Top travel trends for 2025, from reset retreats to soft adventures

Rediscovering slow travel and embracing wild beauty are also on the agenda this year

Travellers will increasingly seek out some of nature's greatest shows this year, industry insiders predict. Photo: Juan Maria Coy Vergara

Travel in 2025 will all be about seeking authentic experiences, reconnecting with a place and prioritising well-being. Experiential travel will continue to reign supreme, with holidaymakers seeking immersive cultural encounters and fun-filled adventures. Wellness tourism will endure, with the focus for the year on rejuvenating retreats.

Sustainability will be at the forefront of many travellers' minds no matter what type of trip they embark on. Hilton’s latest figures reveal that 80 per cent of travellers in the UAE seek communication from hotels about their sustainability programmes before they travel, driving demand for more eco-friendly options and responsible methods in hospitality.

More people are also embracing slow travel, opting for longer, more leisurely journeys or ditching the skies for rail tracks. Finally, technology will continue to advance with AI-enhancing travel experiences via personalised itineraries, pre-trip cost predictions and more.

Here are the 10 travel trends to know about in 2025.

1. Play travel

According to Bloomberg, 86 per cent of travellers prefer to travel for experience and culture, immersing themselves in their location. This stronger focus on immersive and experiential travel – the kind that aims to forge a deeper connection with a destination than can usually be had from traditional leisure holidays – is changing how people travel.

"Play tourism" as it's being called, is about taking trips that include adventures, sports, entertainment or cultural experiences. It's a trend that makes travel less about going to a specific place to make a statement about what they’ve seen or done, and instead about doing things that reflect who they are in an alternative destination. The trend is being driven largely by younger travellers who are seeking out play-type experiences as a means of connecting to a place and its people, according to a recent report from the Adventure Travel Trade Association.

While the trend has been rising in recent years in the luxury segment in 2025, it will be evolving into other demographics of travellers. The latest data from search marketing agency Vertical Leap found that holidaymakers seeking affordable travel are now also looking for elevated, impactful experiences involving an element of adventure, whether physical, cultural or spiritual.

2. A renaissance of rail

Slow, leisurely train travel is transforming the way people explore the world, as more travellers seek sustainable alternatives to flying. Train journeys are not just about transportation; they offer scenic routes, panoramic views and unique dining experiences, making the travel itself an integral part of the adventure.

Belmond, a company that runs experiential rail journeys on three continents, says this will be the year "to discover a new pace of travel, allowing for deeper connections with the destination".

The company will launch the Belmond Britannic Explorer, the first luxury sleeper train in England and Wales this year, as well as add to Royal Scotsman services with a new seven-night trip around Scotland, plus a new Grand Suite carriage. In Italy, it will launch L'Observatoire, the newest carriage on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, an art-centric sleeper carriage designed in collaboration with French photographer and street artist JR.

Private train journeys not only offer exclusive experiences and reduce travellers' carbon footprint, but the itineraries also tend to prioritise the journey over the destination, allowing passengers to explore as they travel. In Italy, La Dolce Vita Orient Express will do exactly that when it starts running in spring. The country's first luxury train has nine itineraries from coast to countryside, all while riding aboard a decadent 1960s-style train.

And in northern Europe, there will soon be a new train in Norway. The Norient Express will go between some of the Scandinavian country's most popular destinations through scenery that is considered some of the world's most beautiful. Travellers will whizz across the Nordic landscape with their famous fjords and glacier-filled peaks in cosy carriages designed with Nordic craftsmanship. The launch date for the train is set for 2026, but reservations are expected to open in 2025.

3. Reset retreats

Reset retreats are based on providing travellers with the opportunity and space to physically, mentally and energetically reset, seeing guests check out with renewed energy whilst getting the chance to take in some new locations.

In today's world of 24-hour connectivity and endless doom scrolling, it's not always easy to switch off. "Resting and recharging continue to be primary motivators to travel," said Simon Vincent, executive vice president and president of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Hilton.

Not only are travellers looking for places where they can digitally detox, but they're also seeking something completely different from their day-to-day routine as a way of resetting. Examples include an active trip in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, at the recently opened ZihFit, which offers shamans, sound healing and sweat lodges, or going into the wild in South Africa's Limpopo with a stay at Few and Far Luvhondo, where cliffside suites will soon offer a blend of relaxation and up-close encounters with the flora and fauna of the Soutpansberg Mountains of Limpopo.

Sleep tourism is also part of this reset travel trend. Globally, people are embracing travel as a time to rest with Hilton's 2025 Trends report stating that 38 per cent of UAE residents plan to stay in bed for an entire day when travelling. To ensure they get a great night’s sleep, 57 per cent of UAE travellers prioritise hotels with amenities designed for better sleep and a notable 43 per cent will book wellness or spa experiences during their travels specifically to enhance their sleep.

4. Soft adventures

According to Hilton, adventure travel is on the rise as more travellers seek unique adventures. The hotel group's latest report shows that seven in 10 global travellers enjoy being active when they travel. But adventure travel doesn't have to mean scaling mountains and leaping out of planes. Instead, soft adventure is designed for those who crave more than an average beach escape or sightseeing trip, but want to avoid activities that involve a great deal of physical skill or risk.

Soft adventuring blends traditional adventure travel with luxury travel, placing emphasis on pleasure and comfort-seeking more than thrill-seeking, meaning more along the lines of backpacking, camping, yoga and kayaking.

Dubbed "chill-seekers" by Backroads, these travellers want to explore destinations at a more relaxed pace, with plenty of options for leisure and cultural pursuits and "just the right amount of activity", said a representative for the Californian travel company. Based on early guest bookings for 2025, Backroads reveals that the Canadian Rockies, the Austrian Alps, Peru and Lapland are all destinations finding favour with soft adventure seekers.

5. Wild wonders

Following the huge demand to see the northern lights last year, the search for spots to take in nature’s greatest shows continues to be a powerful motivator. Research from Expedia shows that 61 per cent of travellers want to experience the phenomenon at some point in their lives. And there's good news for anyone who missed the aurora borealis, as next year looks set to be an even better year for it.

“This could be one of the best years in our lifetime to view the northern lights,” says Cedar Swan, chief executive of tourism operator Adventure Canada. “We have reached solar maximum in this cycle, our chances to view the iconic phenomenon are greater than they have been in years."

And while there will be no more total solar eclipses until next year, partial eclipses are on the radar in 2025. The first will be on March 29 when up to 94 per cent of the sun will be covered with the spectacle visible from parts of Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. The second will happen in September, with visibility best from Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Other nature-focused travels on the radar revolve around the Great Migration in the Serengeti, best seen from July to September; the crane mating dance in Japan's Tsurui in February and March; and bioluminescence tours, where algae cause bright blue glow in the waters at several locations around the world. The Lodge at Jaguar Reef in Belize offers a tour of Anderson Lagoon where travellers visiting between between February and April are taken out by boat under the light of a new moon to see the striking blue-tinged spectacle.

6. All-inclusive 2.0

Seventy years ago, Gerard Blitz and Club Med pioneered all-inclusive travel with a Spanish resort offering basic accommodation, meals and activities in one package. The concept would go on to be copied countless times, having its biggest heyday in the '80s and '90s, becoming a go-to for affordable family trips with all-you-can-eat buffets.

Now 2025 looks to be the year of the all-inclusive resort 2.0. In September, Club Med announced record earnings for the first quarter of 2024 as well as plans to increase capacity by more than 20 per cent in 2025. The company also has plans to open its first resort in the Middle East via the ultra-luxury Club Med Musandam.

“2025 is the year Gen Z travellers go all in at the new wave of all-inclusive hotels,” says Expedia's Unpack 25 travel trends report. “One-third of Gen Zers say their perception of all-inclusives has changed for the better and it’s easy to see why."

Many major hotel chains are embracing all-inclusive options, offering travellers refined stays with higher price tags that encompass everything they might need.

Marriott's the Luxury Collection's first all-inclusive offering in Mexico opened its doors last month at the adults-only Almare in Isla Mujeres. Hyatt's Breathless Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa will follow this year, opening as part of the group's upscale Inclusive Collection. Nammos Maldives Nedafushi is another high-end all-inclusive resort, opening in the Indian Ocean holiday hotspot next year with private villas and personalised service.

The brand is also heading to Abu Dhabi in 2027, joining several existing UAE hotels that have introduced all-inclusive packages, including JA The Resort, Bab Al Shams and Anantara Resorts on Sir Bani Yas Island. Saudi Arabia is also gearing up for the all-inclusive wave, as Playa Hotels & Resorts has announced it will open in the kingdom as its first destination outside the Americas.

7. Tech-driven trips

AI is transforming how travellers plan, book and experience their journeys. New tools such as Booking.com's AI Trip Planner will help travellers craft alternative itineraries for themselves based on their personal preferences and the needs of the destinations they hope to visit. And one-click trips on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram will become more common, with social media shopping finally making its way into the industry.

"Travellers are already getting inspiration through Instagram and TikTok, so creating a path to go from looking to booking is a natural evolution that meets travellers where they’re at,” said Lauri Metrose, senior vice president of global communications at Expedia Group. However, that doesn't mean that travel agents are a thing of the past, as the traditional travel agency market is projected to grow by $212.9 billion by 2032 according to figures from Allied Market Research. It simply means people will begin using a wider range of tools when planning their travels.

The way travellers and destinations use existing technology is also changing. New data from Booking.com reveals' that 44 per cent of travellers now avoid geotags on social media platforms because they want to escape crowds of Insta-tourists and discover hidden gems for themselves.

8. Coolcations

While this movement started last year, it continues to garner interest as more and more travellers opt to holiday in destinations with cooler climes. The trend is driven by both climate concerns and the pursuit of unique experiences.

This past summer temperatures in Italy topped 40°C and heatwaves swept across Europe, making the continent's cooler climes an attractive alternative. Scandinavia is having a moment according to data from GetYourGuide and Tripadvisor, revealing a significant increase in bookings to Sweden, Norway and Denmark last year compared to the previous.

The Faroe Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and Norway, is another destination welcoming more tourists as is Greenland, which recently opened its first international airport. Vilnius, already on travellers' radars after being named the European Green Capital for 2025 and ranking in The National's top places to travel this year, is another spot for the trend given the pleasant average August temperature of 22°C.

And it's not just in Europe. According to travel advisors Virtuoso, travel to Canada was up the most of any of its destinations last year with a 168 per cent increase in trips compared to 2023.

9. Heritage holidays

The second season of the hit TV show The White Lotus follows an American family travelling to Italy to rediscover their ancestral roots. While their journey doesn't go as planned, the premise is becoming more popular. Heritage tourism, or travel based on reconnecting people with their places of origin, has become more popular, driven by the rise and accessibility of DNA ancestry kits, as well as popular TV shows such as Who Do You Think You Are?

Global heritage tourism is big business, estimated at $604.38 billion last year, according to market analysis by Grand View Research. It's a trend that's set to continue, according to November research from Marriott International. The hotel group found that more than 32 per cent of travellers plan to take a trip to explore their family’s heritage, history or ancestry in 2025. It's a trend that seems to resonate most with younger travellers, with 45 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 taking such a trip, compared to only 22 per cent of those over 65.

Not everyone goes on a heritage trip for the same reason. Some people plan to meet living relatives, others want to connect with their roots and others are simply looking to find out more about a place their family once called home. Destinations also vary widely – depending on individuals' histories, but popular destinations for heritage travel include countries with a history of mass emigration including Italy, Germany, England, Scotland and Ireland.

10. Sustainability in focus

While responsible tourism has been gaining momentum for years, sustainability has reached a critical point for modern travellers. The rising awareness of climate change, environmental degradation, and over-tourism is pushing holidaymakers to seek affordable eco-friendly experiences.

Tourists are making conscious choices about where they go, how they travel and how they give back to communities. Skift's recent State of Travel report revealed that 43 per cent of consumers prioritise travel businesses that are committed to environmentally sustainable practices. Meanwhile, Accor's 2025 Travel Trends Report found that 28 per cent of British travellers plan to embark on sustainable travel this year.

Many of today's tourists are looking to immerse themselves in local cultures. Whether that's via staying at locally owned eco-lodges or participating in cultural workshops run by Indigenous communities, today's travellers are seeking sustainable and authentic experiences and are increasingly conscious of minimising their carbon footprint. Google searches for eco-nature holidays and conscious travelling have also surged 250 per cent and 80 per cent respectively for trips next year.

Travellers looking for eco places to stay can try the adults-only Gaia Hotel & Reserve in Costa Rica, named the world's greenest hotel at the World Travel Awards in December. Park Royal Collection Pickering in Singapore's Chinatown took the title of the leading green city hotel, while Arbatax Park Resort in Italy was named the world's leading eco-resort and Greece's Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas as the world's leading eco-lodge.

As the environmental impact of commercial air travel becomes more widely recognised, expect an embrace of flight-free journeys this year. This shift is expected to fuel more interest in road trips, train travel, cycling adventures and other more sustainable modes of transportation.