Oct-22 Dec-22Aug-22
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Following a Q3 2022 trend, travelers
continued planning for 2023 travel during
Q4, more so than the prior year. 35% of
searches in Q4 2022 were for travel in
2023, representing a 55% increase YoY,
compared to Q4 2021 searches for 2022.
Furthermore, during the last week of
December 2022, searches for the 60+
day window increased 20% WoW.
Last-minute holiday searches
During the month of December, searches
in the 0- to 21-day window increased more
than 10% month-over- month (MoM). This
suggests an increase in last-minute holiday
Globally, the 180+ day search window
saw the strongest QoQ growth, with a 20%
increase in search share.
travel demand or last-minute searches,
possibly due to weather and airline
challenges in NORAM, which impacted tens
of thousands of ights during the last two
weeks of December and into the new year.
Domestic search window
As with recent quarters, the majority of
global domestic searches fell within the
0- to 30-day window. However, global
domestic search share for the 180+ day
window increased by nearly 35% QoQ,
driven by growth in EMEA and NORAM.
APAC domestic search share in the 31- to
90-day window increased 10% QoQ, while
LATAM saw the strongest growth in search
share in the 0- to 21-day and 31- to 60-day
search windows.
Looking at pre-pandemic search window
trends, during Q4 2022, domestic search
share in the 61- to 90-day window increased
nearly 20% compared to Q4 2019, while the
22- to 30-day window saw a 10% increase.
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Super region search window domestic vs. international
Q4 | 2022
31-60 Days
0-21 Days
61-90 Days
91-180 Days
180+ Days
22-30 Days
Source: Expedia Group data, Q4 2022
Domestic International
NORAM
Domestic International
EMEA
Domestic International
LATAM
Domestic International
APAC
International search window
Globally, the share of travelers searching
for international destinations in the 61-
to 90-day and 180+ day windows increased
by 10% QoQ. In EMEA, international searches
in the 180+ day window increased by
nearly 45% QoQ, while remaining at in
other regions. Further illustrating the shift to
longer-term planning, EMEA international
search share for the 91- to 180-day window
increased by 20%.
International search share growth in the
61- to 90-day window grew by 30% in APAC
and 20% in NORAM during Q4, while the
31- to 60-day window grew by 25% in APAC
and more than 10% in NORAM. In the LATAM
region, the strongest international search
share growth occurred in the 22- to 30-day
window, up more than 10% QoQ.
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Beach & city destinations
continue to shine
Top 10 booked destinations | Q4 2022
For NORAM travelers
New York
Las Vegas
Orlando
Cancun
Los Angeles
Chicago
Miami
London
Honolulu*
San Francisco
For EMEA travelers
London
New York
Paris
Dubai
Istanbul
Amsterdam
Copenhagen
Barcelona
Stockholm
Rome*
For LATAM travelers
Mexico City
Cancun
New York
Sao Paulo
Rio de Janeiro
Paris
Madrid
Las Vegas
Orlando
Playa del Carmen*
For APAC travelers
Tokyo
Seoul
Osaka*
Singapore
Bangkok
London
Sydney
Paris
Melbourne
Taipei*
*New top 10 destination
Source: Expedia Group data, Q4 2022
Easing travel restrictions in APAC, holiday
travel, and the appeal of warm weather
destinations all inuenced the global top
10 list of booked destinations during Q4.
Across the super regions, New York, Las
Vegas, and London held on to the top
spots, Orlando and Cancun moved up in
the rankings, and Miami overtook Boston
for the No. 10 position. Tokyo was a
newcomer to the list at No. 7.
The shift to warm weather destinations
was also a trend in the previous year —
Q4 2021 — as travelers likely started
planning their warm weather escapes
during peak winter months in the Northern
Hemisphere. Destinations like Boston and
Denver dropped from the global top 10
list and were replaced by Miami and
Dubai; similarly, Cancun and Honolulu
moved up the rankings.
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Trending countries
Similar to the global trend, with cold
weather, snow, and rain across much of the
country during Q4, “winter sun” destinations
saw increased search interest from travelers
in the United States. Between October
2022 and December 2022, searches from
the US for Puerto Rico and the Bahamas
increased by 35% and 20%, respectively.
Other trending search destinations for US
travelers during Q4 included Costa Rica, the
Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Mexico.
Elsewhere, searches from Canada to Mexico
were up 15% and searches from South Korea
to Japan were up 40%, as Japan moved up
to the No. 25 position from No. 35.
Vacation rental destination trends
While domestic travel continues to drive
the vacation rental category, some new
destinations outside of travelers’ home
SPOTLIGHT
Our Dominicana
The Dominican Republic, one of the
trending countries for Q4 2022, is well
known for its stunning beaches and
all-inclusive resorts, but the destination
has so much more, including culture,
cuisine, and adventure. The Dominican
Republic Ministry of Tourism recently
worked with Expedia Group Media
Solutions to develop “Our Dominicana,”
an innovative campaign that show-
cased the destination from a local
perspective. In the campaign, series
of videos immersed potential visitors
in all the country has to offer,
from diving amongst the coral to
experiencing indigenous cooking using
ancient techniques. It also included
a dedicated microsite incorporating
planning and booking functionality,
including hotel offers in the featured
destinations. The campaign saw a
return on advertising spend of 196:1 and
increased passenger demand by 15%
and room night demand by over 25%
compared to 2019 levels.
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regions began appearing in Q4. For APAC
travelers, Paris nabbed the No. 5 spot as a
newcomer on the list of top booked Vrbo
destinations — joining London, another
long-haul destination that also appeared in
Q3 — while other new destinations included
Wanaka, New Zealand and Culburra Beach,
Australia. Arraial do Cabo, Brazil, was the
only newly booked destination on Vrbo to
make the list for LATAM travelers in Q4.
With winter in full swing in the Northern
Hemisphere, EMEA travelers turned to
popular ski resort areas in France, including
two new top 10 destinations, Bourg-
Saint-Maurice and Morzine. In contrast,
travelers from NORAM opted for warm
weather getaways. Naples and Cape Coral,
Florida, and Scottsdale, Arizona were new
additions to the top 10 list in Q4, along with
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in the Great Smoky
Mountains in the US.
Top 10 Vrbo-booked destinations | Q4 2022
For NORAM travelers
Kissimmee, Florida
Panama City Beach, Florida
Sevierville, Tennessee
Lahaina, Hawaii
Kihei, Hawaii
Naples, Florida*
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Gatlinburg, Tennessee*
Cape Coral, Florida*
Scottsdale, Arizona*
For EMEA travelers
Paris, France
Kissimmee, Florida
Albufeira, Portugal
Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France*
London, England
Gérardmer, France
Playa Blanca, Spain
Morzine, France*
Cuxhaven, Germany
Davenport, Florida
For LATAM travelers
Guarujá, Brazil
Ubatuba, Brazil
Praia Grande, Brazil
Cabo Frio, Brazil
Bertioga, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Kissimmee, Florida
São Sebastião, Brazil
Arraial do Cabo, Brazil*
Florianópolis, Brazil*
For APAC travelers
Surfers Paradise, Australia
Cowes, Australia
Dunsborough, Australia
Queenstown, New Zealand
Paris, France*
Rye, Australia
London, England
Wanaka, New Zealand*
Culburra Beach, Australia*
Port Macquarie, Australia
*New Top 10 destination
Source: Expedia Group data, Q4 2022
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Usage of the Expedia.com and Hotels.com
“business-friendly” accommodation filter in Q4 2022
increased by triple digits year-over-year.
Quarterly deep dive
The rise of
the flexcation
As exible work options remain for many
companies around the world, “blended”
or “excation” travel — a longer stay that
mixes remote work and play — is on the rise,
and the opportunity for those in the travel
industry is huge. Insights from our Traveler
Value Index 2023 study back up this theme,
showing that 28% of consumers are looking
to take a excation trip in the next 12 months.
Other industry research supports this trend.
For example, Skift’s Megatrends for 2023
include the Blended Traveler, and according
to Future Market Insights and the Global
Business Travel Association (GBTA), the
blended travel market in 2022 had a value
of $497.5 billion. This is expected to grow as
the work-from-anywhere trend becomes
more ubiquitous
Our ight data shows that, on average,
travelers are taking longer trips YoY, which
can be supported by the ability to work
remotely. This is particularly true for NORAM
travelers, whose average length of stay in
SPOTLIGHT
Promoting
work-from-home
amenities with Vrbo
In response to the growing excation
trend, long-time Vrbo partner
Heather Barbiere started promoting
her properties not just as destination
rentals, but as destination homes.
With a primary target of busy
professionals looking for a place to
both work remotely and satisfy the
need for a getaway, she updated her
listings accordingly. She highlighted
her properties as ideal work AND
play destinations with loads of work-
friendly amenities, including priorities
for excation travelers: strong Wi-Fi
bandwidth, quiet areas with desk
spaces, play spaces for kids, discounts
for longer stays, long-lead calendar
availability, and more. These listing
adjustments helped attract remote-
work professionals and excation
travelers, improving rental volume.
Those looking to attract excation
family travelers should also ensure
listings highlight that pets and
children are welcome, and spotlight
family-friendly accommodations and
amenities, like private pools, spacious
kitchen and dining areas, entertainment
and games, nearby parks and
recreation areas, and more.
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Q4 2022 was 10% longer than in Q4 2021.
In APAC, travelers’ average length of stay
was nearly 5% longer YoY. During December,
these YoY increases in average length of stay
were even greater, with a 20% increase for
NORAM travelers and a nearly 30% increase
for APAC travelers.
Travelers have also been using the
“business-friendly” lter on Expedia.com
and Hotels.com signicantly more to nd
accommodations with amenities like Wi-Fi
and breakfast. Q4 data shows a triple-
digit YoY increase in usage of the business-
friendly lter, furthering this trend.
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Price and value rising
in importance
In the report last quarter, we highlighted
the anticipated impacts of ination and the
re-emergence of more price-sensitive travel
shoppers, based on industry insights and
ndings from the Traveler Value Index 2023.
Demand for travel is expected to remain
strong due to increasing plans for excations
and the return of business travel, consumer
savings, and the ongoing prioritization of
travel. That said, while overall intentions to
travel are high, traveler spending behaviors
are expected to evolve, pointing to the
growing importance of price and value.
According to the 2023 research, low pricing is
a leading factor when booking all elements
Source: Expedia Group, Traveler Value Index 2023
Special discounted
pricing
Receiving an overall
better experience
Collecting points and
redeeming them for
future purchases
Prioritized customer
service
Complementary
upgrades, add-ons, or
other perks
None of the above
Exclusive access to
amenities and services
52%
32%
46%
26%
42%
2%
34%
What do consumers value most from travel loyalty programs they are a member of?
SPOTLIGHT
K+K Hotel Central
Located in Prague’s popular Old Town,
the upscale K+K Hotel Central wanted to
spotlight its property and amenities and
stand out from competitor hotels in the
surrounding area. Armed with data and
insights from Partner Central, the property
evaluated ways to target offers to travelers
from different locations. For example,
package promotions, which allow guests
to bundle their hotel, ights, and/or car
rentals at a discount, helped them reach
international guests and large groups and
grow the hotel’s packages business by more
than 140%. To further increase bookings,
they offered exclusive Members Only Deals
to the more than 168 million travelers in our
loyalty programs and leveraged TravelAds
Sponsored Listings from Expedia Group
Media Solutions to connect with the right
audience and improve their visibility in
search results. The promotions and tools
helped K+K Hotel Central attract high-value
guests, boost occupancy rates, and grow
their revenue by 45% over 12 months.
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of a trip for nearly one out of every three
travelers. Putting the emphasis on value will
continue to be important, not only in pricing
but also in demonstrating and delivering
offers, perks, and exceptional traveler
experiences — especially for loyal customers.
With price sensitivity top of mind for
travelers, they may turn to loyalty programs
to secure discounted prices. Our research
shows that special discounted pricing is the
top aspect of loyalty programs consumers
value, meaning that loyalty may become
more important to travelers in the current
climate. Data from Expedia.com and Hotels.
com also shows that loyalty members are
valuable — on average, they book 2.5x
more frequently and spend 2.5x more
than non-members.
Additionally, properties that offer loyalty
benets see stronger results. Expedia.com
and Hotels.com data shows properties
offering loyalty benets see 3.4x faster
room growth and 3x faster revenue growth.
With travelers looking for great deals,
special offers, and discounted pricing,
including those available through loyalty
programs, travel brands can incorporate
promotions to stand out from the
competition and drive demand.
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Looking forward
Mid-year getaways
In Q4 2022, we saw a YoY increase of
nearly 70% in traveler searches for mid-year
2023 travel (June to September), indicating
both strong traveler intent and longer-
lead planning. City break destinations like
London, Chicago, San Francisco, and Boston
appeared on the global top 10 list of booked
destinations during Q3 2022, and may be
indicators of destination trends for Q3 2023.
Expedia Group’s 2023 traveler trends —
looking across Expedia.com, Hotels.com,
and Vrbo — also highlighted the return of
big cities and culture capitals. As art, music,
and culture festivities return in 2023, cities
like Dublin, New York, Tokyo, Sydney, and
more are expected to rise in popularity.
These insights, in addition to the lengthening
search windows we saw in Q4 2022, indicate
that it’s a good time to begin showcasing
and promoting your offerings for the mid-
year travel season and cultural events.
Experiences are (still) everything
Activities and experiences were some
of the top priorities and decision drivers
for travelers pre-pandemic, and their
importance is on the rise again. As
highlighted in the recent 2023 Travel Trends
report from Expedia.com, Vrbo, and Hotels.
com, this year, people are branching out
to unexpected trends in what can be
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Quarterly deep dive
considered the "no normal." From culinary-
rst travel to wellness retreats and off-the-
beaten-path adventures, experiences are
inuencing trip decisions.
But for many travelers, especially those
experiencing post-holiday burnout, this
can also mean experiencing nothing, or
a “nothing-cation,” where warm weather,
relaxing, and recharging are the main
attractions. A recent survey found that
96% of US travelers want to spend part of
their next vacation doing nothing, and 54%
of UK travelers connect doing nothing on a
holiday with relaxation.
Mobile & app growth
Although global smartphone penetration
rates have been steady over the past few
years, mobile searches and bookings are
on the rise. Comparing 2022 to 2019 data
from our websites, traveler booking share
on mobile devices — phone and tablet —
was up 15%, led by strong growth in mobile
phone booking share.
As mobile search and booking becomes
more ubiquitous, we’re also seeing a share
shift between mobile web and mobile
app searches. Mobile app search share
in 2022 increased 30% compared to 2019,
illustrating the importance of reaching
potential travelers across devices, channels,
and platforms.
