Expedia Group has unveiled its Horizons 2025 report, which deciphers the main trends in travel. Shopping, all-inclusive, Jomo holidays… Here’s what you need to know from this study.
While international tourism has returned to 96% of its pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of 2024, according to the World Tourism Organisation, and is expected to remain in good shape over the coming months, three major trends will set the pace for holidaymakers and the industry.
Conducted by market research agency OnePoll between 19 and 22 August 2024, in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct, the study commissioned by Expedia Group reports on the travel motivations of almost 25,000 people living in 19 countries. These were adults who have travelled or plan to travel for leisure in the next three years. The result is the Horizons 2025 report, which brings together three of the Expedia Group’s reservation platforms: Expedia, Hotels.com and Abritel.
The shopping trip
Travellers will be making room in their suitcases. Unusual and original items, which are causing a stir on social networks, are being snapped up by holidaymakers who want to get their hands on these fashionable goods. We’ve seen this with Cédric Grolet’s trendy patisseries, where the queues outside the shops are not far from being made up entirely of locals. Japanese sweets, Korean cosmetics and even pistachio chocolate bars from Dubai are all products that are part of this trend known as the shopping trip.
During their stay, 39% of travellers visit a grocery shop or supermarket and 44% look for local products not available at home, according to Expedia data. The most popular shopping trips according to the platform include coffee tours in Costa Rica, tea tastings in China and matcha rituals in Japan.
The all-inclusive era
In 2025, travellers no longer want to have to programme everything and constantly search for a restaurant, a bar and activities. While families have already been seduced by the all-inclusive concept, the younger generations are increasingly looking for this type of holiday. One in three young GenZers say that their perception of all-inclusive accommodation has changed for the better, and 42% even say that it is their preferred type of hotel. The primary motivation is stress reduction (41% of this panel), followed by ease of booking (39%) and the sense of luxury that comes with an all-inclusive establishment (38%).
JOMO holidays
It’s a major hotel trend that will become more pronounced next year: JOMO holidays, meaning ‘the joy of missing opportunities or adventures’. This trend is opposed to FOMO, the fear of missing out on events and missing out on something on holiday. From now on, no more programmes where everything has to be seen and done in record time. Many travellers want to escape the hustle and bustle and pressure to find some inner calm. The desire, in other words, to slow down the pace and live the present moment as it comes, without the stressful hustle and bustle. For almost two-thirds of travellers, these holidays reduce anxiety and, for half of them, they allow them to share more meaningful moments with their loved ones.
Other travel trends
Another trend: natural phenomenon spots. Travellers are increasingly attracted to destinations that promise a certain magic linked to the environment, such as the Northern Lights (61%) and geological phenomena (30%) like volcanoes, geysers and hot springs. 80% of tourists believe that it is important to find accommodation as close as possible to these phenomena so as not to miss out on any of these natural wonders. Abritel has shared its list of popular spots. These include the Great Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the United States for the synchronous firefly season; Hokkaidō in Japan for the ballet of Japanese cranes; Phillip Island near Melbourne in Australia for the penguin parade and, of course, Lapland in Finland for the Northern Lights.
Set-jetting, i.e. discovering the filming locations of TV shows, films and series during a trip, continues to be popular with holidaymakers. Two-thirds of them are influenced by such content, up 16% on last year. Emily in Paris in Paris, The Real Housewives of Dubai in Dubai, Yellowstone in Montana and Wyoming in the United States, One Piece in Cape Town in South Africa… The places featured in these films are increasingly visited and form an integral part of the itineraries.
Horizons 2025 also highlights one-click travel. Many travellers base their purchasing decisions on the publications of influencers, and the process is beginning to spread to the tourism industry. While this trend is still in its infancy, new platforms and simplified procedures could accelerate the phenomenon.
Lastly, the report highlights the renaissance of hotel restaurants, which are a key criterion in the booking process. The arrival of big names in gastronomy and Michelin-starred chefs is greatly appreciated. So it’s more important than ever to focus on the culinary experience to attract tourists.
Read also : Lake Como, the Italian wonder
Featured photo : © Unsplash
