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 normalizes, 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 maximize their time and financial investment.
Report findings were uncovered after extensive global research, involving 13,000 travellers across 13 countries, feedback from over 4,100 Hilton team members and in-depth interviews with dozens of Hilton travel experts. Trend highlights include:
- Adventure-Seeking “Go Getaways” Take on Restorative Sleep Retreats and “Hurkle-Durkling”
- Go Getaways: 7 in 10 global travellers enjoy being active when they travel, with 1 in 5 leisure travellers planning outdoor adventures in 2025.
- Sleep Retreats & Hurkle-Durkling: 1 in 5 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” Accelerate
- Time Travel: 58% of global travellers who travel with their kids revisit destinations from their own childhood, embracing nostalgia.
- Slow Travel: 1 in 4 leisure travellers are planning 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 Travel” Meets “Digital Detox”
- High-Tech Travel: 63% 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.
- Digital Detox: 24% of global travellers admit to disconnecting from social media more than they used to during vacations.
- Fido and Frolleagues Take the Stage
- Pet-Friendly: 25% of MeMooners, or solo travellers, often travel for leisure with their pets – more often than the average leisure traveller (19%).
- Frolleagues: Today, nearly 30% of global travellers often travel with Frolleagues, friends who are also colleagues, on their leisure adventures.
- Gen Alpha and MeMooner Travelers Surge
- The Gen Alpha Effect: 70% of global respondents with children choose vacation destinations based on their kids’ preferences.
- MeMooners Rising: 64% of solo travellers consider a good book their favourite travel partner.
- Foodie Exploration and Tempo Drinking
- Will Travel for Food: Nearly 1 in 5 global leisure travellers seek out new restaurants or culinary experiences, with 50% of travellers booking restaurant reservations before their flights.
- Sober Curiosity Evolution: In just the past year, 1 in 4 global travellers* has either reduced or stopped their consumption of alcohol, reflecting the growing Tempo Drinking trend, or the mindful practice of moderating the pace and volume of drinking alcohol.
- From Inner Discovery to Outward Cheering
- Soft Travel: More than 1 in 5 travellers plan to getaway for self-discovery or mental health when travelling for leisure, leaning into “Soft Travel,” or travel that encourages simplicity or spontaneity.
- Surge in Sports: From 2019 to 2024, Hilton Worldwide Sport Sales revenue tripled in volume - 80% of which is driven by youth or amateur sports.
Hilton continues to innovate to meet the needs of travellers globally through an unmatched portfolio of industry-leading brands plus exclusive partnerships that create more experiences for guests to dream about. From Hilton dramatically expanding its portfolio of luxury hotel experiences with the addition of nearly 400 boutique properties from the exquisite Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) collection, to its exclusive partnership with premier outdoor hospitality company AutoCamp, Hilton is providing exceptional stay experiences for every traveller for every stay occasion.
