If you build it they will come: the five travel trends that will define traveler behaviour in 2025
Travel - like culture - is an ever-changing reflection of the times we live in. As the seasons change and new memes and reels churn through our smartphones, new travel trends emerge alongsidehit pop tunes I’ve never heard of, dance moves I wouldn’t even attempt, and fashion trends I don’t quiteget. (Can someone explain to me what happenedto James Bond?
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Your closest Gen Z kid is better placed to help you spot the next Chappelle Roan before they emerge from obscurity, but when it comes to travel, no one has a better view than Amadeus. We’re all about collaborating with the best and brightest to create a traveler-centric ecosystem that puts people first, and the only way to do that is to know what travelers want. Fortunately, our position at the heart of the travel ecosystem gives us an unparalleled view into the future of travel.
This year like every year, we’ve combined our latest propriety data, with industry-leading insight, and expert analysis from across the world to anticipate the top five travel trends that will shape traveler behaviour in 2025.
So where are travelers headed in next year and what’s attracting them there? Here’s a sneak peak.
New Heydays
It seems popular culture is hung up in the 90s. Green Day, Blink 182, Oasis and soon Eminem: these are just some of the hit 90s musicians that areback on tour . In both Hollywood and Bollywood fans are flocking to watch reruns or remakes of older movies, and all over the world, street style is serving a heavy dose of90s nostalgia . It seems people are yearning for familiar music, films and fashion from simpler times, and travel is no different. As Millennials enter middle age, holiday companies are reporting that this nostalgic demographic is seeking to relive the holidays of their youth, this time with their kids in tow. Saavy hotels are already picking up on the trend: new lodgings on Brownsea Island have been attracting families from the UK with fond memories of Enid Blyton’s 1960’s Five Have a Mystery to Solve book. Meanwhile in the US, AirBnB launched a Polly Pocket-themed home rental to “take guests right back to their childhoods.” Nostalgia is on everyone’s mind: travel companies take note.
Learn moreabout this trend .
Personalized Flying
There is something sort of cute about timing your in-flight entertainment so you can start your movie at the same time as your travel partner—even though it’s a movie that you never really wanted to watch in the first place. Wouldn’t it be better if your in-flight entertainment options were as personalised as your favourite streaming service back home? Airlines are upping the ante by combining algorithmic entertainment with hyper-personalized in-flight systems that deliver fresh content – from movies and TV series to adverts and things to buy –that are tailored to the individual flyer based on their historic preferences.
Delta Air Lines is turning seat-back screens into smart TVs by remembering where users left off in a movie or favorite TV show for SkyMiles members. Airlines may even begin handing out VR headsets to passengers in first and business class. The only downside is, when you’ve got unlimited entertainment options at your fingertips, you may be less tempted to watch the same thing as your seatmate.
Learn more about this trend .
Trailblazer Hotels
Historically, one would pick their destination and then find a place to stay, but a select few eye-catching hotels are flipping travel on its head by becoming the reason to travel. Melides in Portugal wasn’t a big destination until Christian Louboutin put this small town on the map withVermelho : his exquisitely crafted and unique 13-room designer hotel. Since then, many more unique properties have popped up around the world, luring travelers with their exclusive, intimate and Instagram worthy décor and surroundings: Les Lumières in Versailles, Jannah Lamu in Kenya, Arev St Tropez, Maryhill Estate in Sweden, and Anandes Hotel in Mykonos – all opened in 2024. Even big-named hotel chains are hoping on the bandwagon, with their own branded collections of independent properties: Hilton recently announced it’s expanding its portfolio with the addition of nearly 400 small luxury hotels around the world. According toDataIntelo , the global Boutique Hotel Market was valued at US$99.7 billion in 2023 but is likely to reach US$179.7 billion by 2032.
Learn more about this trend .
Asia Uplift
Travel: it’s not justbig in Japan . Our latest travel data suggests the entire APAC region is about to enjoy a big resurgence in travel. Lured by weaker currencies, new luxury hotel offerings, easier visa requirements, and more flight options, foreign travelers will be flocking to Asia in 2025. Similarly, Asian travelers are ready to head to new horizons. Chinese travelers make up a huge percentage of tourism globally, but post-COVID most Chinese travelers were interested in domestic travel. Fortunately, it looks like the tides have finally turned and international Chinese tourism is set to return to pre-2019 levels in 2025. This trend isn’t a one-off: according to IATA, over the next 15 years, a growing middle-class in the Asia-Pacific region will be responsible for 50% of global air passenger growth.
Learn more about this trend .
Connections IRL (in real life)
Romance is in the air. With79% of Gen Z reporting that they’ve experienced dating app “burnout”, 2025 is the year singletons set their sights on new people and places by booking “Flights of Fancy” in hopes of experiencing their very own version of“Before Sunrise” . Even those looking for friends rather than lovers are turning to travel to make connections. The tour operator G Adventures recently launched Solo-ish Adventures for small groups with itineraries designed to “transform strangers into a close-knit crew”. Solo travelers are more open to connecting with others and experiencing new things, and those are two characteristics that can spark love or friendship, so those “Flights of Fancy” might just pay off. Learn more about this trend.
This is just a snapshot of each of our five travel trends for 2025. If you want to learn more and really dive into how each trend will impact the travel industry, click here to read our full report:https://amadeus.com/en/resources/research/travel-trends
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