2024 was the Year of the Great Recharge, where sleep retreats made headlines, mindful drinking rose in popularity and wellness-themed guest rooms took off. Today, as the post-pandemic leisure travel boom normalizes, travelers surveyed in Hilton’s annual Trends Report are looking to pair their desire to relax and recharge with high-impact adventures and experiences to maximize their time and financial investment.
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AutoCamp Joshua Tree (Photo: Hilton)
“Our 2025 Trends Report uncovers what has been simmering for years – the intersection of work and play; of relaxation and adventure; of being alone but together. Travelers don’t just want to choose their own adventure – they want to maximize every moment of their time away,” said Chris Nassetta, president and chief executive officer, Hilton. “This new data reveals a fascinating dichotomy and growing focus on experiences that will keep us on our toes, constantly evolving to meet the needs of tomorrow’s traveler.”
Report findings were uncovered after extensive global research, involving 13,000 travelers across 13 countries, feedback from over 4,100 Hilton team members and in-depth interviews with dozens of Hilton travel experts. Trend highlights include:
- Adventure-Seeking “Go Getaways” Take on Restorative Sleep Retreats and “Hurkle-Durkling”
- Go Getaways: 7 in 10 global travelers enjoy being active when they travel, with 1 in 5 leisure travelers planning outdoor adventures in 2025.
- Sleep Retreats & Hurkle-Durkling: 1 in 5 global travelers indulge in Hurkle-Durkling, the Scottish phrase for “lounging in bed all day” while on vacation, and more than a quarter of travelers will book a spa or wellness treatment to enhance their sleep.
- “Time Travel” and “Slow Travel” Accelerate
- Time Travel: 58% of global travelers who travel with their kids revisit destinations from their own childhood, embracing nostalgia.
- Slow Travel: 1 in 4 leisure travelers are planning to explore the world and different cultures in 2025, leaning into the Slow Travel trend: the act of traveling and immersing yourself into a destination for an extended time as a local to fully experience the culture.
- “High-Tech Travel” Meets “Digital Detox”
- High-Tech Travel: 63% of travelers place importance on having the option of a digital room key, allowing them to go straight to their room without stopping at the front desk.
- Digital Detox: 24% of global travelers admit to disconnecting from social media more than they used to during vacations.
- Fido and Frolleagues Take the Stage
- Pet-Friendly: 25% of MeMooners, or solo travelers, often travel for leisure with their pets – more often than the average leisure traveler (19%).
- Frolleagues: Today, nearly 30% of global travelers often travel with Frolleagues, friends who are also colleagues, on their leisure adventures.
- Gen Alpha and MeMooner Travelers Surge
- The Gen Alpha Effect: 70% of global respondents with children choose vacation destinations based on their kids’ preferences.
- MeMooners Rising: 64% of solo travelers consider a good book their favorite travel partner.
- Foodie Exploration and Tempo Drinking
- Will Travel for Food: Nearly1 in 5 of global leisure travelers seek out new restaurants or culinary experiences, with 50% of travelers booking restaurant reservations before their flights.
- Sober Curiosity Evolution: In just the past year, 1 in 4 global travelers* has either reduced or stopped their consumption of alcohol, reflecting the growing Tempo Drinking trend, or the mindful practice of moderating the pace and volume of drinking alcohol.
- From Inner Discovery to Outward Cheering
- Soft Travel: More than 1 in 5 travelers plan to getaway for self-discovery or mental health when traveling for leisure, leaning into “Soft Travel,” or travel that encourages simplicity or spontaneity.
- Surge in Sports: From 2019 to 2024, Hilton Worldwide Sport Sales revenue tripled in volume - 80% of which is driven by youth or amateur sports.
Hilton continues to innovate to meet the needs of travelers globally through an unmatched portfolio of industry-leading brands plus exclusive partnerships that create more experiences for guests to dream about. From Hilton dramatically expanding its portfolio of luxury hotel experiences with the addition of nearly 400 boutique properties from the exquisite Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) collection, to its exclusive partnership with premier outdoor hospitality company AutoCamp, Hilton is providing exceptional stay experiences for every traveler for every stay occasion.
For more information on how Hilton is staying ahead of travel trends and to view the findings, read the full 2025 report at stories.hilton.com/2025trends. To start planning 2025 travel, visit Hilton.com.
*This question was not asked in Saudi Arabia or UAE
Methodology
These are the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between June 5 – 26, 2024. For this survey, a sample of 13,001 adults age 18+ who plan to travel in the next 12 months from Australia, Brazil, mainland China, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States were interviewed online in Simplified Chinese, German, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, and English.
The sample was randomly drawn from non-probability panels. Post-hoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, and education. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=13,001, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-1.1 percentage points). Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding.
About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 24 world-class brands comprising more than 8,000 properties and more than 1.2 million rooms, in 126 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, was named the No. 1 World’s Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune and has been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for seven consecutive years. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 195 million Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit stories.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
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