When it comes to travel in 2025, ABTA says more people are looking to expand their horizons with trips to more far flung and less familiar destinations.

That’s according to ABTA’s new report, Travel Trends for 20251, which shows that more than a third (34.2%) of people are planning to visit long-haul locations outside of Europe and North America (up from 28.2% last year).

Asia is the continent set to welcome the biggest year-on-year rise in visitors, with one in 10 (11%) people planning to travel there in the year ahead (up from 8.9% the year before). Japan, Thailand, India and China are among the top locations that people plan to visit.

Africa and Oceania2 are also set for a significant rise in visitors, welcoming 7% (up from 5.1%) and 6% (up from 4.3%) respectively, with the latter being driven largely by plans to travel to Australia.

ABTA’s research also suggests that many trips in 2025 may be ‘baecations’, as people are increasingly choosing to travel with their partners – or ‘baes3’ – over anyone else.  44% of travellers said they went on holiday with their significant other in the past 12 months, up from 40% the year before.

It’s not just couples without children who are travelling in twos, 29% of parents4 treated themselves to a baecation in the past 12 months, up from 21% last year. 

ABTA predicts that five-star stays will also be big next year, particularly for Gen Z.

More than one in five (22%) of Gen Z say they’re planning to spend more on their holidays next year so they can upgrade their accommodation, compared with 14% of Millennials, 11% of Baby Boomers and 8% of Gen X.

It follows on from an increase in Gen Zs taking five star trips this year - 47% of this group said they stayed in five-star accommodation when holidaying abroad this past year (up from 37% the year before). That compares with the overall average of 35% of people who went on a holiday abroad stayed in five-star accommodation, which had also increased, up from 30% the year before.

These top trends for 2025 were released today (26 November 2024) at ABTA’s annual Travel Trends conference alongside a variety of the latest industry insights from other speakers.

Graeme Buck, Director of Communications at ABTA – The Travel Association, said: “More people are looking to travel abroad in 2025, and our report shows that many are looking for new experiences.

“Our advice for anyone thinking of going away is to speak to an ABTA travel agent or tour operator. They are experts at turning people’s plans into their ideal break and can offer any support or guidance needed along the way.”

ABTA’s full list of Travel Trends for 2025 (read in full here) are:

Loving long-haul – 2025 is set to be a year where we expand our horizons, with people increasingly looking to explore more far flung and less familiar destinations.

Five-star fans – When it comes to overseas holidays, trading up is on trend, with an increasing number of people treating themselves to five-star stays.

Baecations are back – Couples-only holidays are where it’s at, with people increasingly choosing to travel with their partners (or ‘baes’).

Experiencing winter – People are increasingly moving towards experiences for their winter breaks, as they seek out unique activities for this time of year.

Inspiration polarisation – Traditional sources of holiday inspiration are remaining remarkably resilient, while the adoption of new tech is also starting to come through.