Part One: The travel hot list! These are 2025’s top travel trends

Escaping mass tourism will be huge in 2025. Photo / NEOM on Unsplash
Each year in Travel, we ask a selection of travel experts to predict the top travel shifts, hacks, destinations and forecasts for the year ahead. As 2024 draws to a close, we have kept things simple, with one, big question…
More than ever, we’re seeing customers embrace the journey as much as the destination, with stopover holidays and enhanced onboard experiences leading the way in travel trends.
In 2025, we expect to see more Kiwi travellers turning a single trip into a multi-stop adventure – particularly those heading to Europe. A stopover is a fantastic way to break up a long journey and maximise holiday time, whether it’s exploring Shanghai’s vibrant markets, savouring Singapore’s culinary scene, or celebrity-spotting in Los Angeles.
In the air, demand for our premium cabins continues to soar. We’ve just kicked off a major refresh of our Boeing 787-9 fleet, retrofitting all 14 aircraft with new cabin interiors over the next two years. When the first aircraft returns in early 2025, customers will be able to experience our redesigned Business Premier cabin, featuring our new Business Premier Luxe product – setting a new standard in inflight comfort and luxury.
READ MORE: Should you choose Air NZ’s Premium Economy or Business Premier cabin for a long-haul flight?
Look out for “Premiumisation” – as we move into 2025 and air travel continues to grow, we’re seeing even more demand from customers for premium cabins.
Premium cabins have always been popular with corporates and we are now finding more of our leisure customers seeking out Business and Premium Economy seats. Many of our leisure customers use points to upgrade to a more comfortable seat and the recent launch of Classic Plus rewards in New Zealand provides even more options for people to redeem points.
Over the past few years, our international network has also continued to expand, which means there are even more premium seats available for Kiwi customers to book.
We have our 787 aircraft flying between Auckland and Sydney five times a week as part of our New York service, and we’ll also introduce this wide-bodied jet to our Auckland to Brisbane route from August 2025, resulting in a 40 per cent increase in premium seats on the route each year. With two more A380s coming back into service in 2025, there are even more options for passengers to experience our premium offering.
There’s so much noise going on globally at the moment that a shift to a quieter, more observational way to holiday will be on many travel agendas in 2025. Whether it be escaping to quieter places to detox from the chaos of the everyday or pursuing silent activities such as birdwatching or indulging in botanical breaks; a trend Lonely Planet’s coining “tree travel”. Self-care and wellness have been on the travel agenda for the past decade but this need for quiet and silence takes this journey in a slightly different and deeper direction. This is not about pampering and indulgence but more on reflection, observation and appreciation for places or experiences in the world devoid of the distraction of modern life.
What’s fascinating about this trend is how it influences the “type” of destination travellers are choosing. Gone are flashy, crowded, and chaotic popular places, and instead, it’s all about the off-the-beaten track and lesser-known spots that you may find in popular countries. Destinations like Japan, Italy and Greece will remain popular, but it will be the less frequented or harder to get to places within these countries that will pique traveller interest. Greek Islands such as Folegandros, Serifos and the vehicle-free Hydra are perfect examples of this. In Italy, we’re seeing demand for places like Sardinia and Genoa. And in the ever-popular Japan travellers are exploring much deeper and looking to Okinawa in the south and Hokkaido in the north.
2025 is shaping up to be the year of “3G” travel – intergenerational holidays that bring together at least three generations. Grandparents, more active and mobile than ever, are often the travel kingmakers, reaching into their pockets to help fund these special trips before the grandkids grow up and move out. But it’s not just the older generations calling the shots on travel experiences. Teens and younger kids are having their say too, with travel “talkability” becoming the new social currency among their friends.
We find 3G travellers want personalised itineraries packed with unique, off-the-beaten-track experiences. African safaris are a hit for active intergenerational families. A train safari through the heart of Africa stands out for families with older children, while self-drive and guided tours tailored exclusively to families are always in demand.
We will also see a continued boom in ocean cruise bookings in 2025, with 2026 already selling fast. Kiwi 3G groups love cruises because they offer effortless onshore trips, plenty of onboard activities, and kids’ clubs. For young families, close-to-home cruises offer a relaxing holiday for everyone without having to navigate an airport.
Australia also attracts 3G holidaymakers, with 30% of House of Travel’s December and January bookings heading across the Ditch. But looking ahead, we expect Asia to continue building in popularity next year. It’s becoming a go-to for families wanting a safe, family-friendly destination.
For teens and tweens, LA will continue to be a popular choice, and with Disneyland and Universal on the doorstep, there are plenty of opportunities for intergen fun. Shopping at The Grove offers something for everyone with popular youth-focused brands side by side with more traditional options in a relaxed setting. You can bet the teens will have sourced the nearest Crumbl cookie outlet when energy levels wane.
Travel for 2025 is all about “Maximising the Holiday”—combining events with holidays to make the trip unforgettable. Travellers are seizing opportunities to layer their holidays with memorable moments, like attending major events such as concerts, sports matches and festivals. Imagine catching a once-in-a-lifetime Oasis reunion show in Australia, then extending your stay to explore the stunning coastline, or attending the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix and spending extra days discovering the vibrant city scene.
Another powerful shift we’re seeing is Bucket List Prioritisation. Travellers are no longer putting off their dreams but are acting now to make them a reality. Rather than waiting for “someday,” people are ticking off those big experiences—whether it’s snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef or seeing Japan’s cherry blossoms in full bloom. By focusing on these special experiences, they’re not only creating lasting memories but also making the most of every moment.
In a world where time and experiences are valued more than ever, 2025 will be the year to maximise holidays and live out bucket-list dreams. The goal? Go big, do the cool stuff, and create stories worth sharing for years to come.
The desire for solo travel will definitely continue. At G Adventures, we’ve seen a huge rise in interest coming from the more mature traveller (40+), who is no longer willing to wait for a partner, friends or family to book an adventure. Whether it’s a life-changing event, a desire for something new, or just an itch to go out and experience the world, solo travellers are one of the fastest-growing demographics in the travel industry right now. This demographic is seeking out small group travel options, hence the recent launch of our new “Solo-ish” travel style, which offers trips specifically designed to help travellers travel for themselves, not by themselves.
The demand for true and authentic sustainable travel and community tourism will also continue but travellers are increasingly savvy and aware of greenwashing, so they will do their research more than ever before.
Overtourism, which was very present in the media this European summer, will be a huge consideration for travellers in the coming years. We’ll see more travellers seeking out lesser-known destinations to get away from the crowds. We’ve considered this with the launch of new tours and destinations in 2025 including Pakistan and Tibet, plus expansion in the Balkans, specifically Bosnia.
READ MORE: How to have a cheap, crowd-free holiday in Italy
Luxury cruises are making waves in 2025, with unbeatable deals on popular routes. The appeal of all-inclusive experiences and personalised itineraries is leading more travellers to choose to cruise. Itineraries gaining popularity include Japan, Alaska, the Mediterranean and European river cruises.
For winter sun-seekers, Queensland’s coastal destinations are thriving as top choices. Expect rising demand for places like Noosa and Maroochydore, where the Sunshine Coast offers a laid-back vibe with pristine beaches, national parks, and boutique shopping. Look out for eco-friendly accommodations and wellness-focused retreats as the wellness trend continues to rise.
Gold Coast and Byron Bay will remain popular, too. Although Byron Bay is technically in New South Wales, it’s easily accessible from the Gold Coast and has grown in popularity as a relaxing, beachside escape with a vibrant arts and wellness scene.
For a tropical escape, 2025 will still be about perennial favourites, Fiji and the Cook Islands. Fiji’s resorts are elevating experiences with private villas, and the Cook Islands boasts natural beauty and welcoming hospitality. Both destinations are also focusing on sustainable tourism, a trend that resonates with travellers looking to minimise their environmental footprint.
In 2025, we’re seeing many travellers keen to go beyond the tried-and-true hot spots to lesser-known – but no less wonderful – destinations, which we’ve dubbed “Detour Destinations”. It’s about experiencing new places off the beaten track, either as an add-on to the itinerary or as the main destination. In fact, Expedia’s recent Unpack ‘25 report revealed 63% of travellers are likely to visit a “detour destination” on their next trip. Detour Destinations offer a nice break from the crowds, and in some cases may even outshine the main port of call itself. It was fantastic to see our very own Waikato region as a top 10 trending global Detour Destination for 2025, alongside Reims in France and Santa Barbara in the US.
Another key travel trend for 2025 is what Expedia call Goods Getaways, where travellers plan trips around buying unique, viral products. When going on holiday, Expedia data shows 39% of travellers visit grocery stores or supermarkets and 44% shop for local goods they can’t get at home. TikTok is inspiring many travellers to take trips in search of craveable (and share-worthy) speciality goods – think chocolate bars from Dubai, butter from France, skincare products from Korea and Japanese treats.
Demand for low-fares leisure travel has been very strong this year and we don’t see that slowing in 2025. One shift we do expect though, is in the type of holidays our customers are taking.
For example, “season swapping” where people travel during off-peak periods to save money and to beat the crowds, and “set-jetting”, where travellers pick holiday destinations based on movies and TV shows, are both growing in popularity. We also expect JOMO or the Joy of Missing Out to take off in 2025. This is where holiday goers cut out things like social media and alcohol, focusing instead on enjoying a slower-paced getaway.
READ MORE: In the spirit of JOMO, Greg Bruce and his family head to Waiheke Island
2025 will be the year of personalised travel where holiday seekers will look for ways they can tailor their travel to their interests. The high cost of living will continue to be on everyone’s mind so I expect this will impact how and when consumers choose to travel to maximise their experience and budget. We’re already seeing this with travellers booking early to get the best deal and looking at destinations away from the traditional tourist hot spots.
With this in mind, I’m predicting a bigger emphasis on shoulder season travel where Kiwis will look to avoid peak travel periods and instead opt for when the costs are more manageable, the crowds are tamer and the weather is a little cooler. While our off-peak itineraries have always been popular, we think that with the rising trend of “cool-cations”, where travellers can enjoy unique experiences that occur only during the cooler months like the European Christmas markets or the Northern Lights, will make them more enticing next year.
Slow travel will also continue to dominate in 2025. Holidaymakers are choosing to use their time away to take the path less travelled, investing their time in quieter destinations that allow them to experience living like a local. While standard destinations like the UK, Ireland and Italy are still selling well, travellers who feel like they’ve done the more popular routes are starting to turn their attention to the lesser-discovered parts of the world. Think Central Europe, Southeast Asia, South America – or my personal pick that will have a moment in 2025, Malta.
READ MORE: Why you should add Malta to your European wish list in 2025
Keep an eye out tomorrow for our second installment of The Hot List 2025. You can also read the full list in our Travel print edition of Travel. Out November 26.