Mastercard | Travel Trends 2025 - Focus on “Purpose-Driven Journeys”

Despite the uncertainty that characterizes the global economy, travel trends in 2025 show that people continue to travel, not only for fun, but for experiences with personal or emotional meaning. According to the annual report of the Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI), “purpose-driven journeys” are now shaping the profile of tourism demand.

The MEI analyzed real-time data from flight bookings and cross-border spending, noting that travelers in 2025 are looking for wellness retreats, adventure experiences, cultural experiences, and major sporting events. Economic conditions affect choices, but services – and especially tourism – are showing greater resilience compared to the goods sector.

The most popular destinations for summer 2025

Tokyo tops the global trends for summer 2025, followed by Osaka and Paris. Japan continues to benefit from the depreciation of the yen, offering economically attractive destinations, while the culture and experiences it offers make it a star.

Destinations such as Shanghai, Palma de Mallorca, Nha Trang in Vietnam, and Rio de Janeiro are also showing particular momentum, combining a seaside experience with competitive prices.

• The increase in European visitors gave a boost to Tirana, Albania, which is in the top ten. In fact, Tirana saw the largest increase in European visitors, led by Italians, of any city in 2024.

New forces on the tourism map

Saudi Arabia is experiencing spectacular growth as an emerging leisure and business destination. Visa reforms, tourism infrastructure development, and ambitious investment projects are attracting more visitors to cities such as Jeddah and Riyadh.

Conversely, the downward trend in travel to the US from Europe and Canada is partly attributed to political uncertainty and currency fluctuations. According to the latest figures, passenger traffic between the US and Western Europe fell by 1.2% year-on-year in March, while road traffic to Canada from the US fell by 32%.

Conclusion

2025 is shaping up to be the year of travel with emotional and personal value. Destination choices are no longer based solely on cost or distance, but also on the meaning each experience offers. Despite uncertainty, global travelers are seeking authenticity, wellness, and personal connection, and the tourism industry is challenged to dynamically adapt to this shift in demand.

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