Expedia's Unpack '25 Report Reveals Eight Travel Trends
Every time we book a trip or even search for it, we're adding to a huge database of information. Today, Expedia Group unveiled Unpack '25 , their annual sharing of what travelers are looking for and where we'll be going next year. Here are eight notable trends that arise from this report.
Gen Z travelers love all-inclusive resorts. One-third say that their perception of them has changed for the better, and 42 percent say it's now their preferred hotel type. Knowing that all food and drinks are included feels luxurious, it's stress-reducing, and it's easy to book.
Detour travel is up—in other words, the idea that you're hitting a major destination but then also stopping somewhere lesser known along the way. The report gives an example of visiting Los Angeles and then detouring over to Santa Barbara (we think Santa Barbara is its own destination, though! Sorry, Barb).
Some people are traveling to purchase a unique item across the world, inspired by TikTok, and they even build the entire trip around this one souvenir. Examples are butter from France and a special chocolate bar from Dubai.
Dining at the hotel—and even booking the restaurant reservation at the same time as the room—is on the rise. A notable U.S. hotel in this category is the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, California. Next year, the famous Nobu restaurant will open up at the hotel. Some hotels have responded to an uptick in their cachet by reserving tables only for staying guests.
JOMO (joy of missing out) travel is up, with visitors choosing quieter, secluded spots to stay: a cabin in the woods or a home with a tranquil garden.
Travelers are seeking stays that correspond to phenomena, like how so many people headed to the Path of Totality to better see the total solar eclipse. Some U.S.-based sites that offer that in the coming year would be seeing the International Dark Sky Park at Arches National Park, Utah, the synchronous firefly season at Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, or at Congaree National Park in Hopkins, South Carolina, and the bioluminescent plankton at Vero Beach, Florida.
