Tourism | City breaks, artificial intelligence and solo travel the dominant trends in 2025

Global travel booking platform, Omio, has today released its inaugural NowNext annual Report, revealing the trends defining travel in 2024 and beyond. Omio commissioned the renowned research house, Ripple Effect, to conduct an omnibus survey of thousands of European and US travellers. The findings, complemented by user data, highlight the rise of traveller traffic, with new drivers inspiring booking decisions.  

"At Omio, we are always looking for new ways to simplify and enrich our customers' travel experiences," commented Veronica Diquattro, Omio President of B2C Europe. "We've created this report to get a deeper understanding of what is driving booking decisions, now and into 2025. From the rise of men's solo travel to the return of city breaks, we're seeing a dynamic mix of emerging new trends with the renaissance of holiday rituals. We're also witnessing the continued rise of the digital traveller, whose increasing reliance on AI, social media and apps, provides an insight into how the industry must evolve to meet changing consumer needs." 

The NowNext '24 Report themes are:

Travel with a Capital C: Remote, niche locations have grown in popularity over the last years, but city escapes are on the rise again with 60% of travellers planning to visit major cities in 2025. Culture-rich capitals win top spot as the most in-demand locations on the Omio platform in 2024… but it isn't only iconic landmarks persuading travellers to go urban, with food, concerts, and sporting events increasingly amongst the main reasons travellers are flocking to major metropolises.

Boy Wander: From self-discovery to mental empowerment, independence to building confidence, there are lots of benefits to travelling alone. Over the last few years, the trend has been heavily led by women, but we're soon to see a surge in lone male voyagers with 30% of men compared to 23% of women planning a solo trip in 2025. Not only are men planning to increase solo travel, but they also plan to do it in style with 28% of men planning to spend over £2,000 on their international trip.

Lost in Translation: Travelling broadens our horizons and gives us a fresh perspective of foreign cultures, but it also comes with challenges. Travellers cite language barriers and navigating unfamiliar transport networks as the biggest sources of stress with almost a third (29%) of respondents struggling with foreign transport. In 2025, travellers will increasingly lean on technology to navigate the complexities of international travel with 44% saying they would use AI to plan and book travel in 2025, compared to 27% in 2024.

Summer Suntrap: While 'shoulder-season' can provide cheaper, quieter, and more temperate conditions, travellers just can't resist peak summer travel. In 2024, 74% of travellers believed June, July, and August were the best times to get away. In 2025, it is set to be a similar story, with 76% preferring the full tourist experience of peak season compared to off-peak options.

The New Travel AI-gents: Booking a holiday destination isn't always straightforward. With so many options to choose from, we are under a lot of pressure to ensure that we select the right location to suit what we want from our trip. It's no surprise then that savvy travellers are increasingly using AI and social media with 45% of travellers getting their travel inspiration from social media in 2024.

TLC (Travel Loving Care): Conscious travel continues to rapidly grow in importance for travellers as they try to minimise the negative impacts of their journey and help the communities and places they visit. Over half of travellers (58%) are more likely to travel to places that incentivise sustainable travel and 44% say supporting local businesses and restaurants is a key part of their travel plans.

An Exciting 2025 Lies Ahead…
Veronica Diquattro, continues, "From our NowNext '24 Report, it's clear that travellers' needs continue to change. At Omio, it's our mission to offer a powerful and easy-to-use platform that allows travellers, from all corners of the globe, to navigate the complexities of the travel landscape with consummate ease. It's our goal to support all types of travellers, catering to individual needs, personal preferences and decision drivers in 2025 and beyond. We believe it's time to shake things up. Travel is changing, and Omio is leading the way. "

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