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Have you been thinking about your travel aspirations for 2025? Whether it’s making a pilgrimage to the real-life location of your favourite movie or attending the sports event of a lifetime, next year is shaping up to be an incredible year for new travel experiences. Here are some of the most inspiring travel trends to guide your New Year’s resolutions:
Why not make 2025 the year that you really lean into the less is more style of holiday – one that is all about slowing down, switching off and chilling out. Think of it as a complete break from the stress of planning and the hustle of modern life – no set agenda, no strict deadlines… just pure relaxation. It’s about travellers planning to not plan their time, to take a break from cramming their itinerary with activities, and to simply take each day as it comes.
If you need inspiration for your chillcation location, how about a luxury lodge stay in a remote corner of a national park in British Columbia, a lazy beach break on a sun-soaked island in the Caribbean, or a floating yoga retreat amidst the spectacular natural beauty of Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay? You don’t have to make your entire holiday a chillcation – you could just set aside a few days in your itinerary for doing as little as possible. For example, idyllic Vouliagmeni Beach is only twenty kilometres from the centre of Athens, but its inviting expanse of white sand and sparkling blue water provides the perfect antidote to the heat and hustle of Greece’s capital city.
Not to be confused with a chillcation (although the two concepts can work very well in tandem), a coolcation is your chance to rug up and enjoy the pristine beauty of the world’s most incredible winter holiday destinations.
Best of all, a coolcation is the perfect excuse to celebrate the winter months by leaning into the Scandinavian concept of hygge, which roughly translates to cosy contentment. After an invigorating sleigh ride through snowy Polish forests, or an exhilarating day of skiing in northern Italy’s finest powder snow, a bottomless mug of hot chocolate and a blazing, open fire is just what you need. You could also bring the coolcation concept to your next cruise holiday – for example, Lapland, Antarctica and Alaska. As well as being an incredibly relaxing way to travel, it’s a fantastic holiday choice if you’ve always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights.
The hushcation concept emerged from the increased number of people in remote working arrangements: think of it as a creative solution to achieving that all-important work-life balance. If you’re looking for a break from the everyday grind but not from work itself, a hushcation embraces the notion that a change is as good as a rest.
Your personal travel manager can help you find a hushcation location that ticks all the boxes, such as reliable Wi-Fi, a quiet workspace and amazing spa facilities or hiking trails on your doorstep – maybe a villa in Bali or an apartment in Vancouver? Pack your laptop and noise-cancelling headphones and you’re all set.
Whilst it’s wonderful to return to favourite holiday spots again and again, it’s also fun to occasionally dive into previously uncharted territory. You could tick off one of your more remote bucket-list destinations like Antarctica or Machu Picchu, or venture to an incredible, up-and-coming destination like Kazakhstan, Taiwan, Mongolia or Macedonia.
If you’re returning to a favourite destination, you could add an off-the-beaten-track element to your itinerary. For example, after experiencing Munich’s famous beer halls, museums and parks, you could explore the Black Forest or do a river cruise in the Tauber Valley. A well-planned itinerary merges the more iconic sights with less well-known destinations where you can escape the usual tourist crowds – add the stunning Istrian Peninsula to your Croatian itinerary or explore the cobbled streets of Český Krumlov as an add-on to your holiday in Prague.
Have you always harboured a burning desire to be part of the global spectacle that is the Super Bowl Final? Or to watch your favourite golf stars battle it out at the US Masters in Augusta, Florida? Will you be there in person to watch Australia’s top NRL teams perform under the global spotlight of the Rugby League Las Vegas Festival 2025?
Many of the world’s hottest sports events are located in the world’s most exciting cities: New York, Miami, Las Vegas, London, and Paris. Whether that iconic sporting event is the sole focus of your holiday, or it’s adding extra excitement and colour to your broader itinerary, it’s a great opportunity to explore new destinations. If you’re heading to Paris for the French Open, why not add a side-trip to the Côte d’Azur so you can be part of the buzz of the Monaco Grand Prix?
Also known as a 3G (three-generation) holiday, this is a fabulous way for the entire family to connect while sharing new experiences and creating new memories together.
Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia are all great choices for a multi-generational holiday, with activities to suit all ages, and a wide range of accommodation options that can cater to large groups of guests. Family cruises are also a popular option, offering a range of dining and sleeping arrangements, endless activities, and quiet spaces where you can retreat for time out from all that family bonding.
Whether you’re a Potterhead who longs to walk the halls of Hogwarts or a BookTok-dwelling bookworm who dreams of visiting the real-life version of Velaris, there are endless opportunities to indulge your media-inspired travel fantasies.
Take a jungle safari or explore the ruins of Machu Picchu in the style of Paddington and his family, eat macarons and drink champagne à la Emily in Paris, or ‘sail the length of the seas on the ocean breeze’ on a Moana-inspired cruise holiday. Follow the footsteps of your favourite travel influencer to captivating Lake Como or the Komodo Islands, or become an influencer in your own right, sharing your adventures on social media as you explore off-the-beaten-track destinations like Indonesia’s Sumba Island or the live music and food scene in Austin, Texas.
If you’re excited to watch your kids take their first tentative steps into independent travel, a moolie might be the 2025 holiday trend for you. It’s a fabulous twist on the classic Schoolies tradition, allowing teens to stretch their wings on an overseas experience but with Mum and/or Dad still on hand to facilitate the aspects that might otherwise be off limits to minors.
For a fun twist on the Moolies concept, you could also send the kids off on their merry Schoolies way and join your fellow parents on a well-deserved holiday break sans enfants. We’re thinking a mums’ trip to a spa resort in Fiji, a dads’ deep-sea fishing adventure, or a combination of both – anything that delivers well-deserved, 24/7, responsibility-free rest and relaxation. It’s a great way to allow your kids to have their independence while still enjoying the safety net of parental presence. The kids could have their Schoolies week in Bali instead of the traditional Gold Coast trip, while the mums (or dads) enjoy a week of bliss in a luxury villa nearby.
Solo travel has long been a popular trend among women travellers, and an increasing number of men are also becoming wise to the freedom and self-discovery that this style of holiday offers. You’re free to decide every aspect of your experience, from major factors like destination and duration, to the daily details like where to eat breakfast, and whether you should walk, taxi or e-scooter back to your hotel.
Some days you may seek out solitude, while other days you’re happy to strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone – the choice of how social you want to be is entirely in your hands. Take a road trip along California’s Pacific Coast Highway, go hiking in the Swiss Alps or take all the time you want to browse Amsterdam’s museums and art galleries. If the idea of travelling on your own is appealing but also somewhat intimidating, consider joining a guided tour specifically designed for solo men travellers.
Are you feeling inspired to start making your 2025 holiday plans? Our experienced personal travel managers can help put your own personal twist on these hot trends to create a memorable and rewarding year of travel.
TravelManagers respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands where we work and gather, and those we visit.
