Detour Destinations, a new All-Inclusive Era and JOMO Travel are driving next year’s travel plans

Today, Expedia Group unveiled Unpack ’25, the annual data-driven outlook for what’s motivating travellers and where they will go next year.

Expedia Group analysed first-party travel data, insights from 25,000 travellers, and the latest industry innovation to “unpack” the eight noteworthy travel trends for 2025 that include Detour Destinations, JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) Travel and One-Click Trips, which will take travellers from looking at their next trip on Instagram to booking it.

“Expedia Group continuously works to blend technology with travel, making journeys simpler and more enjoyable. The Unpack report is our opportunity to reflect on what travellers are seeking and how our partners are innovating,” said Ariane Gorin, CEO of Expedia Group. “From this year’s trends, I’m eager to book a One-Click Trip and visit some Detour Destinations for my next holiday.”

Expedia – Detour Destinations: Next year, travellers are not only visiting the tried-and-true tourist destinations – they are adding detours. Expedia’s destinations of the year are near popular hotspots, making them ideal day trips while also being attractive as main attractions. In the hunt for the less crowded and less well-known, 63% of consumers say they are likely to visit a Detour Destination on their next trip*.

Expedia compiled the 10 trending Detour Destinations for 2025 based on increase in searches¹:

• Reims, France (detour from Paris)
• Brescia, Italy (detour from Milan)
• Cozumel, Mexico (detour from Cancun)
• Santa Barbara, California, USA (detour from Los Angeles)
• Waikato, New Zealand (detour from Auckland)
• Girona, Spain (detour from Barcelona)
• Fukuoka, Japan (detour from Tokyo)
• Abu Dhabi, UAE (detour from Dubai)
• Krabi, Thailand (detour from Phuket)
• Canmore, Alberta, Canada (detour from Calgary)

Expedia – Goods Getaways: TikTok has inspired travellers to take trips in search of craveable (and share-worthy) specialty goods. Whether it’s a viral chocolate bar from Dubai, butter from France, skincare products from Korea or Japanese sweets, travellers are making extra space in their carry-ons for unique treasures, even creating entire trips around getting the goods.

When going on holiday, 60% of Brits prioritise visiting a supermarket to buy local goods and delicacies, with sweet treats (43%) and condiments and spices (20%) topping the shopping list. * Coffee tours in Costa Rica, tea tastings in China and matcha experiences in Japan are some of the most popular Goods Getaway experiences bookable on Expedia².

Hotels.com – All-Inclusive Era: All-inclusive resorts are far more than families looking for fun in the sun by the pool. Today’s all-inclusives are attracting Gen Zers who are looking for stress-free stays and a good deal. Almost two-thirds (61%) of British Gen Z travellers say they are considering booking an all-inclusive hotel stay in 2025 and 43% say an all-inclusive resort would be their preferred hotel type.

The top reasons UK Gen Z is embracing their All-Inclusive Era are cost savings (50%), ease of booking (41%), minimal stress (39%), and because staying at all-inclusive hotels feels luxurious (39%).*

Hotels.com – Hotel Restaurant Renaissance: When booking hotels, travellers are not just making room reservations — they’re making dinner reservations, too. Hotels around the world have opened critically acclaimed restaurants featuring Michelin-starred chefs and rotating seasonal menus to attract guests.

Travellers are seeking standout hotel dining experiences; positive reviews about hotel restaurants, chefs and bars increased by 40% YoY on Hotels.com.³ Furthermore, nearly a third of British travellers say restaurant tables reserved exclusively for hotel guests would make them more likely to book (29%), while 1 in 5 (19%) say room service from a famous hotel restaurant would be their top reason.

Vrbo – JOMO Travel: We often experience FOMO when seeing others go on action-packed trips, but in 2025, travellers will embrace JOMO, the joy of missing out. JOMO Travel means doing less on holiday to escape the hustle bustle of everyday life and staying at cosy cabins or peaceful beach houses to boost relaxation and reconnection. Two-thirds (58%) of UK travellers say these types of trips reduce stress and anxiety, and nearly half say that it provides a sense of escape from daily responsibilities.

The best way to experience JOMO Travel according to Brits is from a charming beach house, secluded lakeside lodge or rustic countryside farmhouse. The top holiday rental amenities JOMO Travellers are seeking are tranquil gardens, pools, hot tubs and porches with a view.*

Vrbo – The Phenomena-List: Droves of travellers booked private holiday homes along the path of totality to see the total solar eclipse in 2024, proving people will travel great distances to see natural phenomena in real life. Survey data revealed that the Northern Lights (70%) are the top phenomenon British travellers want to see, followed by geological phenomena (33%) like volcanoes, geysers and hot springs. Two-thirds (63%) of UK travellers say it’s important to stay in a place that offers prime viewing for these natural wonders,* so it’s no surprise that private holiday homes in secluded or rural destinations are ideal for phenomena-seekers.

Vrbo handpicked these natural phenomena that travellers will want a front-row seat to in 2025:

• International Dark Sky Park – Arches National Park, Utah
• Synchronous firefly season – Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, TN
• Penguin parade – Phillip Island near Melbourne, Australia
• Bioluminescent plankton – Vero Beach, Florida
• “Black Sun” starlings’ migration – Wadden Sea National Park, Denmark
• Ballet of Japanese cranes – Hokkaido, Japan
• Highest tides in the world, walk on the ocean floor – Bay of Fundy, Canada
• Starling murmurations – Somerset, U.K.
• Volcanoes, lava fields and black sand beaches – Reykjavík, Iceland
• Northern Lights – Lapland region, Finland

2025 Set-Jetting Forecast: From bingeworthy streaming shows to reality TV, travellers keep turning to the screen for trip inspiration. Since Expedia Group identified Set-Jetting as a travel behavior in 2022, the trend continues to grow. Two-thirds of travellers say movies, streaming services and TV shows have influenced their travel choices, a 16% increase from last year.

For the second year, Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo compiled the Set-Jetting Forecast to reveal what entertainment-inspired destinations travellers will head to in 2025. Destinations inspired by “Emily in Paris” and “White Lotus” are not the only Set-Jetting standouts, as proven by Expedia search data following these releases⁴:

• Dubai inspired by “The Real Housewives of Dubai”
• Montana and Wyoming inspired by “Yellowstone”
• New York City inspired by “And Just Like That…”
• Cape Town inspired by “One Piece”
• Scotland inspired by “The Traitors”

One-Click Trips:

Half of consumers make daily, weekly or monthly purchases because of trusted influencer content⁵. Though shopping on Instagram and TikTok has become the new normal for lower-ticket items like fashion and beauty, travel shopping on social media is still in its early stages. Half of consumers say they have wanted to book a trip they saw on their social feeds, but cited time and complexity as the primary barriers. Expedia recently launched travel industry-first shoppable storefronts curated by social media creators, tastemakers and brands with more than 100 Travel Shops live on the Expedia app.

To learn more about the travel trends in Unpack ’25™: here

---

Notes to the editor:

All-Inclusive Era resorts around the world:

• AVA Resort – Cancun, Mexico
• Alpinresort ValSaa – Sport & Spa – Saalbach, Austria
• Secrets Playa Blanca – Costa Mujeres, Mexico
• Royalton CHIC Antigua – Saint John’s, Antigua
• Hotel Riu Palace Mauritius – Le Morne, Mauritius
• Dreams Sapphire Resort & Spa – Puerto Moreles, Mexico

Hotel Restaurant Renaissance hotels with notable dining experiences:

• Hotel del Coronado – Coronado, California
  The grand opening of the world-famous Nobu restaurant at the Hotel del Coronado is scheduled for next year.
• Susana Balbo Winemaker’s House – Chacras de Coria, Argentina
  Argentinian winemaker Susana Balbo gives wine pairings at this boutique hotel near Mendoza.
• ROMEO Napoli – Naples, Italy
  Michelin-star winner Alain Ducasse appointed upcomer Alessandro Lucassino as the new executive chef for Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse.

JOMO Travel
These are some of our favorite restful retreats for the ultimate JOMO Travel holiday:

• An off-grid treehouse, Ohio (USA)
• An estate of one’s own, Wiltshire (England)
• A tropical jungle hideout, Sayulita (Mexico)
• A Blue Ridge mountain retreat, North Carolina (USA)
• Scottish Highland fling, Highlands (Scotland)
• Desert stillness, California (USA)
• On island time, Hawaii (USA)
• Zen in the Catskills, New York (USA)

The Phenomena-List
The best times of year to experience the Phenomena-List destinations for peak viewing:

• April–May or Sept.–Oct.: International Dark Sky Park – Arches National Park, Utah
• May–June: Synchronous firefly season – Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, TN
• Year-round: Penguin parade – Phillip Island near Melbourne, Australia
• July–Sept.: Bioluminescent plankton – Vero Beach, Florida
• Feb.–mid-April and Aug.–Dec.: “Black Sun” starlings’ migration – Wadden Sea National Park, Denmark
• Feb.– March: Ballet of Japanese cranes – Hokkaido, Japan
• Year-round; for peak tides, visit during a full moon cycle: Highest tides in the world, walk on the ocean floor – Bay of Fundy, Canada
• Dec.–Jan.: Starling murmurations – Somerset, U.K.
• June–Aug.: Volcanoes, lava fields and black sand beaches – Reykjavík, Iceland
• End of Aug.–April: Northern Lights – Lapland region, Finland

2025 Set-Jetting Forecast:

• Interest in Dubai increased more than 30% year-over-year on Expedia after “The Real Housewives of Dubai” aired.
• The U.K. remains a top Set-Jetting destination with hundreds of “Bridgerton,” “Harry Potter,” “Game of Thrones” and “Outlander”-themed tours available to book on Expedia.
• Hotels featured in “The Real Housewives of Dubai” include: Atlantis, The Palm, ME Dubai by Meliá, Palazzo Versace, and Raffles The Palm
• New York City hotels featured in “And Just Like That” include: Baccarat Hotel and Residences and The Mark
• Vrbo private ranch featured on the show “Yellowstone.

---

1. Date range Sept. 1, 2023 – Aug. 31, 2024 ↩︎
2. Based on global activities data on Expedia between Jan. 1 – Aug. 1, 2024 ↩︎
3. Based on hotel review data on Hotels.com between Jan. 1, 2024 – July 4, 2024 vs Jan. 1 – July 4, 2023 ↩︎
4. Based on Expedia travel data comparing release dates to 90 days after in 2023, to the same dates in 2022. ↩︎
5. The 2024 Influencer Marketing Report: In Influencers we Trust, Sprout Social (April 2024) ↩︎

*Methodology:

Third-party research was commissioned by Expedia Group and conducted by market research firm OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct. The study was conducted among 25,000 respondents across 19 countries, among adults who have traveled for leisure or plan to in the next three years.