Where will 2025 take you? As the new year approaches, it’s the perfect time to dream big and plan unforgettable getaways.

Top destinations for 2025 travel are Australia, Japan, Italy, New Zealand and Thailand. Specialists from bespoke travel company Audley Travel shared with us their insights into what clients are booking for 2025 and why, as well as their thoughts on other travel trends for the coming year.

Hybrid-vacations

For 2025, people are increasingly looking to combine two very different elements into their vacation. Examples of this include an itinerary utilizing ‘rail and trail’ for example, traveling to Western Australia on the Indian Pacific train, and then hiking one of the country’s great walks in the state.

Travelers are also booking safari and beach breaks with a difference – pairing Kenya with the Seychelles or searching for lemurs and other wildlife while hiking through Madagascar’s rainforest followed by relaxing on the tranquil, sandy beaches of Île Sainte-Marie.

The rise of guide masters

Audley’s travel specialists report an increase in demand for touring with guides with personal or professional experience. From a food tour in India with a local chef or in Vietnam with a food blogger, to touring lesser-known Cambodian temples with a professional photographer to help clients take the perfect photo away from the crowds as well as understanding the sites’ history, clients want unrivalled experiences where they are confident that they are seeing the authentic side of their chosen destination.

Cultural kids

Audley is seeing increased demand for cultural touring designed especially for families in 2025. From itineraries to Japan that feature ninja classes to touring in Greece focusing on Greek mythology tailored to children, and carefully curated chef’s tables for children in India and Sri Lanka, families are looking for richer experiences and learning opportunities from their travels.

Early booking hotspots for 2026 & 2027

Travel specialists have always been strong advocates of the need to book certain destinations as early as possible (for example Canada’s bear lodges in peak season or Japan for Cherry Blossom), but are now seeing the range of destinations that this applies to expanding. Audley is seeing higher than normal bookings more than 18 months in advance for trips to Spain and Iceland from clients keen to be in the path of totality of the solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, with rooms in many of these areas of Iceland already sold out. Similarly, availability is already extremely tight for Egypt (specifically Luxor) in 2027, for the Aug. 2 solar eclipse.

Let the locals lead the way (next time…)

Travel specialists note a theme in the type of itinerary that clients returning to a destination are booking for 2025. These typically focus on the more authentic places in the country, often where the locals go. For example, in South Africa second time visitors are opting for KwaZulu-Natal or The Waterburg rather than the Kruger, repeat visitors to Japan typically follow the locals to a region off the golden route such as Shikoku, Kyushu, or Tohoku and travelers returning to India choose homestays and local experiences in Kerala or Tamil Nadu for a second trip, and explore Calcutta and northeast India on a third.

Over-tourism alternatives

There is an increase in the number of clients wanting to avoid the peak travel times in the main tourist destinations. As a result, they are increasingly booking more off-the-beaten-track alternatives or recommending travel at a different time. As an example, in Borneo consider Sarawak (orangutans can be seen as in Sabah) or, for those set on Sabah, opt for travel in the ‘off-season’ where the chance of rain is balanced by a much quieter experience. Similarly in Canada, Bow Lake is a much lesser visited alternative to Lake Louise. In destinations like Japan, be a little more adventurous and take expert advice on alternative but just as good experiences, as even moving a few streets away from the major spots in popular towns such as Kyoto and Tokyo can still be a fantastic authentic experience.

Sustainability

Research conducted with American travelers recently found that 69 percent say that having sustainable travel options (e.g. lower carbon flights) is essential or quite important to them.

Motivations for travel

To celebrate a personal milestone (birthday, anniversary, retirement, graduation, etc.) is the main reason cited by Audley’s travel specialists (replacing a bucket list trip as the main motivator in 2024), accounting for 29 percent of trips. A bucket list trip is the reason for 23 percent, a trip with friends is why 18 percent will travel and 14 percent will travel on honeymoon. Seven percent will travel for a school vacation trip and four percent to spend time with family.

Top destinations for 2025

Top destinations for 2025 travel for Audley’s US clients are Australia, Japan, Italy, New Zealand and Thailand (matching the top five destinations for 2024 bookings). The average duration is 14 nights.

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Cover photo courtesy Audley Travel.