NEW YORK – Virtuoso has teamed up with travel trend forecasting agency Globetrender to release the ‘Luxury Travel Trend Watch: 2025.’
Drawing on insights from Virtuoso’s 2024 Brand & Travel Tracker Survey, which surveyed high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth travellers, the report highlights seven key trends poised to shape the future of luxury travel in 2025.
- Silver Bullet Wellness: Precision Health for the Elite
The wellness tourism market is expected to reach US$2.1 trillion by 2027, growing at an annual rate of 16.6% (Global Wellness Institute). Luxury travellers are increasingly seeking personalized treatments aimed at longevity and mental wellness. Dubbed “Silver Bullet Wellness,” this trend focuses on targeted health solutions for issues such as cognitive decline, insomnia, and disease prevention. Retreats in Switzerland, Spain, Germany, and Thailand are leading the charge, with high-end travellers opting for customized health programs. From genetic testing at Buchinger Wilhelmi in Germany to “quantum healing” in Abu Dhabi, the focus is on returning home transformed and rejuvenated.
- F**k-It Lists: Carpe Diem Adventures
In 2025, the traditional “bucket list” will give way to the more spontaneous and thrill-seeking “F**k-It Lists.” This trend reflects a shift toward immediate, exhilarating travel experiences, from canyoneering in Zion National Park to tagging hammerhead sharks in Costa Rica. Travellers are choosing bold, adventurous getaways over conventional sightseeing, focusing on the present moment and pushing boundaries. Companies like Pelorus and Based on a True Story are offering extraordinary experiences, such as pirate treasure hunts or survival challenges on uninhabited islands.
- Mood Boarding: Tailored Trips for Emotional Fulfillment
Rather than just focusing on destinations, luxury travellers are increasingly planning trips around how they want to feel. The “Mood Boarding” trend allows travel advisors to curate itineraries that meet deeper emotional needs. Whether it’s fostering connection between partners with a candlelit dinner or designing a trip to alleviate professional stress, this personalized approach to travel offers a more meaningful, nourishing experience. Travel designers, like Philippe Brown of Brown + Hudson, have already pioneered this method, using psychometric questionnaires to craft customized journeys.
- XZ Beta Travel: Multigenerational Adventures
For the first time, 2025 will see up to seven generations traveling together, including Generation Z, Generation Alpha (ages 1-15 in 2025), Millennials, and Boomers. Known as “XZ Beta Travel,” this trend highlights Gen Z parents traveling with Gen X grandparents, who often finance these family adventures. With Gen Z representing 27% of the global workforce by 2025, the luxury travel industry is adapting to their preferences, offering experiences like luxury family retreats and TikTok-inspired destinations.
- Wander Women: Independent Female Travel on the Rise
More women, particularly those divorced, separated, or widowed, are embarking on solo journeys. The “Wander Women” trend reflects the growing demand for women-only travel experiences, with companies like AmaWaterways and A Small World responding by eliminating single supplements and offering tailored itineraries for women. From Saudi Arabian women-only tours to mid-life wellbeing retreats in the Maldives, the luxury market is catering to solo female travellers with unique, empowering experiences.
- Memoirs in Motion: Capturing Travel as Cinematic Experiences
Luxury travellers are increasingly hiring professional film crews to document their vacations, turning their experiences into personal documentaries. The “Memoirs in Motion” trend offers travellers the chance to star in their own cinematic adventures, with companies like Cookson Adventures and Quintessentially Travel leading the charge. Offering packages that include daily film edits and full-length documentaries, these services transform ordinary vacations into lifelong visual legacies.
- Racketeering: Racket Sports Go Global
Racket sports like pickleball, tennis, and padel are becoming travel staples in the luxury market. Following the release of the 2024 film Challengers, more resorts are adding courts and organizing tournaments. From Necker Island’s exclusive tennis tournaments to padel courts at Maldives resorts, luxury destinations are catering to the growing demand for these sports. Cruise lines like Crystal Cruises are also embracing the trend, installing pickleball courts on their ships.
These trends reflect how luxury travellers in 2025 are seeking more personalized, adventurous, and emotionally fulfilling experiences. Whether it’s through wellness retreats or cinematic travel memories, the industry is evolving to meet the unique needs of a new generation of affluent travellers.
For the full ‘Luxury Travel Trend Watch: 2025’ report, click here.
