5 Travel Trends to Watch in 2025

What’s driving change in the industry? We explore five trends that will shape your travels in the year ahead.

Solo Travel

Emerging as a favorite destination alongside Lisbon in Portugal / Photo: Getty Images

As business travelers, we’re no strangers to traveling alone. But we’re increasingly taking the solo route on our leisure trips, too. Skyscanner claims 54 percent of people are considering it based on search habits, while the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) found the biggest surge was among those aged 35-44, with solo traveler numbers more than doubling to 13 percent in 2023. So, where should you go on your lonesome?

Japan

Safe, easy to navigate, and friendly to all budgets (particularly with the yen currently weak against the dollar), there’s plenty of reasons to visit Japan in 2025. Add in a rich culture that spans everything from slurping ramen in the heart of Ginza to wasabi-hunting in the forest, and this remains a top choice for the year to come.

Argentina

For solo adventurers, Argentina is a tempting proposition. Intrepid explorers can ride horseback through scenic Mendoza vineyards, explore the rich history and culture of Córdoba, and discover the lively social scene in Buenos Aires.

New Zealand

The country’s stunning landscape is a dream for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. With 13 national parks, there’s every kind of outdoor activity you can imagine, from kayaking to bungee jumping. Meet fellow travelers in Queenstown’s lively bar scene, and zip around the country with efficient public transport and solid infrastructure.

Portugal

Digital nomads have already claimed Lisbon as their own, thanks to its glorious weather, attractive beaches, vibrant café and coworking culture and delicious Portuguese cuisine (pastel de nata, anyone?). Single travelers will find a welcoming community and plenty of pursuits to suit their solo status—from surfing to golfing.

Evolution of Loyalty Programs

Chris Ross

According to Chris Ross, Chief Brand Officer of Priority Pass, 2025 will be the year of experiential loyalty, evolving around six key pillars

Micro-Experiences

Using data to drive curated and personalized surprise-and-delight moments.

Event Experiences

Preferential access, special events and unique perspectives.

Service Experiences

Recognizing the individual by name, remembering their interests and preferences—essentially making loyalty truly customer-centric.

Gamified Experiences

Creating high-frequency engagement challenges with immediate earn/response cycles.

Digital Experiences

Immersive, personalized virtual experiences using advanced VR and AR technology and interfaces.

Social Impact Experiences

Brands should have meaning and impact beyond their core product. Loyalty is a
useful place to express this, as more programs drive engagement with benefits and rewards in the social and sustainability spaces.

Sport and Music Tourism by Numbers

Research from Priority Pass shows the demand for travel linked to sports and music is set to continue.

• Sport tourism was worth $564 billion in 2023 and is expected to rise to $1.3 trillion in 2032.
• Music tourism is anticipated to reach a value of $13.8 billion by 2032.
• Sydney is the top city for sport or music events, followed by London, Barcelona, Paris, Dubai and New York.
• Soccer is the sport most people travel to see (69%), followed by basketball (27%), the Olympics and Formula 1 (26%) and tennis (21%).
• 84% of fans traveling internationally visited a new destination, and 30% plan to return.
• 38% of event travelers would choose a payment card with perks such as travel packages and travel insurance, while 33% desire airport lounge access.

The Gate Escape

Avgeeks have gone mainstream. According to Booking.com’s Travel reinvented: 2025 Travel Predictions, more than one third of travelers (particularly Gen Z and millennials) would be interested in visiting a location simply because of its airport. Meanwhile, Priority Pass data reveals lounge visits will increase by more than 50% from 2023 to 2025.

Technological Transformation

Robot Waiter / Photo: Getty Images

New technological solutions from AI to Wi-Fi connectivity will continue to revolutionize the travel experience in 2025, with the customer as the ultimate winner.

How will this manifest in airport lounges? In terms of back-end operations, new Priority Pass Lounge Management Systems (LMS) will enhance the guest experience while streamlining capacity management, featuring prebook capabilities, digital wait lists and real-time flight tracking. Lounges will also be able to manage services such as massages, showers and coworking spaces.  At the other end of the scale, robot waiters are now serving drinks at the Hacienda Santa Lucia by The Grand Lounge Elite in Felipe Ángeles International Airport, Mexico—winner of the Priority Pass 2024 Pioneer of the Year Award. These machine assistants have also made their way into lounges in New York- JFK and Washington, D.C.-Dulles International.