Did your last getaway leave you dreaming of a 2025 adventure? To help you decide where to head next, we've teamed up with the legends at Expedia, Wotif, and Stayz to bring you what’s trending in travel for the year ahead.
No matter the health of your post-silly season wallet or your ability to swindle that extra week of leave, these 2025 travel trends will ensure that the next holiday in your calendar is one to remember.
Detour Destinations
When it comes to appeasing your inner travel bug, a decent detour can turn into an adventure of a lifetime. Whether it is lingering a little longer at a pit-stop or making the decision to add a smart side-trip, travelling in 2025 is about making your trips work that little harder. Although it is a must to have those big-hitter destinations like Cancun, Barcelona and Paris on your wishlist, a well-chosen detour from your original destination should not be overlooked. Whether you’re hoping to immerse yourself in a thrilling new culinary scene, soak up artistic inspiration, marvel at natural beauty, or simply get yourself off the beaten path, these 10 on-the-rise destinations make for easy detours and are the perfect way to switch up your itinerary.
Expedia’s Top 10 Trending Detour Destinations for 2025
- Reims, France (detour from Paris)
- Brescia, Italy (detour from Milan)
- Cozumel, Mexico (detour from Cancun)
- Santa Barbara, California, USA (detour from Los Angeles)
- Waikato, New Zealand (detour from Auckland)
- Girona, Spain (detour from Barcelona)
- Fukuoka, Japan (detour from Tokyo)
- Abu Dhabi, UAE (detour from Dubai)
- Krabi, Thailand (detour from Phuket)
- Canmore, Alberta, Canada (detour from Calgary)
Goods Getaways
Keychains and fridge magnets from overpriced hotel gift shops are so 2001. In 2025, the trendiest of travellers are going the distance in search of culinary treasures they can’t get at home. TikTok FYP pages are filled with viral chocolate bars and French butter that tourists can't bear to part with.
From a coffee and chocolate tour in San Carlos, Costa Rica, to tea tastings in China—and even a gram-worthy matcha experience in Japan—there's a stack of goods getaway inspo over on Expedia to help you kickstart your itinerary planning.
JOMO Travel
Forget FOMO (fear of missing out), 2025 is all about embracing JOMO (the joy of missing out). Travelling JOMO style is the little-to-no-effort approach to travel that can guarantee you enter the ultimate state of maxo-relaxo. Did we mention it is the travel trend helping 48% of Aussies to better reconnect with their loved ones?
Thanks to the crew at Stayz, you can say goodbye to planning day trips, organising transport, buying tickets, or even moving at all. With more than 50,000 places available to book in Australia, all that’s left to do on your end is recruit a crew park-up with a good book. Think a coastal stay on Hamilton Island, a rural retreat in Redhill or a country escape in the Hunter Valley.
The Phenomena-List
With boutique rural holiday homes booking up during epic eclipses, and tourists up at dawn for a glimpse of the penguins parading around Victoria's Phillip Island, thanks to the help of Stayz, travellers are going to great lengths to witness a slice of all things natural. Hit up the International Dark Sky Park at Arches National Park in Utah, or snap incredible pics of bioluminescent plankton on Vero Beach in Florida. Find plenty more natural phenomena for your 2025 trip here.
Dine-Inn
With over half of Aussies interested in booking a hotel with a notable dining experience, it is clear that when it comes to choosing hotels, we're not just booking rooms, we're booking tables. What once was an average club sandwich or an overpriced steak at the dated in-house bistro downstairs, is now a fine-dining experience that rivals some of the most notable standalone venues.
Interested in a night of contemporary comfort food in a modern and ambient setting, we can guarantee that the Sydney Common at Sheraton Grand Sydney will not disappoint. And if you find yourself in Townsville, head straight to Terasu at Ardo. Located on the waterfront, Ardo’s Tokyo-inspired restaurant blends traditional Japanese techniques with tropical North Queensland flavours. For more on the best in Dine-ing Inn the food-loving crew at Wotif have got you covered.
Season Swapping
We're now living in a world where a cheeky $3.50 cappuccino has become an $8 investment. So to ensure we're not missing out on the fun, cash-savvy Aussies are swapping seasons to save on travel, avoid crowds, and soak up the best of our domestic destinations.
Forget visiting Falls Creek or the Snowy Mountains for a session on the slopes, hit up these beautiful locations over the summer and open your eyes to a whole new exciting adventure. Plus, by performing a cheeky season swap thanks to Wotif you can hit up the likes of Launceston and Byron in the winter seasons and save up to 30% on accommodation. With more discount-boasting deals in the likes of Cairns, Darwin and Townsville, Wotif have got all your bank-loving Season Swapping needs sorted.
Set-Jetting
If the concept hasn't hit your radar, set-jetting is essentially screen tourism, with travellers flocking to locations showcased on TV and in the movies. It's nothing new, but the airing of White Lotus season two saw droves of us jumping on an immediate flight to Sicily.
With a new season of Emily In Paris encouraging many to make a pit stop in the city of love—and an increase in trips booked to Montana thanks to Yellowstone—this trend will be sticking around for 2025, with a stack of new and noteworthy set-jetting destinations on our screens in the new year.
One Click Trips
Whether it's following The Inspired Unemployed on their adventures with Raygun in Paris, or Cartia Mallan tripping around the Big Apple, we're all turning to the travel-loving influencers in our lives for trip inspiration. Now with the help of Expedia’s soon to launch Travel Shop, Aussies will be able to scroll creator-curated collections and book these iconic trips for themselves.
Already dreaming of that first sun-soaked beverage on vacay? Be ahead of the curve with your 2025 travel decisions and book that trip ASAP. To learn more about the travel trends in Unpack ’25™, visit here.
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Expedia and proudly endorsed by Urban List. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who make Urban List possible. Click here for more information on our editorial policy.
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