Despite some concerns over flight disruptions and overall cost, Americans still have plans to travel—and spend more—in 2023. Ninety percent of respondents to a recent TripIt survey traveled in the past three months and 72 percent of say they’re feeling positive about their travel plans in the year ahead.
Data shows almost three-quarters of American travelers plan to fly domestically by August; half plan to fly internationally by then. Partially due to inflation, 62 percent of Americans say they will be spending more on travel in 2023. More than a quarter said they would spend $5,000 or more on top of what they typically budget.
The use of travel insurance has also gone up since the COVID pandemic. It helps ease concerns over travel and adds to their budget. To meet the demand, Allianz Partners added Bernie Verwiel as district director for the Midwest and Paul Corrigan as district director for the Southeast. Verwiel and Corrigan are travel industry veterans and support the company’s retail channel travel advisor partners. Brian Albano has also joined the company as a director, managing strategic partnerships with ecommerce partners and developing future partners.
Top Europe Hotel News
There’s always plenty happening in Europe but this week it seems it was especially the case.
In Italy, Collezione EM has announced the scheduled opening of Violino D’Oro in Venice this May. Located along the canal in the heart of Venice, Violino D’Oro has 32 rooms in a Venetian Palazzo that extends from Calle XXII Marzo to Campo San Moisè and along Rio de S. Moisè. Its design and decor showcase a range of artistic styles, from ancient art to oriental influences, as well as contemporary art and design pieces.
Heading to Greece, Domes Resorts announced its newest opening, Domes Noruz Kassandra, marking the brand’s first outpost in Halkidiki in northern Greece, a region known for its peninsulas and sheltered bays. Set to open in April, Domes Noruz Kassandra is located in the Kassandra peninsula. Deemed a “beach club with rooms,” guests will find 182 rooms and suites and a swimming pool just steps away from the beach, where one can find the beach club and bar.
Greece-based Ikos Resorts has debuted its new brand identity and website. The new branding exercise is just a part of a host of new changes for Ikos in 2023, which included the openings of Ikos Odisia on May 19 on Corfu and Ikos Porto Petro opening its doors on June 16 in one of Mallorca’s best-preserved sites. In addition, Ikos Andalusia reopens this year with extensive enhancements, including an upgraded deluxe collection area, new dining venues, pool and kids’ clubs.
Lastly, Onefinestay has launched its latest collection of homes in Provence, France. The collection offers a range of fully furnished villas with 24-hour concierge service, a guest and homeowner relations team, and the opportunity to add any additional services guests would like—including everything from housekeeping to private chefs, vineyard tours or childcare.
The Caribbean’s Resurgence
The outlook for Caribbean travel and tourism is favorable despite global pressures such as high inflation, the war in Ukraine, the ensuing energy crisis and an impending economic recession, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).
Looking at 2022, the Caribbean had one of the quickest recovery rates globally, with 28.3 million registered tourist visits—representing 88.6 percent of the visitors who arrived in 2019, which served as the baseline year for typical tourism activity before the pandemic. When looking at just the U.S., 3.2 million more visitors arrived to the Caribbean than in 2021. Overall, it is estimated that visitors to the Caribbean region spent between $36.5 and $37.5 billion in 2022, an increase of 70 to 75 percent compared to 2021.
As for 2023,i t is expected that arrivals to the region will increase by between 10 and 15 percent when compared to 2022, with 31.2 to 32.6 million tourists visiting the region this year.
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