LONDON – Today, Condé Nast Traveller, the global authority on high-end travel, has revealed the industry trends set to shape travel in 2025.
Drawing on the insights from Condé Nast Traveller’s international editorial team and contributors, the list showcases the many ways we will see the world this year, from accessible adventure travel and holistic longevity to family sabbaticals and athletic adventures.
The 21 trends explore how embarking on considerate detours, indulging in our love of food in new and interesting places, and embracing off-board train experiences will be how we choose to fully immerse ourselves in a destination in 2025.
A selection of Conde Nast Traveller’s 2025 trends below, with the full article found here:https://www.cntraveller.com/article/biggest-travel-trends-for-2025.
Astrocartography
We’ve all been to places we feel an instant connection with – as well as those that just feel “off”, for some reason or another. And while many of us will know our star signs and might even read our daily horoscopes to understand why our week might be going a certain way, an increasingly popular subsection of astrology claims to tell us how different places affect us, too.
Cowboy core travel
Whether you’re streaming Yellowstone or America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, listening to Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter or donning a fringed suede jacket, there is no escaping the global fascination with all things cowboy right now. This love of the Wild West also influences how we travel, with cowboy-adjacent trips gaining popularity, from ranch stays and horse-riding trips to camping under the stars or holidays to country music festivals.
Herstory lessons through women’s museums
Fresh perspectives are letting us see the world through a female gaze. Cultural spaces spotlighting women’s influence on spheres from the arts to politics are championing pioneers who’ve shaped history in often overlooked ways. Teamed with a move towards impact-unlocking itineraries, holidays are becoming less about ticking off obvious landmarks and more about appreciating unfiltered, provocative stories from the sidelines.
Accessible adventure travel
Accessible adventure is transforming how people with disabilities and our friends and families are able to experience the great outdoors and the world at large. From innovative adaptive sports equipment to more inclusive tour operators, the trend focuses on making outdoor adventure pursuits – everything from skiing and hiking to kayaking, rafting and mountain biking –accessible by removing both physical and attitudinal barriers.
Athletic adventures
If 2024 was the year to travel as a sports fan, 2025 is when we travel to channel our inner athlete. Hospitality company Accor predicts athletic adventures will be one of the biggest travel trends in 2025. According to its trend forecasting report, 18% of Brits are planning to travel to participate in sports, which coincides with a 50% uptick in searches for “workout holidays” over the past year.
Longevity goes holistic
Our obsession with longevity – the quest to live not just longer but healthier lives – shows no sign of slowing. In 2024, we tried to achieve it through next-gen diagnostics and super techy biohacks. This year, wellness resorts are looking to move the needle with retreats focused on less hyped, Blue Zones-backed factors, including purpose, community and natural movement.
Rural upskilling
As the farm-to-fork movement evolves from mere consumption to active participation, rural upskilling invites travellers to reconnect with ancestral roots through immersive field trips where they can master pre-industrial skills.
Detour destinations
Detours have always been part of the travel experience, haven’t they? Getting a little lost on purpose, turning down that B-road to avoid the traffic jam and finding a lovely little farm shop on the way; spotting a sign for an ancient ruin and deciding that your Tuscan hotel can wait a bit. Detour travel follows the same premise, finding a smaller, lesser-known destination close to the main event and spending a few days there. Amsterdam then the Hague; Florence then Bologna. It’s a chance to get away from the crowds, and to spend more time getting to know a place – a sub-species of slow travel, really. Simply going from A to B is unadventurous.
Family sabbaticals
Ever feel like walking out of your job and jumping on the first train or plane out of here? You’re not the only one. But then comes the reality check. Sabbaticals, though, offer a practical solution: to shift the work-life balance in favour of the latter for a while, taking off for a few weeks or months and returning with a fresh perspective on life, recharged and (possibly) raring to go. Whether you’re at a crossroads in life, marking a major milestone – a 40th birthday perhaps – or you’ve paid off the mortgage and fancy an interlude, with or without the family (the so-called grey or midlife gap year), sabbaticals can be transformative, educational experiences.
All aboard for off-board experiences
Luxury train operators are reinventing rail travel by making elaborate off-board excursions as much of a draw as their design-forward carriages. Newly launched slow-cruising excursion trains (many meandering along at a lazy 50mph) are building extended stops into their itineraries, where passengers can do everything from truffle hunting in Piedmont to wild swimming in the Lake District. It’s not just about the journey or the destination anymore – it’s about accessing side experiences and detours, all while having a sumptuous suite to return to each evening.
To see the full list and why these trends will matter in 2025, visit:https://www.cntraveller.com/article/biggest-travel-trends-for-2025.
About Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveller is the world’s most distinguished travel title providing inspiration and advice for discerning travellers. Authoritative and influential, Condé Nast Traveller features destinations in the UK and around the world, whilst offering their award-winning expertise in luxury travel. The title assembles four major hotel lists every year: Hot List, Spa Guide, Readers’ Choice Awards and The Gold List.
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