The Year That Was: Travel in 2023!

At the end of each year, we get to use our bookings data to compile a lot of interesting numbers: how many travellers toured with our guides? Which tours were the most popular? What were the hottest destinations? How will next year be different? Of course this sort of data helps us plan for the coming year, but it also creates some fun trivia we like to share! And so, we present:

ToursByLocals Travel Trivia: 2023 Edition

How many people went on tour in 2023?

The pace of travel maintained its post-pandemic momentum, and we sent approximately 450,000 travellers on tour this year. And we had a HUGE moment in May, when we reached a milestone 2 million total travellers served since launch!) We love how many people have discovered the joy that comes with spending time with a local guide on your travels.

How many brand new tours were created in 2023?

The guides on ToursByLocals created 6521 brand new tour itineraries in 2023 in 871 different cities. From cruising in a private boat up the Tigre Delta in Argentina to enjoying a gluten-free food tour in Hanoi, Vietnam, that’s a whole lot of exploring for you to do!

What percentage of tours were one-of-a-kind, customized tours?

Did you know you can do that? While we have over 30,000 tour itineraries already created and ready to book on ToursByLocals, you can also tweak any of them or design your own! Just message any guide in advance and they’ll customize an itinerary to make it perfect for you. (And the answer is 25.4%!)

Which guide gave the most tours in 2023?

This is a pretty impressive category to lead. It means a lot of hours spent on foot, and also a lot of hours talking! By the end of the year, guides are definitely ready for a well-earned rest.Since he started with ToursByLocals in 2013, Madrid tour guide and last year’s runner-up Pepe has led over 1300 tours! He blasted into first place this year, leading an incredible 300 groups of travellers in 2023, the most we’ve ever seen. Clearly there is no “low season” for Pepe! He specializes in Jewish Madrid, day trips to Toledo and “doing Madrid like a local”. As one recent traveller shared: “This tour guide is an amazing gift. Pepe’s passion for teaching the history of Toledo and its connection with a number of historical and current events made our time with him very special. His energy cannot be surpassed. He made us comfortable both physically and emotionally while helping us explore the region. Thank you!!”Athenian guide Panos has been with ToursByLocals for over 5 years, wowing guests with the perfect balance of in-depth knowledge of all things Greek, and a natural charisma that leaves guests wishing they had more time to spend with him. And this year, he was runner up for most tours delivered! Here are some glowing words from a recent traveller: “Panos was very simply amazing. We would rate this tour a 10 out of 5 if we could. His knowledge of both ancient Greek myths and history was matched by his knowledge of the archeological sites. He went above and beyond to maximize our time, navigated the crowd at the Acropolis and he did this 6 hour tour with a witty humorous banter that left us wanting another day. You really can't book a better guide!”

Which country sold the most tours in 2023?

Travel continued to boom in 2023, still riding the wave of pent up demand from those lost pandemic years. But this year, Europe wasn’t the only big winner; we saw travellers returning in big numbers to Asia, Australia and South America too.

ToursByLocals has tours in 180 different countries. Who was the big winner this year?

The top-selling country overall was perennial favourite Italy By now, we have a feeling this nation might be a permanent fixture in the top spot!The runners up? First off is sunny Spain.Japan, which was one of the last countries to re-open its borders after the pandemic, burst back into the top 3 this year. We wouldn’t be surprised to see it climb even higher next year.

What attractions were in the most demand in 2023?

Heavy hitters like the Acropolis, The Louvre, and the Colosseum were in high demand, sometimes to the point of challenges in gaining admission. Local guides had to be on their game to secure tickets, as traveller numbers in Europe surged this summer. Also extremely popular were Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal, and the Alhambra in southern Spain. Admission to view The Last Supper, on display at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, needed to be secured months in advance, and the Rijksmuseum’s exclusive Vermeer exhibit was an extremely hot ticket early in the year.

Which city sold the most tours in 2023?

The most popular city to book a tour in 2023 was Rome. It bumped Paris from the top spot in the second half of the year.Rome was followed closely by Paris, also no surprise. These two are always heavy hitters.And the third city? Tokyo! We were thrilled to see travel energetically returning to Japan this year.Between those three cities you can find over 240 amazing tour guides on the ToursByLocals platform!

What were the top-selling non-European destination?

Where were people going if they weren’t headed to Europe or Japan? Our three top-selling non-European destinations were Mexico.The United States...…and Canada!

Looking ahead...

We don’t see travel to Europe slowing down anytime soon, but after two summers in a row of blistering mid-summer heat, we anticipate the high season might extend deeper into spring and fall, as travellers seek more moderate temperatures in months like April, May and October. We’re also expecting this to be a big year for taking “bucket list” type-trips, like cruises to Antarctica, safaris in Kenya, and other long-haul, once in a lifetime destinations. We can’t wait to see where you’re all going next.