The hotel brand has uncovered eight new trends that will drive travel forward (or in one case, into the past) into 2025
Hilton's 2025 Trends Report collates the finding of a survey, conducted in June of this year, which enlisted 13,001 travellers to decipher exactly where travel is heading next year.
Swapping good times for a good night's sleep
Coming up trumps was the necessity for a good night's sleep on holiday. 51% of travellers avoid setting an alarm to catch up on sleep, but just dismissing a wake-up call isn't the most drastic measure guests are willing to take. 33% of respondents said they prefer to sleep alone when travelling with a partner. 19% book separate beds and 11% go so far as to book different rooms.
Travellers aren't just ditching their partners overnight; solo travel continues to gain momentum with 34% of respondents considering a solo break by the end of next year. 21% hope to do so to make new friends, with almost half of those (12%) looking for romance.
Remember when?
While the report looks ahead to 2025, it appears travellers are looking back. 45% of Brits intend to take their kids to places they visited as children and 51% are jetting them off to places they dreamed of exploring when they were young.
The so-called 'nostalgication' phenomenon is matched in hype by the 'kidcation'. 60% of UK travellers centre their travel plans around their kids' interests and needs and 58% around what their kids love. 52% of travellers let their children pick restaurants when on holiday.
'Zillennials', the label Hilton has given to the Gen Z/millennial bracket aged between 18 and 34, like an all-frills-attached holiday, with 51% reluctant to think about how much they spend while on holiday. 79% will spend more to make sure they have the best time possible and 45% will splash the cash on a room upgrade. Perhaps they have finally heeded boomers' advice to cut down on the avocados and Netflix subscriptions to fund such lavish indulgences.
Single and ready to mingle (spontaneously)
34% of those who go one step further from 'sleep divorce' and split up from their partners entirely are likely to book a break with their friends to bounce back after a breakup. 19% have jetted off after a breakup, up to 52% for Zillennials.
Amidst ditching budgets and partners, 76% are ditching planning entirely and embracing spontaneity while on holiday. 17% have arrived at their destination with just one night's accommodation booked; 14% have no accommodation at all. Over one in two (52%) arrive without booking any experiences or restaurants, with 64% preferring to get local intel and recommendations before committing.
If travellers' plans are set to become all the more spontaneous in 2025, as will agents' approach to capture the shifting market.
