No longer confined to formulaic trips, young people are redefining travel trends with personalized, unique, and sustainable experiences, supported by digital technology. Join Travellive in exploring the prominent trends expected to dominate in 2025, so you can plan truly meaningful and memorable trips.

Have you ever dreamed of chasing the aurora borealis, admiring the world's largest icebergs, surfing in Bali, or simply hunting for unique secondhand items in a foreign city? The world of travel is opening new doors, promising unforgettable experiences in 2025.

According to Booking.com's "Travel Trends" report published on November 28, 2024, the travel industry is rapidly changing in terms of traveler behavior and mindset. Young people, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are driving personalized, sustainable, and unique travel trends. 2025 - Say goodbye to the familiar, explore new experiences.

Not limited to daytime activities, nighttime tourism is becoming a popular trend among travelers. From stargazing amidst stunning natural scenery to Milky Way hunting, meteor showers, and solar eclipses...

A survey by Booking.com reveals that Vietnamese tourists are seeking unique experiences under the night sky. Specifically, 85% of Vietnamese travelers want to admire the beauty of the stars and the Milky Way, while 74% want to explore space and 70% are interested in rare astronomical phenomena such as solar eclipses, comets, and the aurora borealis.

Deloitte's 2024 Summer Travel Survey indicates that a surge in special events and activities is driving travel in 2024 compared to 2023 and 2022. During the solar eclipse in the US, spending at hotels located in the path of the total solar eclipse increased by 71%, according to the Mastercard Institute for Economic Research.

In Vietnam, 74% of surveyed tourists said they prefer quiet locations with minimal light pollution to fully enjoy the natural beauty.

Astronomical phenomena have become a driving force for an introvert like Tran Hai Huy Truong (Ho Chi Minh City) to undertake trips to remote and secluded areas – places with less light pollution – to admire the night sky and photograph celestial bodies. “My passion for astronomical phenomena takes me to new places and allows me to learn many interesting things. In particular, taking photos alone in remote and desolate places at night gives me a unique experience of these locations,” Truong shared.

Unlike daytime sightseeing, nighttime astronomical observation/photography offers a thrilling yet frightening experience, involving traveling in darkness and sometimes staying up all night. In 2025, Huy Truong plans to travel to the Himalayas in Nepal to observe astronomy from the snow-capped mountains and explore the Atacama Desert in Chile, home to numerous astronomical observatories.

In addition, some young people choose night travel because it gives them the opportunity to see and explore a different perspective of the destination, experience unique activities, and enjoy food at restaurants that only open at night. 76% of tourists said they choose night travel because they prioritize the cool weather and avoid harsh sunlight to protect their health and skin.

During his trip to Da Lat in early December 2024, Thais Pimentel (a Portuguese tourist) got "lost" in a paradise of secondhand goods at Da Lat market.

“I found this place on TikTok so I decided to stop by and see what was interesting. When I arrived, I was truly overwhelmed by the wide variety of clothing, shoes, and bags. The products were not only beautiful and new, but the prices were also surprisingly cheap, making it impossible for me to resist buying a few items,” she shared.

Thrift shopping is becoming increasingly popular among travelers who love vintage style and are committed to sustainability. Many travelers are willing to spend hours, even days, transforming themselves into "second-hand hunters" at various destinations. According to the "Travel Trends" report, 82% of travelers have purchased second-hand items while traveling abroad, and 53% said they would visit thrift stores on future vacations.

With 83% of survey respondents expressing a desire to tighten spending to optimize their travel experience, finding bargain secondhand items has become an exciting and important element of every trip.

Instead of relying on travel agencies or spending days researching, planning destinations, and creating itineraries, more and more young people are using AI as a travel planner, as AI can suggest places to eat and things to do for a trip in just seconds. Through the data users provide in their commands, AI can easily understand and deliver new, exciting, and more effective travel experiences.

Specifically, 79% of Vietnamese travelers said they use technology to find new, lesser-known destinations, and 83% plan to use AI to plan their trips in order to have more authentic experiences. Besides ChatGPT and Gemini, applications like HUUK.AI and AI Trip Planner are also gaining attention and use among travelers.

Dr. Justin Matthew Pang, Senior Associate of Tourism and Hospitality Management at RMIT University Vietnam, said: “2025 will see significant changes in the tourism landscape regarding traveler behavior and mindset. The three most important trends for the year are: sustainable tourism, the rise of AI and smart technology, and the increasing demand for events.”

Dr. Pham Huong Trang, a lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality Management at RMIT University Vietnam, believes that technologies such as AI, virtual reality (VR), and blockchain are shaping tourism trends. According to Dr. Trang, AI plays a crucial role in enhancing the tourism experience in Vietnam by optimizing processes and personalizing services. For example, facial recognition technology is used at airports and hotels to simplify check-in procedures, AI-powered robots assist with hotel services, and AI chatbots help with travel planning and suggest personalized service recommendations.

Airports are no longer just places where passengers wait for their flights to take off. By 2025, airports have become attractive destinations, with many young people planning to explore and seek out new and exciting activities.

Modern amenities offered at airports, such as Michelin-starred restaurants, spas, and capsule lounges, attract significant attention from travelers. 79% of Vietnamese travelers are curious about airports with unique amenities, and 83% believe that airport experiences contribute to a more enjoyable trip. Famous airports like Singapore Changi International Airport and Incheon International Airport, with their numerous entertainment and shopping options, attract travelers, making transit times less tedious and enriching their travel experiences.

Overcrowding is not a new concept; however, the rise of "revenge tourism" after Covid-19 has increasingly highlighted this issue in recent years. Local authorities in popular destinations have begun campaigns against overcrowding by implementing a series of new regulations. On the other hand, tourists themselves are dissatisfied with overcrowded cities and attractions, and are beginning to gravitate towards lesser-known, emerging destinations during the off-season. Exploring less crowded destinations allows tourists to reduce inconvenience, enjoy beautiful scenery, and experience unique activities at a lower cost.

Expedia's 2024 Travel Trends report reveals: "One in three respondents said they have booked a trip to a replica destination." Additionally, 76% of survey participants said they choose to travel off-season to avoid crowds and take advantage of promotions.

With travel becoming easier than ever, many travelers are beginning to seek connection by sharing unique events and experiences. In particular, they are combining travel with participation in festivals, music events, or sporting events.

Besides event tickets, visitors also spend a significant amount on restaurant and hotel services, travel experiences, exploring local landscapes and cuisine. This expenditure is worth 4-5 times the event ticket price.

According to data from the trade group of the U.S. Travel Association, Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour" had an impact equivalent to 53 Super Bowl games. Each visitor spent approximately $1,300 on local services during the 53 concerts in 20 different cities. It is estimated that "Swiftonomics" (Taylor Swift's economy) generated around $10 billion in tourism revenue surrounding the concerts.

In Vietnam, the six concerts from the two programs "Brother Overcoming a Thousand Obstacles" and "Brother Says Hi" witnessed resounding success, attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers. This was the first time Vpop had six concerts with tens of thousands of attendees per night, held consecutively within just three months.

According to the organizers, the two concerts of the "Brother Says Hi" program, held on December 7th and 9th in Hanoi, welcomed approximately 90,000 attendees (based on ticket sales). This result surpassed the record set by the South Korean girl group BlackPink in July 2023 with around 67,000 people.

Meanwhile, the second concert of "Brother Who Overcame a Thousand Obstacles," held on the evening of December 14th, also received an equally enthusiastic reception with over 50,000 attendees. During the event, hotels and apartments surrounding the concert venue recorded a significant increase in occupancy rates.

According to the report "Chasing Cultural Shifts - How Vietnamese Travelers Are Redefining Their Dream Destination," published in early November by media consulting firm Vero, over 50% of the 23,000 Vietnamese surveyed said they planned their trips based on trends or popular culture phenomena. Besides music tourism, travelers are also experiencing the world of film by visiting film sets.

In addition, tourism that combines sightseeing and exploration with participation in or viewing of spectacular sporting events is also a driving force for tourists to take trips.

Personalized, bespoke travel experiences are gaining significant attention as demand for unique trips tailored to specific seasons and destinations soars.

“2024 is a 'bumper year' for bespoke tours. This type of travel is completely personalized based on the preferences, needs, and budget of the traveler. It is this sophistication, attentiveness, understanding, and creativity that will bring unique and memorable experiences to travelers,” said Max Vu, tour program manager at Fit Tour.

Unique and adventurous trips, such as hunting for the Northern Lights, exploring ice caves in Iceland, riding motorbikes in Casablanca (Morocco), or Ladakh, with carefully selected services, are attracting tourists. Unlike typical trips, shopping is excluded from the itinerary, while cultural experiences and local life are widely embraced by customers.

According to Dr. Duong Duc Minh, Deputy Director of the Institute for Economic and Tourism Development Research (ITERD), experiences involving self-challenge, breaking boundaries, and enhancing intellectual capacity are increasingly attracting the attention of many people.

Activities such as mountain climbing, scuba diving, skydiving, surfing, off-road racing, trekking, or trail running are becoming increasingly popular among young people. Experiencing extreme sports in new and exotic destinations not only creates memorable experiences but also helps tourists improve their physical and mental health.

Furthermore, 2025 also marks the emergence of trends such as climate-adaptive travel (coolcations), multi-generational family experiences, experiences with "special" people, and adventures that allow the Baby Boomer generation to break out of their comfort zones.