BOSTON, January 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Optimism is the key word for the 2023 travel landscape as travelers embrace more remote experiences compared to 2022. Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), the leader in customized small group and solo travel for Americans aged 50 and over, announced its top 4 travel trends for 2023.
“Travelers are showing high enthusiasm for life-changing adventures away from home,” said Brian FitzGerald, CEO of OAT.
“Travellers are showing a high level of enthusiasm for life-changing adventures away from home, often on their own,” said Brian FitzGerald, OAT Executive Director “It’s a real priority for travelers to connect and engage with people from other cultures , and to find ways to give back to the communities they visit.”
OAT 4 top travel themes for 2023:
1. Africa – Travel to Africa is seeing a resurgence. Botswana, Morocco and Egypt top OAT’s 2023 list of popular travel destinations In 2022, travelers were more concentrated in Europe.
People who dream of visiting Africa – whether on safari or sailing down the Nile – continue to make up for lost time due to the pandemic. These motivated travelers don’t want to put off visiting the continent any longer and have their sights set on 2023.
2. Solos are going strong – Women over 50, in particular, are going to see the world alone. According to OAT, the number of single travelers booked for 2023 has increased 24% compared to 2019. Overall, more than 60% of OAT travelers are single and the majority are women.
“As a solo traveler, you’re running everything,” said solo OAT traveler Muriel Forster. “It just gives you a lot of flexibility. I heard someone say ‘a once in a lifetime experience’. I thought, ‘I don’t want this to be once in a lifetime – I want this to be my life!’
Solo travelers opt out of trips without a single supplement, which can be hundreds or thousands of dollars. OAT offers free single supplements in 92% of its single spaces in 2023.
3. Personalized travel – Travelers want the benefits of small group tours led by experts, but increasingly want more than a one-size-fits-all experience. 2023 will bring continued traveler demand to tailor travel to one’s individual preferences. For example, many travelers prefer to arrive early at a destination before a tour begins so they can feel acclimatized.
On OAT, 87% of travelers customize their trips by arriving early, staying later, adding a stopover in a popular international city or combining trips. By comparison, only 75% requested personalization in 2018.
4. Regenerative travel – The idea that tourism should leave a destination better than before is gaining ground globally. In short, regenerative travel improves local economies while preserving local cultures and biodiversity. It benefits local people and allows destinations to improve, all while providing authentic experiences for travelers.
OAT, through its Grand Circle Foundation, supports projects focused on water, conservation and renewable energy in the areas the company travels to. The Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) initiative helps improve the well-being of local residents. Access to safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene education reduces disease and death and increases socio-economic development leading to poverty reduction. The foundation supports alternative energy sources to reduce carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. Some schools add solar panels as an alternative source of electricity and to reduce operating costs. Solar lights from the Foundation replace kerosene, reducing illnesses from soot and smoke and enabling students to study at night, leading to a better education.
OAT provides travelers over 50 with impactful cross-cultural experiences that help change people’s lives. OAT fosters an intimate and accessible experience, with groups limited to 16 travelers (average 13) by land and 25 (average 22) by sea.
To learn more about OAT, please visit www.oattravel.com or call 1-800-955-1925.
ABOUT ADVENTURE TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE SEA
Founded in 1978, Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) is part of the Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation family of travel companies, which also includes Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel. In 1992, owners Alan and Harriet Lewis founded the non-profit Grand Circle Foundation to support the communities in which Grand Circle works and travels, including nearly 300 humanitarian, cultural and educational efforts worldwide – among them, 100 schools, in 50 countries . The foundation is an entity of the Alnoba Lewis Family Foundation, which has pledged or donated more than $250 million since 1981.
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SOURCE Overseas Adventure Travel
