Discovering lesser-known destinations, traveling at night, choosing new places to stay... are ways to avoid crowds that are expected to attract many people's attention in 2025.
Explore little-known tourist spots
According to Expedia Travel Group's Unpack '25 report, 63% of travelers surveyed said they will choose less popular vacation destinations in 2025.
Instead of Paris, tourists will choose secondary cities such as Reims, famous for its champagne. In Mexico, in addition to crowded Cancun, tourists can visit Cozumel, a pristine diving paradise. In Japan, Fukuoka is less famous than Tokyo or Osaka, but is a foodie paradise and has a traditional sumo tournament.
Hilton’s 2025 Travel Trends Report shows that more and more travelers want to explore destinations from a local perspective. Tours that involve experiencing the daily lives of local people are of interest to travelers.
Select a new active accommodation
Experts say newly opened hotels and resorts often have fewer guests and more incentives, giving tourists a more private vacation than famous hotels that are always fully booked.
Some luxury hotels in Asia opening in 2025 that experts suggest include The Ritz-Carlton, in Fukuoka, Japan, opening in late 2024 and achieving the Michelin Key title.
The Sira Resort, in Lombok, Indonesia, is on the list of recommendations, offering a relaxing experience on a white sand beach and views of Mount Agung.
In South Korea, the Banyan Tree Haeundae Busan resort will open in 2025, which is expected to make Busan a better alternative to Seoul.
Night travel
Instead of waking up early to visit each destination on the itinerary, many travelers are turning to nighttime travel to avoid the noise. According to Booking.com, 67% of travelers in the Asia-Pacific region want to explore nighttime activities such as stargazing, hunting for the aurora borealis, and "star bathing".
Tasmania, Australia is famous for its Dark Mofo festival, which takes place on the night of the winter solstice. Visitors can experience art installations, enjoy music and special performances.
Natural phenomena such as flocks of birds in Somerset, England; bioluminescent plankton in Vero Beach, USA or "eclipse hunting" trips in Greenland will also attract many tourists in 2025.
Fine dining experience
According to a report by multinational hotel group Marriott International, Asia-Pacific is becoming the leading destination for culinary tourism, accounting for 37.8% of global revenue by 2023.
Marriott International offers guests a number of fine dining, intimate venues such as Margarita and Inato in Manila, Philippines, which are considered rising stars of Philippine cuisine.
Slow travel by train
Train travel continues to attract travelers looking for a slower-paced journey. In 2025, the Eastern and Oriental Express luxury cruise train will travel through Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, taking guests on cave explorations in Perlis, Malaysia, and cooking classes with locals.
In Japan, the Twilight Express Mizukaze announced a special itinerary through Kyoto and Tottori in April.
Health tourism
According to experts, more and more travelers are using travel to improve their physical and mental health. According to a survey by Booking, 60% of travelers are interested in resorts with wellness services.
Many resorts use cutting-edge treatments such as cryotherapy (a treatment that uses very low temperatures to reduce inflammation, pain and aid in the body's recovery), stem cell treatments and red light therapy.
Staycation at luxury hotel
Experts say that luxury hotel brands will explode in 2025. In Southeast Asia, the high-end accommodation market is considered to be on the rise in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Accommodations are designing many packages to serve tourists who need a weekend break, in the form of a staycation (resort at home).
TB (summary)