Winter holidays are approaching faster than most of us are probably ready for. It feels like May was only yesterday, but somehow it’s already time to start thinking about Christmas presents. This year, the data is suggesting that most people aren’t looking for physical gifts-most people are looking to receive experiences like trips and concert tickets.
Whether you’re looking for ideas to gift a travel experience or for your own escape, new data shared with Thrillist from Chase Travel provided fresh insights on some of the most popular destinations for the 2023 holiday travel season. Check out these international destinations below with the highest year-over-year growth in holiday travel demand for 2023, for your own travel inspiration.
Christchurch, New Zealand (+224%)
El Calafate, Argentina (+132%)
Chiang Mai, Thailand (+104%)
Vienna, Austria (+72%)
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (+63%)
Additionally, a few cities in China and Japan have both been marked as top winter destinations, especially after being closed to travelers in recent years. Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai are the most popular cities in China, and Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo are the most popular cities in Japan.
Beyond international cities, another type of travel has emerged as a top trend for winter 2023. To no one’s surprise, travelers are trying to escape cold weather in exchange for warm and sunny beach destinations. The following are the most popular beach getaways based on year-over-year growth in demand for the upcoming winter season, according to Chase:
Opheli Garcia Lawler is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Journalism from NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She’s worked in digital media for seven years, and before working at Thrillist, she wrote for Mic, The Cut, The Fader, Vice, and other publications. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.
Mexican restaurant chain Mad Mex has dropped a new protein, and it’s one of the most popular street foods in Mexico.
Enter, Chicken Al Pastor. It’s traditionally made with pork and grilled on a spinning rotisserie with a pineapple sitting a top, but Mad Mex has put its own spin on it, serving chicken bathed in an Al Pastor marinade with a touch of juicy pineapple.
You can order the protein-packed filling in your favourite burrito, bowl, quesadilla, nachos, or in a taco.
As always, these things are here for a good time, not a long time. Pop into your local Mad Mex restaurant, order delivery or through the Mad Mex app today.
