Hilton says ‘travel maximizing’ will be 2025’s leading trend

Dive Brief:

• In its annual trends report for 2025, Hilton said “travel maximizers” will be the year’s leading trend, in which hotel guests will seek “high-impact” experiences that make the most of the time and money they’re spending on vacation. 
• Other travel trends identified by the hotel company for 2025 include trips that combine being active with relaxation, “slow travel,” digital detoxes, sports tourism, sober curiosity, pet-friendly travel, multigenerational travel and others. 
• Last year, Hilton said “rest and relaxation” would be hotel guests’ biggest reason for travel in 2024. That trend isn’t going away, but rather, travelers in 2025 will look to pair their relaxation with experiences that maximize time away. 

Dive Insight:

Hilton’s annual trends report produces findings from surveys of and interviews with approximately 13,000 travelers across 13 countries, 4,100 Hilton employees and travel experts. 

In a statement, CEO Chris Nassetta said this year’s report “uncovers what has been simmering for years — the intersection of work and play; of relaxation and adventure; of being alone but together.” 

Accordingly, the report highlights a number of seemingly contradictory trends, such as growing interest in digital detoxes and travelers placing greater importance on hotel tech like digital room keys; a rise in traveling with friends from work and solo travel; and the continued interest in sleep tourism (or, as Hilton says it’s increasingly called, “Hurkle-Durkling”) and active outdoor adventures.

“Travelers don’t just want to choose their own adventure — they want to maximize every moment of their time away,” Nassetta said. “This new data reveals a fascinating dichotomy and growing focus on experiences that will keep us on our toes, constantly evolving to meet the needs of tomorrow’s traveler.” 

In a January report, Deloitte similarly found that travelers would prioritize experiences, though some would downgrade their hotel class to afford those experiences. 

Per the trends report, some of the desire to “maximize” travel may stem from a need to stick to a budget, with Hilton finding that three in four travelers create a budget for their trip, and 82% wish they could afford more vacations. Still, travel remains a priority despite high costs, with the hotel company noting that 67% prioritize their vacation budget over other savings.  

Meanwhile, a thirst for adventure travel remains strong, with Hilton noting that in 2025, one in four travelers plans to seek unique experiences, and 20% seek outdoor adventures. Hilton made moves earlier this year to cater to those travelers with its AutoCamp partnership, which offers boutique, outdoor-centric stays. Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced a similar partnership with luxury “glamping” provider Under Canvas in July. 

When it comes to who travelers are hitting the road with, some (50%) are opting for solo travel, while others are going on multigenerational trips (37%), according to Hilton. Meanwhile, Hilton says an increasing number of people (30%) are traveling with colleagues on leisure trips (Hilton calls them “frolleagues,” or friend-colleagues). 

“Frolleagues” are a side effect of the still-powerful bleisure travel trend, with Hilton noting that 25% of respondents said they plan to travel more for combined business and leisure trips in 2025. 

In April, American Express Global Business Travel noted bleisure as a top business travel trend amid corporate travel’s resurgence, allowing business travelers to “explore destinations beyond the boardroom.”