Trends in tourism 2023

1. NEW IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

In an era where digital technology is becoming ever more important, immersive, virtual, or augmented reality experiences are demonstrating their potential and are becoming increasingly popular tools for access to training, discovery and travel. They are also attracting a young public, who only see the world around them through the prism of images. They have been flourishing in Paris, since the pioneering Flyview or Virtual Room to the more recent Éternelle Notre-Dame and Jam Capsule

2. NEW MEANS OF GETTING AROUND FOR TOURISTS

Sustainable development is no longer an option and energy saving policies, announced at the end of 2022, make it an absolute priority for the future. The tourism sector, due to its impact on the planet, must quickly adapt and propose practical solutions such as the optimization of travel and the integration of sustainable transport.

The city has been working for a number of years to meet the challenge by developing environmentally friendly means of transport, where cycling is at the forefront, with more than 1,000 km of new bike lanes. Moreover, Paris has received the prestigious ‘Prix du Transport Durable 2023’ (Sustainable Transport Award -STA-) for its innovations in the development of cycling infrastructures and the reclaiming of areas devoted to private cars.

3. THE HOSTING OF MAJOR SPORTING AND HERITAGE EVENTS

The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris will be the opportunity to showcase the city in a new way. These major events also raise new questions that are becoming more prominent concerning: the quality of the reception of the public, accessibility, safety, and especially heritage - an issue that is increasingly present in the event industry.

7 YEARS OF TRENDS: TIME FOR A REVIEW?

After 7 years of trend books, this is also an opportunity to look back at the predictions of previous years and see which trends have proven to be lasting developments, and which have never lived up to their promises. Time for a review!

Identifying a trend entails deciphering a world in motion. This is all the more difficult in the tourism sector as trends are a result of technological and economic advances and human tastes and aspirations. They are subject to the influence of fashions, the vagaries of developments, and even revolutions … Covid is a perfect example of the unpredictability of circumstances.

Trends that have become established

Some trends identified over the course of these last 6 years have proved to be of structural importance for the tourism sector. Grouping them into general trends, we can mention:

• Sustainable development with more local and responsible tourism;
• The circular and collaborative economy aims to preserve resources and the environment by reducing waste and food wastage;
• UX or user experience, with digital innovations for the end user, in line with the notion of personalization of experiences;
• Disintermediation, which puts into question traditional economic models;
• The smart hotel, an intelligent hotel that offers new experiences to customers through technology leading to a profound transformation of traditional accommodation;
• The use of data and artificial intelligence, which provide tourism professionals with a new analysis and improves the customer experience.

Popular countertrends

Countertrends have also been duly imagined: for example, the notion of ‘disconnection’ as a response to the ‘smart hotel’ and the ‘all connected’; or ‘revengetravel’, a countertrend to local and responsible tourism.

Trends which in the end did not take off

On the other hand, some trends did not live up to their promises:

• The anticipated widespread use of robots has not happened
• Smart glass / Google glass and IoT (Internet of Things), have not yet developed (technological constraints);
• Or some technologies that are not widely used in tourism such as drones, holograms, and 3D printers.

See you again next year for a new overview and analysis!