Travel trends in 2025

1. Sustainable tourism

Sustainable tourism has been a big trend in 2024 and this will continue into 2025. Today’s tourists are conscious of the impact their travels have on the planet: 69% of travellers are actively seeking sustainable travel options, according to a report from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Trip.com Group.

Contrary to what we may believe, the natural world needs tourism – or rather, the cash that tourism brings. The answer lies in how sustainable we can make the future of travel – and how the travel industry can create positive change in the regions they operate in.

This is easier said than done, but focusing on slow, conscious and purposeful travel is a good place to start.

Of course, a lot of travel starts and ends with flying – and there’s no getting away from the fact that 80% of a holiday’s carbon footprint comes from the flight. Carbon offsetting is a step in the right direction, but it isn’t the solution. Real change can only come from the industry. In 2021, sustainable aviation fuel still amounted to less than 0.1% of global aircraft fuel, and electric aircraft are still a long way off.

2. Personalised and luxury travel

Personalised and luxury travel both continue to exhibit resilience, outperforming the broader travel sector. Luxury hotels saw a 24% increase in 2022–23, and demand is expected to keep growing. Consumers are prioritising experience over cost, with 79% of Millennials and Gen Zers caring more about the right travel experience than about the cost of the trip. This prioritisation is seen in the desire to unlock authentic, intimate and unique memories from tailor-made journeys. Personalised experiences can include custom itineraries, culture immersion, guided tours from locals, or unique adventures based on specific interests or hobbies.

These trends deliver an unforgettable trip driven by individual tastes and foster meaningful connections with the destination’s culture, people and traditions.

3. Multigenerational travel

Blue Cross revealed that “reconnecting with friends and family” was found to be the primary motivation for leisure travel. This trend towards multigenerational travel stems from the pandemic's global isolation requirements.

Families want to make memories together, so brands must consider providing experiences that cater to all ages.

Because of the ageing population, older generations are healthier and, therefore, more able to “keep up” with their grandchildren. Active play and outdoor activities are now crucial to holidaymakers, with a shift towards activities for older children too.

Brands must cater to these consumer needs with larger accommodations, such as villas. Families live farther apart than ever before, so most believe it is important to take a multigenerational trip.

4. Bleisure travel

The importance of a work–life balance is fuelling the rise of bleisure – a trend where business and leisure travel intersect.

Increasingly, corporate travellers are capitalising on work-related stays, extending their trips and indulging in local culture and recreational activities. This convergence of business and pleasure is gaining popularity, as it enhances productivity while also contributing to a healthy work–life balance. In the UK, 45% of survey participants said they intended to add a leisure element to business trips in the future.

Time-poor professionals need flexible stays, as 17% of bleisure trips last four nights or more; 31% are three nights long; 39% are for two nights; and just 12% of bleisure travellers are away for only one night.

5. The passenger pioneer

Tired of overcrowded and commercialised destinations, travellers are interested in lesser-known locations and off-season travel. These locations provide consumers with authentic, meaningful experiences, building a deeper connection with the places they visit. Brands should suggest alternatives to popular locations, with local guides to add authenticity.

Explorers can be expected to become more common among consumers; however, off-beat locations will constantly change. As soon as they become popular, destinations will start to lose their shiny-and-new appeal. Companies must stay well informed on consumer attitudes to benefit from them. Keeping an eye on even more unusual locations, the Arctic specifically has seen a 235% rise in demand from 2022–23!

6. Set-jetting

The pandemic saw a rise in streaming services used to escape normality. Now, consumers look to experience these destinations themselves. According to research commissioned by Expedia, “movies and streaming shows are now the top inspiration for travel”. Two-thirds of travellers have considered this and 39% have booked trips to movie-inspired destinations – but where are they going?

Warner Bros’ Game of Thrones contributed more than $200m to Croatia’s economy. Similarly, The White Lotus led to a spike in web traffic and bookings for its filming location, Four Seasons’ San Domenico Palace in Taormina. Locally in the UK, the search volume for Ted Lasso and Happy Valley has doubled in their respective locations! Companies offering TV and film-related experiences in these locations can continue to expect success for the remainder of 2024 and into 2025.

Linney: your number one destination

This year has been a strong one for travel, and it’s poised to continue to grow through 2024 and into 2025. If you would like to discuss how Linney can help you achieve world-class marketing for your travel business, get in touch today.