All-inclusive, gourmet tour, and screen tour
Generation Z is all-inclusive, Koreans take detours
7 out of 10 Koreans say ‘local grocery stores are essential’
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Expedia Group brand Hotels.com has revealed next year’s travel trends. Hotels.com announced the 2025 travel trend report ‘Unpack ’25’ at Le Méridien Seoul Myeong-dong on the 18th. This is the result of a consumer survey of 25,000 people around the world, including 1,000 Koreans, and an analysis of our own data.
news/cms/202410/31/news-p.v1.20241025.9024dcef333a48cfa24ffe03aabac927_R.jpg" data-width="1178" data-height="1390" /> enlarge photo Lavinia Rajaram, Expedia Group Global Communications and Asia Regional PR Director, explaining / Photo = Reporter Kwon Hyo-jeong
“Expedia Group seeks to combine travel and technology to make travel simple and enjoyable,” said Lavinia Rajaram, Expedia Group Global Communications and PR Director for Asia.
There are three major trends that will lead travel next year. It is all-inclusive travel, hotel gourmet travel, and screen tourism.
New luxury, all-inclusive
All-inclusive travel has emerged as the most notable trend. In particular, the reason Generation Z (born between the mid-1990s and 2010s) is paying attention is because of the convenience of all-inclusive resorts, where they can enjoy all services including accommodation, meals, beverages, and activities in one stop. They recognize premium services that integrate various experiences into one as luxury.
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Search volume for the ‘all inclusive’ filter on the Hotels.com platform soared 60% compared to the previous year. Perspectives on all-inclusive hotels have also changed. 30% of Korean respondents showed positive changes in perception. 44% chose all-inclusive resorts as their preferred hotel, and 52% expressed their intention to make reservations for next year.
The reasons cited for preferring an all-inclusive plan were not having to find a place to eat (41%), minimizing travel (39%), and reducing stress (34%). Resorts located on the beach are especially popular. The all-inclusive resorts that responded well were ‘AVA Resort’ in Cancun, Mexico, ‘Alpin Resort Balsal Sports & Spa’ in Saalbach, Austria, and ‘Hotel Rio Palace’ in Mauritius.
Hotel restaurants become travel destinations
Hotel gourmet travel has also risen rapidly. Hotel restaurants are becoming more than just auxiliary facilities, they are becoming travel destinations. Hotels around the world are trying to attract customers by recruiting Michelin-star chefs and offering seasonal menus. Positive reviews of hotel restaurants on the Hotels.com platform increased by 40% compared to the previous year. Search volume for hotels with restaurants also surged by 70%.
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A noteworthy hotel restaurant was also revealed. ‘Hotel del Coronado’ in California, USA, will open the world-renowned ‘Nobu Restaurant’ next year. At ‘Susana Balbo Winemakers House’, located near Mendoza, Argentina’s representative wine producing region, you can taste wine pairings personally planned by famous winemaker Susana Balbo. Italy’s ‘Romeo Naples’ hotel presents ‘Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse restaurant’ by new executive chef Alessandro Lucassino, selected by Michelin star chef Alain Ducasse.
Travel maps changed by TV and movies
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Screen tourism (set-jetting) is also strong. Screen tourism is a trip to visit places seen in movies or TV programs. 82% of respondents said that movies, streaming services, and TV shows influenced their choice of travel destination. Instagram (54%) and TikTok (21%) followed. 46% of respondents said that the influence of TV programs and movies has increased.
From the filming location of ‘The Real Housewives of Dubai’ to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Montana and Wyoming, USA, the backdrop of ‘Yellowstone’, to the stage of ‘And Just Like That…’ in the USA. Filming locations for TV programs such as New York, Cape Town, South Africa, the filming location of ‘One Piece’, and Scotland of ‘The Traitors’ are expected to be in the spotlight.
Go to famous places, hidden travel destinations will appear.
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Detour travel is also a new trend. Detour travel refers to a new travel method that selects nearby hidden destinations instead of famous tourist destinations, such as Reims instead of Paris, France, or Fukuoka instead of Tokyo, Japan. 71% of Korean consumers and 63% of global consumers expressed intention to visit lesser-known travel destinations. Popular detour destinations were Reims in France, Brescia in Italy, Cozumel in Mexico, Santa Barbara in the US, Waikato in New Zealand, Girona in Spain, Fukuoka and Abu Dhabi in Japan, Krabi in Thailand, and Canmore in Canada.
The ‘Goods Getaways’ phenomenon, where people travel in search of unique souvenirs, has also spread due to the influence of SNS. These days, young people travel to find local specialties such as Dubai chocolate bars, French butter, and Korean skin care. Globally, 39% of travelers preferred to shop at local grocery stores and 44% preferred to shop for local products. 73% of Koreans prioritized visiting local grocery stores while on vacation. Costa Rica coffee tour, Chinese tea tasting, and Japanese matcha experience were also selected as popular experiences.
One-click trips on SNS are also on the rise. It was found that half of consumers do regular shopping after watching influencer content. Fashion and beauty shopping through Instagram and TikTok has become routine, but travel products are still in their infancy. 46% of respondents globally and 68% in Korea said they would make a reservation after seeing social media travel content. However, consumers pointed out lack of time and complicated reservation procedures as major obstacles. Accordingly, Speedia was the first in the travel industry in the US and UK to introduce more than 100 travel shops carefully selected by creators and brands into its app.
