Is fostering a sense of belonging one of your New Year’s resolutions? You’re not alone. In 2025, community-driven travel will shape how we move through this world. Skyscanner, a leading destination for global travel planning, is predicting “the rise of the collective adventure,” where travelers are using their next vacation “as a vehicle…to both explore and foster belonging [and find] places where we can unapologetically be ourselves while widening our perspective.” Given our still nascent reintroduction to traveling both domestically and internationally post-pandemic, the yearning to reconnect with others has never been stronger.
While community-seeking is shaping how wanderlusters plan their next getaway, it’s only one of Skyscanner’s eight biggest travel trends anticipated for 2025. The travel app is rife with industry secrets — the platform sees billions of searches for the best prices on flights, hotels, and rental cars — and tapped into its proprietary search data to create this report.
From cowboy culture to chasing the stars, this is how Skyscanner predicts people will be traveling in 2025.
2025 Travel Trends
1. Sport Mode
Between the 180 percent growth of Formula 1 viewers and women’s basketball finally getting the attention it’s always deserved, it’s safe to say more people than ever have found a love of some game. And this growth is translating directly into traveling. According to Skyscanner, nearly a third of all American jetsetters plan to travel either domestically or internationally to see a sporting event in 2025. And who could blame them? In 2025, options include Bahrain’s Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Tour de France across Europe, the women’s Rugby World Cup in England, and the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Not only are people traveling to view sports, but they’re also incorporating athletics into their itineraries: 56 percent of 25-to-34-year-olds are looking to explore a new place by running or cycling.
2. Astro Adventures
Outer space isn’t going to show up on those interactive flight maps just yet, but you should still reach for the stars — and it seems many travelers are, almost literally. Astro-tourism is skyrocketing, with interest in stargazing and dark sky destinations expected to peak in 2025. Chasing the stars (or a solar eclipse) will give you a new sense of wonder. Need some advice? Kellie Gerardi, an actual Virgin Galactic astronaut, shared her favorite places to see the stars here on planet Earth.
3. Reset Jetters
We all know that vacations provide an opportunity to relax and reset, but the new iteration is doubling down on wellness. Health tourism is going beyond your usual spa day, with inclusive yoga retreats, microbiome-friendly resort menus, and even IV drips at your hotel becoming a mainstay. Think of this as a counter to that over-indulgent, “I’m on vacation!” mindset that makes you eat poorly and drink too much. Our guide to mindful travel will help you ground yourself in a healthy mindset when on the road.
4. Art-venture
Art and culture have been and always will be a top reason for visiting a new country, but the way we’re interpreting art is changing. The new wave of immersive digital installations is attracting travelers thanks to its interactive and accessible experience for all ages. Twenty-four percent of American travelers are planning an immersive art experience on vacation next year, with that number rising to 52 percent of 18–24-year-olds. Consider it a way to see some of your favorite artists in a brand-new light.
5. Cowboy Core
You can thank Beyoncé for a revitalized passion for America’s real sweetheart: the cowboy. Travelers are increasingly heading to the Wild West — and if they aren’t, they’re infusing a little cowboy core into wherever they’re headed. Interest in horse trail riding is up 94 percent and interest in USA ranch stays is up 42 percent over the past year. Whether they’re visiting ranches or signing up for farm stays, buying a custom western hat at Kemo Sabe in Colorado or indulging in a horseback ride in Dubai (or in Argentina like Katie!), travelers are giddying up with cowboy-adjacent antics this year.
6. Horti-culture
Gardening can be a casual, at-home hobby, but it’s not limited to your backyard garden. Travelers are keen to get to their roots this year, opting for floral blooms over clubbing, like visiting Japan’s famous cherry blossoms or Amsterdam’s tulip fields. Seventy-two percent of travelers enjoy visiting gardens on vacation, which allows them a moment of calm in what can oftentimes be a hectic, overstimulated itinerary.
7. Gami-Vacation
Channel your main character energy with the trend that gives gamers real-life access to their virtual realities. Skyscanner’s data indicates a spike in searches for flights to worldwide gaming conventions, like a 508 percent increase in Cologne, Germany, in August, when GamesCom occurs. And it seems that people will be Pokémon Go-ing all over the globe next year, with international Pokémon championships being held worldwide and an increased number of attendees expected for 2025.
8. Future of Travel
AI is revolutionizing travel planning, and you can expect more of that in 2025. From building personalized itineraries to finding eco-conscious destinations, tools like ChatGPT and Skyscanner empower travelers to make smarter, more sustainable choices, reshaping how we explore the world.
