Small towns, stargazing, and tennis matches are topping the list of 2025 travel trends, according to a new survey conducted by Priceline. The post-pandemic “revenge travel” trend is out the window, and a new era of “intentional travel” has been ushered in, marked by savvy spending and personalized itineraries. If you’re looking for fresh travel inspiration, check out the industry’s eight emerging trends for 2025.
Embracing Local Lifestyles
In 2025, travelers are expected to forgo tourist hot spots in favor of local flair, giving them insight into what life is really like in their destination. They’ll do this by visiting smaller neighborhoods, eating at local gems, and even visiting the corner grocery store. These travelers believe it helps them create a stronger connection to the destination, giving them a more authentic experience.
The top U.S. neighborhoods that 2025 travelers surveyed in the report are most excited to visit include the French Quarter of New Orleans, the Capitol Riverfront in Washington, D.C., Miami’s Wynwood, and Boston’s North End. These neighborhoods are all tied to larger cities but have their own distinct culture, making them more appealing than the hustle and bustle of downtown tourist traps.
Even international travel is trending toward quaint locations. Searches for Vanves, France — a Paris suburb known for its flea market — have increased by 407% this year. Other lesser-traveled international cities on the most-searched list include Algarve, Portugal; Tbilisi, Georgia; Field, Canada; Penang, Malaysia; and Querétaro, Mexico.
Making Friends
Some 2025 travelers, especially the younger crowd, are searching for ways to make friends while traveling, and it is directly impacting where and how they vacation. Many Gen Z travelers are hanging out in hotel bars or going on cruises, signaling a surge of interest in communal travel spaces (and possibly a decrease in interest in private vacation rentals).
These travelers will also head to social hot spots at their destinations, including cultural events, music festivals, nightlife, beaches, parks, and other public spaces. To make these connections in 2025, Gen Z travelers are heading to major cities with plenty of social opportunities, like Las Vegas, Houston, Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago, Tokyo, Cancun, London, Paris, and Toronto.
Stargazing
In 2024, many people around the globe traveled to see astronomical events, including a total solar eclipse and the northern lights. In 2025, travelers, especially younger generations, are expected to continue that trend by trekking to areas with low light pollution, particularly International Dark Sky Places, to see meteor showers, eclipses, super moons, or planetary alignments.
Of the travelers polled, 35% said they would travel to see the northern lights, which are predicted to be visible again across North America in 2025. The most-searched destinations for viewing the northern lights are Whitehorse, Canada; Fairbanks, Alaska; Mackinaw City, Michigan; Medora, North Dakota; and Bayfield, Wisconsin.
These aren’t the only trending places with epic celestial views, either. Urban Night Sky Places — such as Querétaro, Mexico, and American Fork, Utah — will also be popular for viewing astronomical events, because they’re more accessible than remote towns.
Getting Physical
Travelers aren’t just vacationing to relax on the beach with a good book. They’re signing up for marathons, playing tennis and pickleball matches, enjoying golf, and pursuing new hiking trails or surf spots. Activity-based travel is predicted to draw in high numbers of tourists in 2025, with the location being dependent on desired sports.
This is especially popular with younger travelers, such as millennials, who are 80% more likely than the average traveler to plan a vacation around playing tennis, for instance. Not only will these travelers hope to play sports during their trips, but they’ll also travel to watch them. Priceline has seen a surge in travel searches for tennis tournaments in early 2025, namely the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California; the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia; and the Miami Open in Florida.
Exploring New Career Paths
The 2025 travel trends report also revealed that Gen Z travelers are 3.3 times more likely than the average traveler to try out a new job at their destination. This creates fun, new experiences but can also result in lasting, lifelong skills they can leverage in their current jobs or utilize in a career change.
According to Priceline’s survey, Gen Z has an eclectic list of destination jobs they dream about trying or experiencing. These include candlemaking in Hong Kong; knitting in Oslo, Norway; shoemaking in São Paulo, Brazil; pineapple farming in Bacolod, Philippines; wool farming in Geelong, Australia; and baking in Paris, France.
Running to New Destinations
While all sports travel is surging, running is making major headway. Athletes and casual runners alike are traveling to experience their sport in a new environment. These travelers say running is the perfect way to explore a new city and discover new neighborhoods, restaurants, or shops off the beaten path.
While vacationing, partaking in local running clubs also helps younger travelers make new friends, as they’ll find like-minded people at local clubs. This means travelers will look for hotels or accommodations near city parks or trails, especially in running-friendly areas like Cherry Creek in Denver or Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, for example. The top trending 2025 marathons for travelers include the Chevron Houston Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, Toronto Marathon, and Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando.
Searching for Small Towns
While some travelers will flock to major cities to make new friends or run a marathon, others are heading to small towns for a more laid-back vacation. Small-town travel inquiries are surging across all generations — from baby boomers, who feel it’s the most relaxing way to travel, to Gen Zers, who appreciate the authenticity of a small town, which might remind them of their favorite comfort movies and television shows.
Around 31% of travelers surveyed in the Priceline report want to visit a small town in 2025. The top trending U.S. small towns are Three Rivers, situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California; Panguitch, near southern Utah’s national parks; Bretton Woods in New Hampshire’s largest ski area; South Yarmouth, a coastal town on Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts; and Ouray, Colorado, touted as the “Switzerland of America.”
Parents Seeking R&R
There’s one group of travelers you may not see running marathons during their next vacation: tired parents. This exhausted group of vacationers is more focused on catching up on rest during their 2025 getaways. Citing mental and physical exhaustion, these travelers are ready to unwind at resorts or destinations with self-care activities and services — and comfortable beds. Among the most popular activities for weary parents are rage rooms (businesses where you can smash a room full of objects to relieve stress), in-room spa services, moon rituals, art classes, yoga, and enhanced sleep services.
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