It seems like we’ve all learned a lesson: no matter what’s going on in the world, the best thing to focus on is where we are. Therefore, in 2025, travelers invest in themselves, launch transformation processes, and make informed choices. In this article we will talk about global trends 2025 in the travel industry.
Transformational journeys
It is often said that travel is a form of escapism. But, as modern trends show, this is, rather, a way to escape not from, but into another reality, where you can try on different roles – outside of other people’s expectations and habitual ideas about yourself that have developed over the years.
Thus, 68% of Booking.com study participants believe that when traveling they become the best version of themselves: they get rid of internal inhibitions, allow themselves to exhibit atypical behavior and “walk” their alter egos for the purpose of self-exploration. In this sense, an unfamiliar environment is a safe space. Here you don’t need to meet other people’s expectations and no one will ask: “What’s wrong with you?”
Therefore, 62% of travelers would be happy to take advantage of such anonymity to look at themselves from a different perspective.
We can say that traveling will become a creative act in relation to one’s personality: what else can I be? However, it is not necessary to go that deep. 42% of tourists want a simple human thing: to rent a car much more luxurious than at home, and to feel like it.
The digital detox trend is still relevant. The idea of disconnecting from the Internet may seem redundant, but experienced tourists assure that a reduced information background will help you enjoy the moment, making the trip deeper and more conscious.
And so that you feel confident and calm anywhere in the world, colleagues from the Digital Ocean magazine have collected the top 7 best offline maps on their portal. They will become your reliable companion, no matter what jungle you go to – stone or tropical.
Wellness to a new level
Health trips and wellness retreats will continue to be popular in 2025. Only now sophisticated tourists expect holistic approach priority of the whole over its parts, which will cover everything from physical well-being and organic nutrition to emotional well-being and reconnecting with nature.
Travelers seek new meanings, heal traumas, change the way they think, and practice self-care consciously. Instead of recovering from burnout, they prefer preventative measures: scheduling quality rest into their schedules in advance. For this, of course, lying on a sun lounger or going to the spa is not enough.
It is important to reconnect the body, mind, emotions and create positive changes in everyday life. For example, learn to sleep properly. No joke: the increasingly popular sleep tourism provides ideal conditions for deep sleep and helps develop the necessary habits based on specially designed programs.
Also in 2025, the word “longevity” will be used frequently in the wellness tourism niche. Yes, it turned out that I would like to live not only healthy, but also long. Choose the appropriate methods: try out advanced biohacking techniques, try ice baths, or directly learn from the experience of residents “blue zone”Regions where people live significantly longer than the statistical average.
They told us what adventure tourism is, why you should try it and what you should be prepared for.
Astrotourism
The starry sky deserves to be trendy like nothing else. And, fortunately, people began to look up more often. This is evidenced by the growing demand for astrotourism – travel to observe the stars, planets and astronomical phenomena. This requires certain conditions: location, suitable weather, minimal level of light pollution.
The International Dark Sky Association even compiles annual rankings of the darkest places – ideal for stargazing amateur astronomy, literally “stargazing.”. So while we share the same sky, factors combine to create a unique experience depending on where you stargaze.
Fans of astrotourism literally collect different pictures of the night sky and travel thousands of kilometers to, for example, personally see a solar eclipse or the northern lights.
By the way, according to scientists’ forecasts, 2025 will be rich in bright astronomical events. And to understand what you are looking at, you can install special applications that will help you navigate celestial objects, study constellations, or track the position of the ISS.
We wrote about where you can see the northern lights in Russia and how to prepare for your trip to increase your chances of meeting them.
Where it’s not hot
Sunny holidays are great, of course, but the sweltering temperatures of recent years have little to do with relaxation. Therefore, travelers often look towards cooler destinations, especially in the summer.
56% of Booking.com respondents want to take a vacation to escape the heat in a more comfortable location. This trend is also associated with the demand for travel in the off-season – this way you can avoid not only high temperatures, but also crowds of tourists, and also save a lot of money. At the same time, 75% of study participants note that proximity to water is important for them – it helps to relax and relieve stress.
Fortunately, instead of the southern beaches, you can choose a secluded retreat in the forest, on the shore of a picturesque lake. By the way, this trend also inspires adventure. For example, in the mountains you will not only enjoy pleasant temperatures, but also various opportunities for active recreation: hiking to waterfalls, river rafting, or riding ATVs and snowmobiles.
Attractive suspense
The idea of flexible scheduling, which emerged as a necessary measure during the pandemic, has appealed to travelers around the world. In recent years, we have all experienced that the desire to control every minute is obviously a losing proposition. And the absence of a clear plan reduces the level of anxiety and can generally become an interesting adventure.
So, today tourists (with improved acceptance skills, of course) are ready to trust the unknown. 52% of Booking.com survey participants are ready to book a surprise trip – when even the destination remains a mystery until the last moment. Boldly? Yes. Tempting? Yes too. And in general, as the trend shows, the riskier the better.
Also, 56% of survey participants are specifically looking for unknown and atypical destinations, and 34% want to travel with strangers. The main motivation is to experience something radically different, unpredictable. 55% are ready to go on a trip without a plan at all.
This style makes it possible to synchronize with your true feelings in the moment: instead of completing the program no matter what, you can more consciously and fully live the experience that resonates with you right now. Meanwhile, neural networks will become an accessible assistant in your spontaneous planning. 48% of travelers are already ready to entrust route planning to artificial intelligence.
You can come up with a trip yourself to give to your loved ones. We will organize.
Gastronomic impressions
The key word for gastrotourism in 2025 is authenticity. Gourmet travelers will explore the cultures of different nations through traditional cuisine. They are driven by the researcher’s interest: how certain dishes and ingredients became part of the cultural code and national identity.
More than half of travelers would like to learn about the origin and history of already familiar dishes. 81% of Booking.com respondents want to make culinary discoveries and try indigenous cuisines. Yes, such experiments are not always pleasant for the taste buds. However, they shouldn’t – the point here is to expand your gastronomic horizons. In addition, 78% of tourists purposefully seek unexpected taste experiences.
People are interested in experiencing local cuisine first-hand: for example, in small family restaurants that use exclusively local products.
Condé Nast Traveler also predicts the rise in popularity of wild eating. This could be a restaurant or outdoor catering, in a picturesque natural location, where guests independently pick berries and plants for future dishes.
Check out our collection of gastronomic tours: from the Baltic to Kamchatka.
Conscious travel
It is clear that sustainable development must become a way of life, and not just a fashion statement. For this reason, eco-accommodation facilities should think about how to combine concern for the environment with stylish design and comfort.
Booking.com data shows that 53% of tourists prefer hotels that implement sustainable innovations. However, fewer and fewer people are willing to compromise on aesthetics and amenities.
Travel enthusiasts also want to contribute to conservation. In contrast to mass tourism, there is a growing demand for lesser-known destinations and support for local communities. Many travelers are focused on conscious interaction with the environment and introducing eco-initiatives into everyday life.
According to Booking.com, 51% of respondents are ready to learn from communities that follow the principles of self-sufficiency. And Condé Nast Traveler pays attention to eco-trends among divers: they are ready to combine diving with activities to protect marine ecosystems and therefore choose centers committed to the ideas of sustainable development.
Explore our special collection of animal-watching trips in the wild. Many tours take place in protected areas.
Traveling with a large group
While many people prefer to vacation alone, a significant portion of tourists still support the post-pandemic trend of organizing trips to spend quality time with loved ones. Despite the fact that Covid restrictions are in the past, we realized that we need to appreciate the moments spent together with people dear to us.
Of course, traveling together is a great way to unite and create priceless memories. That’s why travelers rent villas for large family getaways, or book an entire floor of a hotel with a group of friends, or go on cruises and wine tasting tours. However, if you don’t have that many friends or you need a vacation not with your relatives, but rather away from them, you can try traveling with a group of like-minded people.
When you share common interests—art, food, music festivals, sports, for example—vacation is especially inspiring. This also includes trips with colleagues, with whom you, of course, share a love for work.
Train travel
The world is rediscovering the romance of trains. According to Euromonitor International, rail transport will be the fastest growing travel category in 2025. This rather surprising trend is due to the fact that tourists are increasingly choosing the most environmentally friendly mode of transport whenever possible. Moreover, modern trains have all the necessary conditions for comfortable travel.
Fans of authentic travel will agree that this is also a unique space for getting to know local culture. A truly immersive experience. If having intimate conversations with your compartment neighbors is not your thing, you can spend hours looking out the window at changing pictures of hot tea in a branded mug.
Many routes cover truly spectacular and varied views. And railway cruises with an excursion program and a specially designed menu are a non-trivial adventure that will leave a lot of impressions.
A way to strengthen relationships
The global focus on transformation also extends to interpersonal relationships. More precisely, their quality. Booking.com notes that 24% of tourists intend to use travel as a psychological tool that will help strengthen their relationship with their partner. Yes, this is not a new, but consistently effective way to get out of the everyday routine and deepen the emotional connection in a couple.
Interestingly, those for whom such methods did not work also plan to take advantage of the therapeutic effect of travel, but for other purposes: 35% want to recover after a breakup, 39% are not against devoting time to finding a new ideal match.
Meanwhile, the majority (59%) still choose solo travel, and, by the way, this includes tourists with children. If such an act seems pleasant to you, but selfish, remember that it also has a beneficial effect on the psychological atmosphere in the family – after all, what could be better than a rested and full of energy parent?