Top Trending Destinations Travellers are Booking this Festive Period
At a glance
- London ranks as the top searched destination globally for festive travel, with Paris and Amsterdam following closely behind.
- 66% of British respondents report that travelling will always be worth it, according to Booking.com's Travel Predictions 2023 research.
- Search data covers the final two weeks of October 2022, tracking bookings for Christmas and New Year periods across 32 countries.
- Marrakesh emerges as a popular warm-weather alternative for travellers seeking Christmas sun rather than traditional winter markets.
What the report covers
Booking.com analysed search behaviour and booking trends for festive travel during the 2022–2023 season. The analysis identifies top destination searches globally and by UK travellers, drawing on searches from October 2022 for stays between 23 December 2022 and 1 January 2023. Data also incorporates findings from a 24,179-respondent survey across 32 countries conducted for Booking.com's Travel Predictions 2023 research, exploring traveller attitudes toward holiday travel.
Key findings
London emerged as the most-searched festive destination globally, according to Booking.com's analysis of search sessions in late October 2022 for Christmas and New Year stays. The report highlights London's appeal through its Christmas markets, festive lighting on Oxford Street, and winter entertainment venues including ice rinks at Somerset House and Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland.
Among UK travellers specifically, Paris ranked as the top searched destination for the festive season, followed by Amsterdam. The report attributes Paris's appeal to sparkling seasonal decorations, Christmas markets, roasted chestnut vendors, and festive concerts held in historic churches during the period.
Amsterdam's festive appeal centres on glistening Christmas lights, tall decorated trees, and brightly coloured baubles throughout December. The report notes that Christmas markets offer traditional festive food, glühwein, and oliebollen (Dutch doughnuts), creating an immersive seasonal atmosphere.
Marrakesh was identified as a notable destination choice for travellers seeking warmth and Christmas sun rather than cold weather experiences. The report describes Marrakesh as featuring extravagant lights in shopping malls, festive hotel experiences with entertainment and culinary offerings, distinguishing it from European city-break alternatives.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| British respondents reporting travel will always be worth it | 66% |
| Total survey respondents across 32 countries and territories | 24,179 |
| Discount offered on participating 2023 accommodation globally | at least 30% |
| Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech guest rooms, suites and villas | 134 |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
Understanding which destinations rank highest in search demand during peak festive periods informs marketing budgets, campaign timing, and competitive positioning. London's global dominance and Paris/Amsterdam's strength among UK travellers signal where destination marketing organisations should concentrate promotional efforts and festive programming to capture seasonal bookings.
Hotels & hospitality
The report identifies festive season as a strong booking period, with specific appeal drivers—Christmas markets, winter entertainment, seasonal dining, and warm-weather alternatives—that properties can leverage in positioning and programming. Knowing which destinations attract which nationalities helps hotels align inventory management, staffing, and festive experience design with expected demand.
Travel tech & distribution
Search behaviour data reveals peak booking windows and destination preferences, enabling metasearch and distribution platforms to optimise bidding strategies, content ranking, and personalisation algorithms. The shift toward both traditional festive city breaks and warm-weather alternatives suggests opportunity to segment and target marketing by climate preference and experience type.
Methodology and limits
Data derives from two sources: Booking.com's search analytics tracking destination searches during 17–30 October 2022 for check-in dates 23 December 2022 – 1 January 2023, compared year-on-year with October 2021 searches; and the Travel Predictions 2023 research, an online survey of 24,179 respondents across 32 countries. Respondent samples ranged from 500 to 1,010 per country. The brief is based on the publicly available summary only; the full methodology report is not provided.
Official source
The report is © Booking.com. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
Check the official statistics on Pulse
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