Hilton has released its list of top trends for 2025, featuring a shift to adventure holidays and a touch of nostolgia.
For Hilton, 2024 was the Year of the Great Recharge, where sleep retreats made headlines, mindful drinking rose in popularity, and wellness-themed guest rooms took off. Today, as the post-pandemic leisure travel boom normalises, travellers surveyed in Hilton’s annual Trends Report are looking to pair their desire to relax and recharge with high-impact adventures and experiences to maximise their time and financial investment.
“Our 2025 Trends Report uncovers what has been simmering for years – the intersection of work and play, of relaxation and adventure, of being alone but together. Travelers don’t just want to choose their own adventure – they want to maximise every moment of their time away,” said Chris Nassetta, president and chief executive officer of Hilton.
“This new data reveals a fascinating dichotomy and growing focus on experiences that will keep us on our toes, constantly evolving to meet the needs of tomorrow’s traveller.”
Report findings were uncovered after extensive global research, involving 13,000 travellers across 13 countries, including Mexico, feedback from over 4,100 Hilton team members and in-depth interviews with dozens of Hilton travel experts.
Adventure-seeking “Go Getaways” have taken on restorative sleep retreats and “Hurkle-Durkling”. Nearly seven in ten global travellers enjoy being active when they travel, with one in five leisure travellers planning outdoor adventures in 2025. In fact, two in five Mexican travellers will prioritise outdoor adventures when budgeting their next trip.
One in five global travellers indulge in Hurkle-Durkling, the Scottish phrase for “lounging in bed all day” while on vacation, and more than a quarter of travellers will book a spa or wellness treatment to enhance their sleep.
Time Travel and Slow Travel have also accelerated in popularity. Fifty-eight percent of global travellers who travel with their kids revisit destinations from their own childhood, embracing nostalgia. One in four leisure travellers plan to explore the world and different cultures in 2025, leaning into the Slow Travel trend: the act of travelling and immersing yourself into a destination for an extended time as a local to fully experience the culture.
High tech has also met the digital detox. Sixty-three percent of travellers place importance on having the option of a digital room key, allowing them to go straight to their room without stopping at the front desk. Meanwhile, 24 percent of global travellers admit to disconnecting from social media more than they used to during vacations.
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