Amadeus has released its Travel Trends for 2025, giving a glimpse into the future of global travel.
Partnering with travel trends forecasting agency Globetrender and drawing on Amadeus’ proprietary and other leading industry data, the Amadeus 2025 Travel Trends report highlights five key trends promising to reshape the travel landscape in the coming year:
- New Heydays: Change-weary travellers are longing for simpler, happier vacations driven by past experiences and a phenomenon known as “rosy retrospection.”
- Personalised Flying: Advances in AI, 5G mobile connectivity, and VR will converge to create highly personalised, connected, and immersive experiences for air passengers.
- Trailblazer Hotels: Hotels are increasingly becoming destinations in their own right, as travellers plan trips around iconic, “calling card” properties with unique identities.
- Asia Uplift: Asia is gearing up for a travel renewal, aiming to reclaim its position as a key player in the global tourism industry.
- Connections IRL: As digital dating burnout rises, travel will become a new avenue for real-world relationships, from holiday romances to lasting friendships.
“After a year where change has become the backdrop to daily life, travellers are seeking a deeper connection to people and places more than ever,” said Daniel Batchelor, vice president, global corporate marketing and communications at Amadeus.
He continued: “We’ll see a blend of old favourites and new immersive experiences, with one-of-a-kind stays putting destinations on the map.
“Asia is set for a tourism revival, while we are also seeing a rise in spontaneous solo travel, as people seek more off-screen, authentic experiences.”
New Heydays
Nostalgia is fuelling the rise of ‘new heydays,’ with the past taking centre stage.
From the comeback of 90s films and CDs to Gen Z’s love for digital cameras, culture is embracing the retro everywhere you look.
As millennials enter middle age, we will see the revival of the classic caravan and camping holiday.
Eurocamp is seeing a huge rise in bookings, with 2024 shaping up to be its best year in five decades. In the United States,, adult summer camps are also booming, with Club Getaway reporting a nine per cent jump in revenue from its adult segments in 2024 compared to 2023.
Personalised Flying
In 2025, air travel will reach new heights of personalisation, blending smart tech with customised in-flight experiences.
Although many passengers consume content on their own devices, airlines are upping the ante by combining algorithmic entertainment with hyper-personalised in-flight systems that deliver box-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 [as loyalty scheme members].
With high-speed Wi-Fi from providers like SpaceX’s Starlink now available, passengers can stream their favourite content mid-flight just as effortlessly as they would at home.
Trailblazer Hotels
In 2025, hotels will make headlines by increasingly becoming destinations in their own right – they will immerse guests in the local culture, history, and natural beauty of their surroundings.
For example, guests will be enamoured by the charm of restored Mozambiquan Dhows at Jannah Lamu in Kenya or leaning into the old-world charm of the Maryhill Estate in Sweden.
Asia Uplift
After years of restricted travel, travellers are excited to rediscover Asia’s cultural treasures. China is opening its doors to millions by expanding visa-free travel, while Thailand’s new digital nomad visas and broader visa-free program for 93 countries are set to attract a global audience.
Pop culture is also driving interest, with the upcoming season of the White Lotus set in Thailand, Squid Game season two expected to boost travel to South Korea, and renewed curiosity about Japan’s history inspired by the TV series Shōgun.
Adding to this momentum, Iberia has recently launched direct flights between Madrid and Tokyo, making it easier than ever for travellers to explore Japan.
Connections IRL
Facing digital fatigue, travellers are closing their apps and opening their passports, using travel to make new friends and even find romance in real life.
According to Amadeus booking data, solo leisure travel soared by 15.6 per cent in 2023 compared to the previous year, with a further 9.2 per cent rise so far in 2024.
Jenny Southan, founder, Globetrender, added: “It is important to predict the changing ways people are exploring the world, and the forces of influence that are determining their decisions.
“Partnering with Amadeus in producing this 2025 Travel Trends report means that together we can help businesses successfully anticipate the needs and demands of tomorrow’s travellers.
“For consumers themselves, who are under pressure to keep finding joy in a volatile world, it is no surprise to see people looking to the ‘good old days’ when life was simpler, and turning to traditional means of making human connections, in spite of the ascent of artificial intelligence and other sci-fi technology.”
Source: Breaking Travel News
