2025 trends from tailor-made specialist Audley Travel

Top destinations for 2025 travel are India, Canada, Japan, the USA and Thailand

Country specialists from tailor-made tour operator Audley Travel have shared their insights into what clients are booking for 2025 and why, as well as their thoughts on other travel trends for the coming year.

Hybrid-holidays

For 2025, Audley’s clients are increasingly looking to combine two very different elements into their trip. This could be a cruise itinerary with a carefully curated programme of land-based experiences either side, going beyond the traditional ‘cruise and stay’ to ensure they see the best of the destination by land and sea (as an example, a trip to Japan which features stays in Tokyo and Kyoto as well as exploring the volcanic landscapes and hot springs of Hakone and then joining a cruise around Japan with a stop in South Korea to discover Busan’s beaches, mountains, temples, and markets).

Similarly, clients are opting for itineraries utilising ‘rail and trail’ for example, travelling to Western Australia on the Indian Pacific train, and then hiking one of the country’s great walks in the state. Clients are also booking safari and beach breaks with a difference — pairing Kenya with the Seychelles or searching for lemurs and other wildlife while hiking through Madagascar’s rainforest, followed by relaxing on the tranquil, sandy beaches of Île Sainte-Marie.

The rise of guide masters

Audley’s country specialists report an increase in demand for touring with guides with personal or professional experience. From a food tour in India with a local chef or in Vietnam with a food blogger, to touring lesser-known Cambodian temples with a professional photographer to help clients take the perfect photo away from the crowds as well as understanding the sites’ history, clients want unrivalled experiences where they are confident that they are seeing the authentic side of their chosen destination.

Cultural kids

Audley is seeing increased demand for cultural touring designed especially for families in 2025. From itineraries to Japan that feature ninja classes, to touring in Greece focussing on Greek mythology tailored to children, and carefully curated chef’s tables for children in India and Sri Lanka, families are looking for richer experiences and learning opportunities from their travels.

Let the locals lead the way (next time...)

Audley’s country specialists note a theme in the type of itinerary that clients returning to a destination are booking for 2025. These typically focus on the more authentic places in the country, often where the locals go. For example, in South Africa second time visitors are opting for KwaZulu-Natal or The Waterburg rather than the Kruger, repeat visitors to Japan typically follow the locals to a region off the golden route such as Shikoku, Kyushu, or Tohoku and travellers returning to India choose homestays and local experiences in Kerala or Tamil Nadu for a second trip, and explore Calcutta and northeast India on a third.

Micro-hospitality

The team from Audley Private Concierge, launched this year to work with Audley’s highest spending and most frequently booking clients, reports an increase in the desire for micro-hospitality with luxury examples including a private fine-dining lunch on the top of a mountain reached by helicopter. This is supported by research¹ Audley conducted with the top end of the market earlier this year, which found that 48 per cent ranked having exclusive experiences as one of the top three requirements of a luxury holiday.

Early booking hotspots for 2026 & 2027

Audley’s country specialists have always been strong advocates of the need to book certain destinations as early as possible (for example Canada’s bear lodges in peak season or Japan for Cherry Blossom), but is now seeing the range of destinations that this applies to expanding. Audley is seeing higher than normal bookings more than 18 months in advance for trips to Spain and Iceland from clients keen to be in the path of totality of the solar eclipse on 12 August 2026, with rooms in many of these areas of Iceland already sold out. Similarly, availability is already extremely tight for Egypt (specifically Luxor) in 2027, for the 2 August solar eclipse.

Over-tourism alternatives

Audley’s country specialists report an increase in the number of clients keen to avoid the peak travel times in the main tourist destinations. As a result, they are increasingly booking more off-the-beaten-track alternatives or recommending travel at a different time. As an example, in Borneo Audley’s specialists recommend considering Sarawak (orangutans can be seen as in Sabah) or, for those set on Sabah, opting for travel in the ‘off-season’ where the chance of rain is balanced by a much quieter experience. Similarly in Canada, Audley’s specialists recommend Bow Lake as a much lesser visited alternative to Lake Louise. In destinations like Japan, Audley’s specialists encourage clients to be a little more adventurous and take expert advice on alternative but just as good experiences, as even moving a few streets away from the major spots in popular towns such as Kyoto and Tokyo can still be a fantastic authentic experience.

Sustainability

Research conducted with British travellers recently found that 62 per cent² say that having sustainable travel options (e.g. lower carbon flights) is essential or quite important to them.

Motivations for travel

Taking a bucket list trip remains the top motivator for 2025 travel, cited by Audley’s specialists as the reason for 33 per cent of trips³. To celebrate a personal milestone (birthday, anniversary, retirement, graduation etc) is the reason for 29 per cent of trips, and honeymoon was 19 per cent. Taking a school holiday trip was nine per cent, travelling with friends was five per cent and spending time with family six per cent.

Where Audley’s clients are booking⁴

Top destinations for 2025 travel are India, Canada, Japan, the USA and Thailand (Thailand replaces South Africa compared to 2024). The average group size duration for 2025 bookings is 2.27, down 3.17 per cent from 2.35 in 2024. The average duration is 16 nights up 6.37 per cent from 15 nights in 2024.

Notes to editors

¹The research was designed by Audley Travel and MillionaireVue from Savanta and was conducted with 500 UK-based individuals with £1m+ investable assets in May and June 2024.

²The research was conducted by Kantar with a sample of 1,267 UK adults (18 plus) between 09/05/2024 - 13/05/2024.

³Audley’s Country Specialists were surveyed in October 2024.

⁴Audley Travel booking data for 2025 on 28 October 2024.

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