Revealed: The hottest travel destinations for Americans in 2023 (2024)

It’s a whole wide world out there, but these four places are trending into the new year.

As we shift into the end of year, our thoughts naturally turn to travel in the new year. Part of getting through the doldrums of winter is daydreaming about the exciting trips to come. Once we clear away gray clouds or mud-flecked snow, we're ready to hit the airport. The luxury travel company Red Savannah has compiled a list of travel trends for 2023, including the top four destinations.

First, let’s cover those trends. ‘Skip Gen Travel’ is a term covering grandparents taking grandchildren on trips, which allows them to bond – and for parents to get some much-needed alone time. This sweet way to spend time with elders (and with youngers) is gaining momentum in 2023. Additionally, one-on-one family travel is becoming popular. This means one parent takes one child (hopefully rotating to capture everybody at some point during the year) on a special trip, so the two can give full attention to each other.

More people are trying to do hands-on sustainable travel, which means they may be traveling in lesser-known areas to reduce impact and spend tourism dollars at mom-and-pop restaurants and small hotels rather than at chains. These travelers are also trying to avoid the use of single-use plastics during the trip. Two sports trends we are seeing in travel are e-biking, which lets you travel farther without exhaustive pedaling, and wild swimming, where you jump into natural rivers, lakes and oceans to connect with nature for physical and mental benefits. Forget that chlorinated pool! Finally, elevated concierge services, where travelers consult someone else to help do the planning, is on the rise.

Given those trends, where are Americans looking to go in 2023?

Egypt

The much-anticipated opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza Plateau near the Great Pyramids in Cairomay happen this year, and for sure in 2023. That means savvy travelers are booking their trips to be some of the first to see this first-ever gathering of all the Tutankhamen artifacts in one facility built expressly for that purpose. There will be over 100,000 artifacts on display and show-stopping architecture (such as the incredible atrium with upright statue of Ramses II pictured above—the building was constructed around the colossus). But Egypt is worth visiting even without this new facility: try the magnificent sights of Cairo, board a felucca to travel down the Nile, and see Karnak Temple in Luxor and across the Nile, the Valley of the Kings.

Paris

Paris is always at the top of many travel lists, and with good reason. New in 2023 is the chance to visit The Hôtel de la Marine on Place de la Concorde (yep, close to the site of the guillotine, marked by the obelisk), opened to the public for the first time since the French Revolution. For 226 years, the navy ministry has occupied the space and only departed in 2015. If you visited Paris in recent years, you’ve seen this structure behind orange fencing. Now, you can go in! It’s as fancy (almost) as Versailles and doesn’t require you to leave the city. Another fresh opportunity is the Pinault Collection of art at the Bourse de Commerce, which opened in May 2021 with more than 5,000 modern pieces.

Bhutan

Walk or cycle the Trans-Bhutan Trail, a not-for profit social and tourism enterprise that restored the trail used for hundreds of years by pilgrims, traders, messengers and soldiers. After closing in the 1960s, it reopened this year and provides the chance to walk for 28 days through 250 miles, 400 cultural sites and 10,000 stairs. It has spectacular views of the Himalayan Kingdom and its cultural heritage along the trail, including the Tiger’s Nest monastery pictured here. Plus? Bhutan is the world’s only carbon negative country. As should be the case, 100 percent of profits go back into the trail and the communities who live along it. Beware, however, of a heavy daily tax.

Sicily

This gorgeous Mediterranean island off the tip of Italy’s boot offers vineyards, beaches, temple ruins, mosaic masterpieces and of course: culinary feats (cannoli, anyone?). But please do not bring your Godfather references; that practice was banned in Catania last year! Instead, drop by one of Sicily’s six UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, where thousands of 13th to 7th century BCE tombs are cut into the rockface, or the very volcanic Mount Etna. Many people say Palermo is one of the cities you must visit in your lifetime: there, we said it, too.

• Erika Mailman
  Writer

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