Travelers to break out of patterns, seek growth

Have you been wondering what the travel landscape will look like in 2025?

For those who happen to be pondering the topic, Booking.com has some predictions.

The online booking platform recently commissioned research among a sample of adults who plan to travel for business or leisure in the next 12 to 24 months. In total, about 1,006 respondents from the U.S. were polled. Based on those answers, Booking.com has come up with its forecast for travel 2025.

The high-level takeaway?

“Travelers will be rewriting their playbook in 2025, defying the rules of conventional getaways, and forging new connections with themselves, their loved ones, those they meet along the way, as well as the destinations they visit,” say the experts at Booking.com.

Whether it is rewriting the norms of expected travel based on age, gender or simply what society thinks travel should look like for anyone, 2025 will be the year of “emboldened travelers are breaking out of familiar patterns and using their individual journeys to fuel and find personal growth.”

As for what that means, let’s take a closer look.

Spending Kids Inheritance trips (SKI)

Among the major trends identified for 2025 are SKI trips. And no, we’re not talking about hitting the slopes.

“Forget a restful retirement,” Booking.com said. “Baby boomers are rewriting the rules on travel, showing the rest of the generations what ‘living their best life’ is all about.”

And as part of this development, which involves “throwing caution to the wind” we will see an increase in ‘SKI’ trips or spending kids’ inheritance, Booking.com said.

The research found that two-fifths (41 percent) of American parents would rather spend money on a trip of a lifetime in 2025 than leaving inheritance to their children — with baby boomers coming in at 45 percent and the silent generation (those over 80) at 40 percent.

And that’s not all. This generation of travelers is also expected to defy their years and conventional expectations in favor of thrill-seeking in 2025, per Booking.com.

Over one-third (37 percent) are interested in vacations that involve adventure (up from 17 percent in 2024) and 20 percent are eager to push beyond their established comfort zones, reconnecting with the reckless abandonment of youth.

Boyz II Zen vacations

Those of a certain age will understand the music reference here. But it’s not the once popular music group that’s being referenced by this trend.

Rather “men are set to abandon bravado and embrace the introspective guys’ trip, casting aside societal expectations and ‘bro culture’ cliches to rest and rejuvenate,” Booking.com said.

Trips rooted in well-being, self-development and empowered vulnerability will be on the rise in 2025, with cultural change bringing progress to conversations around men’s mental health and societal pressures, added Booking.com.

“Moments that combat loneliness and prioritize more mindful bonding will prevail in travel,” the booking platform said.

To that end, American male travelers seeking opportunities to rest and rejuvenate (27 percent), embrace personal growth (27 percent), switch off from the stresses of everyday life (19 percent), and pursue mental health benefits (18 percent).

Building connections, both old and new, will be crucial with a quarter (25 percent) looking to make new friendships, 19 percent looking to improve their relationship building skills with friends and family and 12 percent considering a men-only trip to tackle feelings of loneliness.

In addition, nearly half (46 percent) of Americans confirmed that they would encourage one of the men in their life to go on a men-only trip, jumping to 69 percent for Gen Z and 65 percent for millennials.

Extend lifespan with travel

A separate study recently released revealed that travel can help reduce the impacts of premature aging.

Apparently, plenty of globetrotters got the memo. Driven by the desire to cultivate better lifestyle choices, almost half (49 percent) of American travelers are interested in a longevity retreat — a super-charged flex on traditional well-being itineraries where temporary fixes are replaced in pursuit of a longer, healthier life.

Booking.com’s data also shows that more than half (52 percent) of American travelers revealed they would pay for a vacation with the sole purpose of extending their lifespan and well-being, with interest in longevity-focused activities like red light therapies (47 percent), cryotherapy (32 percent), stem cell treatment (35 percent) and IV therapy (29 percent).

NocTourism

As the new year rolls around, American travelers will also be focused on building connections with the universe, the data shows.

This particular trend will involve ditching the daylight crowds for midnight magic. More than half (59 percent) of Americans are considering visiting darker sky destinations with star bathing experiences (63 percent), star guides (55 percent), once-in-a-lifetime cosmic events (52 percent) and constellation tracking (52 percent) top of the stellar adventure list.

Worries about climate change also appear to have influenced this shift, with half (50 percent) of travelers planning to elevate their nighttime pursuits to avoid the increasingly hot daytime temperatures.

Additionally, protection from ultraviolet rays is important for 57 percent of Americans who say they plan to reduce the amount of time they spend in the sun, while more than half (52 percent) expect to plan activities in the evenings and early mornings when the sun is at its lowest.