Unpack '25: The Trends and What They Mean for Travel Businesses
At a glance
- 63% of consumers likely to visit a detour destination on next trip, seeking lesser-known alternatives to major tourist hubs.
- 44% of travellers shop for local goods unavailable at home; 39% visit grocery stores abroad, reshaping souvenir priorities.
- All-inclusive hotel searches on Hotels.com jumped 60% year-over-year; 42% of Gen Z prefer all-inclusive resorts.
- Hotel restaurant reviews increased 40% year-over-year; nearly one-third of travellers say famous restaurant room service influences bookings.
What the report covers
Expedia Group's Unpack '25 analyses 2025 travel trends using first-party booking and search data from Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, combined with a OnePoll global consumer survey of 25,000 respondents across 19 countries. The report forecasts traveller preferences, destination choices, and experience priorities, identifying emerging segments including detour destinations, goods getaways, all-inclusive resorts, and experiential hotel dining.
Key findings
Detour Destinations represent a shift from mass-tourism itineraries. According to the survey, 63% of consumers report likelihood to visit a detour destination on their next trip. Expedia identified 12 rising destinations with increased flight searches over September 2023–August 2024, including Reims (France), Brescia (Italy), Cozumel (Mexico), Waikato (New Zealand), and Canmore (Canada). These locations offer less crowding while maintaining tourism appeal.
Goods Getaways reflect travellers' pursuit of unique local products unavailable domestically. The survey finds 39% of travellers usually visit grocery stores and 44% shop specifically for local goods they cannot obtain at home. Popular experiences include coffee tours in Costa Rica, tea tastings in China, and matcha sessions in Japan. Viral TikTok content showcasing Dubai chocolate, Korean skincare, and French butter accelerates this trend beyond traditional souvenir shopping.
The All-Inclusive Era marks generational reappraisal of all-inclusive resorts, particularly among Gen Z. The report shows 42% of Gen Z name all-inclusive resorts their preferred hotel type, with one-third reporting improved perception. Hotels.com search data reveals 60% year-over-year growth in all-inclusive filter usage between July 2023–July 2024. Gen Z cite minimal stress (41%), ease of booking (39%), and luxury perception (38%) as primary motivations.
Hotel Restaurant Renaissance indicates dining experiences now drive hotel selection and revenue. Positive reviews mentioning hotel restaurants, chefs, and bars increased 40% year-over-year on Hotels.com between January–July 2024 versus 2023. Nearly one-third of travellers say room service from a famous restaurant would increase booking likelihood, whilst 31% prioritise tables reserved exclusively for guests. Major chains including Hyatt and Marriott have launched or expanded all-inclusive offerings.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Consumers likely to visit a detour destination on next trip | 63% |
| Travellers who usually visit grocery stores abroad | 39% |
| Travellers shopping for local goods unavailable at home | 44% |
| Year-over-year increase in all-inclusive filter searches on Hotels.com | 60% |
| Gen Z naming all-inclusive as preferred hotel type | 42% |
| Gen Z citing minimal stress as top reason for all-inclusive | 41% |
| Year-over-year increase in positive hotel restaurant reviews on Hotels.com | 40% |
| Travellers saying room service from famous restaurant increases booking likelihood | Nearly one-third |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
Detour Destinations data identifies emerging leisure markets outside traditional hubs. The 63% consumer intent to visit lesser-known places signals opportunity for secondary destinations to capture demand. Expedia's identified rising destinations—Reims, Brescia, Waikato, Canmore—provide benchmarks for competitive positioning and targeted marketing strategy.
Hotels & hospitality
The 60% surge in all-inclusive searches and 40% increase in restaurant-related reviews underscore dining and convenience as purchase drivers. Gen Z's 42% preference for all-inclusive and 41% citation of stress reduction suggest restructuring revenue models and F&B partnerships. Restaurant visibility on booking platforms now directly influences conversion and investment decisions.
Travel tech & distribution
Goods Getaways and experiential content (44% shopping for local goods; viral TikTok trends) require platform enhancements: better local activity taxonomy, user-generated content integration, and specialty goods filtering. Detour Destination prominence and all-inclusive visibility indicate opportunities to refine search algorithms and sponsored visibility tools to capitalise on emerging segments.
Methodology and limits
Unpack '25 combines first-party transactional data from Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo (70+ petabytes of data from 2023) with a OnePoll global consumer survey of 25,000 respondents across 19 countries. Search behaviour and review data cover defined periods (Sept 2023–Aug 2024 for flight searches; Jan–July 2024 for reviews). Survey results reflect consumer preferences and intent; booking and search metrics represent observed behaviour. This brief is based on publicly available summary materials; the full report was not independently reviewed.
Official source
The report is © Expedia Group. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
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