Amadeus has released its highly anticipated Travel Trends for 2025, providing a glimpse into the future of global travel. In collaboration with travel trend forecaster Globetrender, and using Amadeus’ proprietary and other leading industry data, the Amadeus 2025 Travel Trends report highlights five key trends that will reshape the travel landscape in the coming year: 

• ”New glory days”: Change-weary travelers yearn for simpler, happier vacations driven by past experiences and a phenomenon called ”glimmering retrospection.”.
• ”Personalized flying”: Advances in AI, 5G mobile connectivity and VR will combine to create highly personalized, connected and immersive experiences for air passengers.
• ”Pioneering Hotel”: Hotels are increasingly becoming destinations in their own right, as travelers plan trips around iconic hotels with unique identities as their ”calling cards.”.
• ”Rise of Asia”: Asia is preparing for a travel renaissance and aims to regain its position as a key player in the global tourism industry. 
• ”Connections IRL”: As digital dating burnout increases, travel will become a new avenue for real-life relationships, from vacation romances to lasting friendships.

”After a year where change has become the backdrop to daily life, travelers are seeking a deeper connection to people and places more than ever.”", says Daniel Batchelor, Vice President, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications at Amadeus. He continues: ”We will see a mix of old favorites and new immersive experiences, with unique stays that put destinations on the map. Asia is poised for a tourism boom, while we are seeing a rise in spontaneous solo travel as people seek more authentic experiences off the screen.” 

Jenny Southan, founder and CEO of Globetrender, adds: ”It is important to anticipate the changing ways in which people explore the world, and the forces that influence their decisions. Partnering with Amadeus to produce the 2025 Travel Trends report means that together we can help companies successfully anticipate the needs and demands of tomorrow’s travelers. For consumers themselves, who are under pressure to continue finding joy in a changing world, it is no surprise to see people looking back to the ”good old days” when life was simpler and turning to traditional ways of creating human connections, despite the rise of artificial intelligence.”

New glory days

Nostalgia is driving the emergence of ”new glory days,” where the past takes center stage. From the comeback of 90s movies and CDs to Gen Z’s love of digital cameras, culture is embracing retro everywhere you look. When it comes to travel, adults are trying to relive sabbaticals, distant honeymoons, and childhood dreams—for example, Airbnb listed a Polly Pocket-inspired rental – and American travelers are flocking back to Miami, a hotspot from the ”Miami Vice” era.

As the millennial generation reaches middle age, we will see a renaissance for the classic caravan and camping holiday. Eurocamp sees a huge increase in bookings, and 2024 looks set to be the best year in five decades. In the US, summer camps for adults are also booming, and Club Getaway reports an increase in revenue from their adult segments with 9% in 2024 compared to 2023.

Personalized flying

By 2025, air travel will reach new heights of personalization, blending smart technology with tailored in-flight experiences. While many passengers consume content on their own devices, airlines are raising the bar by combining algorithmic entertainment with hyper-personalized in-flight systems that deliver fresh content—from movies and TV shows to commercials and things to buy—that is tailored to the individual traveler, based on their historical preferences [such as loyalty program members].

With high-speed Wi-Fi from providers like SpaceX's Starlink now available, passengers can stream their favorite content in-flight as easily as they would at home. We may also see airlines increasingly lending VR headsets to first and business class passengers - in 2024, the upstart premium airline began Beyond handing out Apple Vision Pros to people who flew to the Maldives.

Pioneering Hotel

By 2025, hotels will make headlines by increasingly becoming destinations in their own right – immersing guests in the local culture, history and natural beauty of their surroundings. For example, guests will be enchanted by the charm of restored Mozambican dhows at Jannah Lamu in Kenya or lean into the old-world charm of Maryhill Estate in Sweden.

Many of the pioneer hotels are independently owned, but some belong to larger chains. Reverb Hamburg, a Hard Rock hotel that opened in a World War II bunker; Bunkhouse hotels in the US, known for creating memorable boutique experiences with flagships in Texas, California and Kentucky; while Marriott International's Edition Lake Como, located in a 19th-century Italian mansion, will open in 2025. Large hotel groups are also adapting, launching curated boutique collections such as Accor's Handwritten Collection, which is expected to include more than 17 hotels globally by 2025.

Rise of Asia

After years of restricted travel, travelers 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 visa and broader visa-free program for 93 countries will 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 a renewed curiosity about Japanese history inspired by the TV series Shōgun. Iberia has recently launched direct flights between Madrid and Tokyo, making it easier than ever for travelers to explore Japan.

Over the next 15 years, IATA predicts that Asia Pacific will see the fastest growth in passenger numbers, contributing more than half of the net increase in global passenger numbers by 2043. Amadeus data reflects this momentum, with outbound traffic from Chengdu in China increasing by 66% to 35.2 million passengers between 2016 and 2023, while Guangzhou increased by 20%. Delhi also saw an increase of 31% to over 30 million outbound passengers in 2023.

Connections IRL (in real life) 

In the face of digital fatigue, travelers 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, leisure travel increased by 15.6 % in 2023 compared to the previous year, with a further increase of 9.2 % so far in 2024.

The 2025 Trends Report predicts a wave of group and solo adventures designed to create genuine connections. From G Adventures” ”Solo-ish” trips that combat loneliness to TimeLeft, a travel app that lets you meet five strangers for dinner every Wednesday in over 60 countries. Socially driven festival tourism is also on the rise, with members of the LGBTQ+ community set to gather in Washington, DC for World Pride 2025.