Five new trends that will completely change the way we travel in 2023
Updated: Dec 8, 2022
For better or worse, the travel landscape has looked a lot different these last few years. As one day melted into the next, we lost our ability to properly mark occasions, athleisure had become the height of fashion, and being able to take a real vacation was still a moving target for most of us. And that has affected the way we travel. It’s been exhausting to keep up with everchanging entry requirements, which destinations have closed or reopened their borders overnight, airline delays or cancellations and don’t get me started on the summer of lost luggage.
But one fact has remained the same; our love for getting the heck out of Dodge is stronger than ever. But the world has changed, we have changed, and travel is changing right along with us. We want to celebrate again, to have reasons to get all gussied up and feel like we’re actually living, not just alive. We want to connect with people, to hear their stories and share ours; we want to learn something, to feel something, to be reacquainted with the riches of humanity. So here are five trends that are giving us just that, and they’re changing the way we travel in 2023.
1. Curated Experiences
Welcome to the next chapter of hospitality. Gone are the days of traditional bed and breakfast owners; hosts are now realizing they can provide their guests with a lot more than just a clean place to lay their heads. Loureé and Niccolò Pieranni are the owners of the beautiful Borgo di Sotto B&B in Montefollonico, Italy. There’s a pretty good chance you’ve never heard of it, but that doesn’t mean the magic of a little-known medieval village in the heart of Tuscany isn’t beyond your wildest dreams. That’s exactly why you’ll want to visit. It means you’ll enjoy a slice of unspoiled Italy, devoid of the tour buses and crowds. So how do you entice visitors to a more obscure location, when you’re competing with well-known Florence and Siena? You leverage your expertise and relationships to offer guests experiences they could never deliver for themselves. This is not just about where to get the best gelato, friends; Celestiale in collaboration with Imaginaria Events, is a week-long feasting and foraging experience under the saffron skies of Autumn in Tuscany. And each discerning activity has been hand selected on your behalf.
Anybody can visit Italy and see the highlights, but not just anyone can introduce you to Adriano, the truffle hunter who will lead you through the woodlands with his pair of rambunctious Lagotti Romagnoli, seeking the world’s most glamorous mushroom (don’t come for me, it was a joke). Not just anyone can take those truffles and use them in a private pasta-making session with Nicco, a Montefollonico native, who will teach you a cherished family recipe passed down from his Mamma, Babbo, and Nonna. Your days will be spent sipping and socializing your way through boutique wineries, visiting organic bee and flower farms, tasting wildflower honey and artisanal cheeses, wandering ancient castle grounds and enjoying farm-to-table cooking classes. And your nights, well…let’s just say they will be nothing short of enchanting. You’ll indulge in moonlight soaks in thermal waters, candlelit food and wine pairings under the stars, and a private dining experience in a Tuscan castle, all before heading back to your lovingly restored 12th century accommodations.