#BizTrends2025: 5 trends shaping the travel sector in 2025 and beyond
Travel has always been about evolution, and in 2025 it will be about balancing the old with the new while keeping things meaningful. The question isn’t just, “Where do we go?” but, “How do we travel in a way that’s better for everyone involved?”
Given this, here are the top five trends I see making an increasing impact on the travel industry in 2025:
1. Regenerative travel: giving back in meaningful ways
The push for sustainability is here to stay. As people become more conscious of their impact on the planet, so does the demand increase for things like less single-use plastic and more carbon offsets.
One example of a travel company taking this to heart is global tour company Contiki, which has introduced the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) — biofuel produced from certified feedstock that is labelled as waste or residue — in its fleet of European coaches.
The biofuel has a 94% lower carbon footprint than diesel, which means that Contiki’s multi-country European coach trips now have a significantly smaller carbon footprint than flying from country to country.
But here’s the thing: ‘sustainable’ travel isn’t enough anymore. People want to leave places better than they found them. On the back of this, I see regenerative travel as being the next big trend, where instead of travellers just reducing harm, they aim to actively improve the environments and communities they visit.
There’s also more focus now by the travel sector on working directly with local communities to protect cultural heritage and make sure tourism dollars stay local.
2. AI as a technology game changer
Technology has already revolutionised travel in the past few decades, from online bookings and chatbots to flight comparison engines and curated recommendations.
Going forward, biometric systems are also set to streamline travel logistics: think how seamless airport security and hotel check-ins would be if they could happen with just a fingerprint or facial scan.
With the advent of AI, the ability for hyper-personalisation will elevate travel to a whole new level. Picture AI being able to analyse your travel history and preferences not just to suggest a destination, but also to plan an itinerary that feels completely tailor-made.
It will be like having a personal travel concierge in your pocket — although I don’t think AI will replace agents or that human touch anytime soon.
3. Travel as a way to reset - not just to escape
If the pandemic taught us one thing, it’s that travel isn’t just about ticking destinations off a list: it’s about connection with others, relaxation and even healing. As a result, there’s been a big shift since 2020 towards slow travel centred on soaking it all in rather than simply seeing all the sights.
Going forward, people will choose travel experiences that connect them with the natural world or help them grow personally, so it will be less “Do it for the ’Gram” and more “Do it for me.”
4. Making travel truly inclusive
Travel is for everyone — or at least it should be. While strides have been made in making travel more inclusive, there’s a lot more work to do. From designing spaces that accommodate travellers with various mobility needs to creating experiences that feel safe and welcoming for LGBTQ+ travellers or women travelling solo, the industry will need to step up to make it more equitable for all.
On top of that, things like flexible payment plans, subscription models and paying holidays off in instalments will help make travel more financially accessible. It’s all about removing barriers, whether they’re physical, social or economic.
5. Empowering local economies
One of the best things about travel is its ability to boost local economies. Instead of the money funnelling to big corporations, the focus is shifting toward empowering small businesses and communities, so I expect to see more micro-tourism in the form of small-scale, high-impact experiences rather than mass tourism.
Travellers will stay with local hosts, buy directly from artisans, and participate in co-created activities with communities. This isn’t just good for the economy; it also gives travellers a deeper, more authentic connection to the places they visit.
An example of a travel company putting this into action is Trafalgar Tours, whose ‘Make Travel Matter’ experiences included on their tours are conscious travel experiences that have a positive social or environmental impact on local communities.
Depending on the tour, this could be anything from visiting the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya to see endangered black and white rhinos to learning about the age-old tradition of wool rug-making in Armenia, to learning about local customs and everyday life in Namibia’s Himba Tribe village.
The future of travel is about balance between the past and the future, between innovation and tradition, and between the traveller and the destination. The trends we’re seeing aren’t just about following the latest buzzwords — they're about making travel a force for good.
Travel has the power to connect people and cultures, to inspire and educate, and to heal ourselves and the planet. If we do it right, we can curate a future where travel isn’t just sustainable but also transformative for everyone it touches.
