According to Grand View Research, the global luxury tourism market was estimated to be worth $1.4 trillion in 2023 and is expected to grow by +7.9% annually between 2024 and 2030. Regarding trends, the "Luxury Travel Trend Watch: 2025" report has been published, developed by Virtuoso and Globetrenter, the travel trend forecasting agency.
Well-being
The consensus among studies is that wellness tourism is the major trend in luxury travel. According to the Global Wellness Institute, this segment is expected to grow by +16.6% per year and reach £1,600 billion by 2027. While spas are integral to hotel offer, customer expectations go further. Long and personalized retreats, specific insomnia or disease prevention treatments, regenerative meditations, traditional and conceptualized treatments around life extension... More than ever, the luxury traveler wants intensive body-mind transformations.
Spontaneous and Short-term Experiences
Carpe Diem. The report describes a new luxury travel trend. Instead of following to-do lists and structured holiday programs, luxury travelers seek spontaneous experiences, sometimes outside their comfort zones and away from conventional tourist sites. This presents an opportunity for specialized companies to partner with travel agencies and hotels to offer original getaways.
Mood Boarding
Offering customer experiences is essential, but it's equally crucial to consider their state of mind and emotions. Travel advisors aim to provide getaways that fulfill tourists' desire for discovery and resonate with their feelings. The report suggests that by asking insightful questions to understand customers' motivations, travel designers can cater to their deeper emotional needs.
The Multigenerational Journey
By 2025, at least seven generations will participate in the travel market. The first "beta babies" will be born to Gen Z parents, and they will join Generation Alpha, Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and older people in traveling the world. The high-end tourism sector will need to focus on building customer loyalty while catering to the needs of the very young generations and adapting to the influence of social networks, with TikTok being a significant source of inspiration for Gen Z.
Women Travelers
An increasingly prevalent trend in the travel sector is the rise of women traveling alone. According to Virtuoso, 71% of solo travelers are women. In response to this statistic, some cruise lines have decided to eliminate the extra fees charged to single tourists, while others have created memorable getaways designed for women. Travel agencies also offer women-only trips with experiences tailored to their preferences. It is also crucial for the industry to ensure specific safety and well-being standards to provide female travelers with peace of mind during their journeys.
Memory in Motion
This trend reflects the way modern societies are evolving. It involves travelers hiring professional film crews to document their vacations. By capturing these moments in high-quality content, they can create lasting memories that won't get lost among the thousands of photos and videos on their phones.
Racquet Sports
It's a seemingly small opportunity, but it aligns with a rising demand driven by the 2024 movie Challengers. Racquet sports like tennis, padel, and pickleball are becoming more popular and one of the luxury travel trends. Therefore, hotels should take advantage of this trend by providing dedicated facilities, spaces, and on-site courts.
