Hunting horizons

Hunting horizons

In 2025, the personalised travel trend will be amplified by digital doo dahs, giving movers and shakers a better grip on their programme.
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Have ticket, will travel. Not on the road less travelled, though. This year will move the needle in travel planning, heavily influenced by pop culture. Travelbugs are planning holidays inspired by movies, TV shows, and celebrity lifestyles, according to number crunchers.

In 2025, the personalised travel trend will be amplified by digital doo dahs, giving movers and shakers a better grip on their programme. Travel with attitude is the ticket, with itinerants using the experience itself to connect with their inner selves with emotion, technology and ‘me’ time.

This is travel wisdom from Manoj Dharmani, CEO of DUDigital Global—a digital services and technology platform that offers services such as visa facilitation. Skift’s Travel 2025 Megatrends report muses that the travel industry, like everything else, is moving “at a frenetic pace”.

The crystal ball predicts that global politics, technology, and the human need for connection will outline travel in 2025. Sarah Kopit, Skift Editor-in-Chief, also lists the “most resonant trend” - A shift to “more intentional, soulful travel” that reminds us that, above all, travel is “still about depth and discovery”.

As personal preferences evolve, so do the ways we travel. In 2025, the trend of personalised travel will get on steroids with digital tools wiring up travellers to tick off the items on their bucket lists faster than you can say Krung Thep Maha Nakhon.

Tech and simplify

Long waiting times and cumbersome procedures are a pain for any traveller worth his Forex card. The tech genie is out of the proverbial lamp, gifting advanced digital solutions at airports, immigration counters, travel apps and visa visits such as AI-driven document verification, biometric authentication, and real-time status updates.

As e-visas and visa-free agreements become as common as water fountains at airports, checking out new destinations gets easier. Accessible is the word, making 2025 a high-five year for convenience, exploration, and connection. As Dharmani puts it, “The future of travel will not only be about destinations but about forging connections, discovering new cultures, and experiencing the world in ways that reflect the evolving needs of travellers.”

Love yourself

While solo travel has always been the grizzly, the lone wolf of 2025 is a different beast. Me Mooning—a existential twist on honeymooning—was Ankit Jain’s travel choice. The 27-year-old entrepreneur from Delhi, embarked on a MeMooner journey to Paris, a city he had long dreamed of experiencing his way.

A shutterbug and foodie, Jain sought a deeper connection to the city’s culture that went far beyond its iconic tourist attractions.

“My trip wasn’t just about ticking off landmarks. I wished to feel the city’s pulse. Every day felt like an exploration of both Paris and myself,” he says, after peaceful meanderings through the quieter corners of the City of Light not found on the cookie-cutter tourist map.

In these private postcard places, he could absorb the essence of Ville lumiere without yielding to the pressure of a packed itinerary. “I remember sitting at a café near the Louvre, sipping cappuccino, simply watching the world go by. It wasn’t just the view—it was about being truly present in the moment,” he adds.

The growth of MeMooners points to a larger cultural shift where solo travellers are creating adventures for an album of their own. According to a study by Virtuoso, the luxury travel network, 64 per cent of solo travellers now consider a good book to be their ideal travel companion. Getting traveller's eyeballs are rejuvenation, self-discovery, and indulgence—without having to do the couple thing with great expectations.

Do something, do nothing

In 2025, a surprisingly old Scottish term has sparked a global trend: hurkle durkling, which refers to the art of lying in bed and doing absolutely nothing: Charles Lamb even has an essay on simply staring at the rafters. This quaint term, which may sound like a Walt Disney cartoon, is a doozy. Hurkle duckling is an entirely novel category of travel: the sleep retreat.

These shut-eye surroundings promote relaxation, indulgence, and absolute break from the demands of daily life that could be as dreary as Delhi November. This Scottish noun defines wellness, tranquillity, and mental vitamins, sweeping away burnout like a fresh wind scattering a dead bonfire. It is more than just a trend, hurkle durkling gives mental health and wellness a pair of new glasses, maybe rose-tinted.

According to a report by the Global Wellness Institute, one in five travellers now visit sleep retreats to destress, grab some mental clarity, with relaxation for the main course. “People are prioritising mental health,” says Sanjay Kothari, Founder and MD of Just Holidays, which specialises in personalised travel services. “A slow-paced getaway allows them to reset, indulge in therapeutic experiences and re-engage with their sense of wellbeing,” he adds.

Travellers can expect settings as private as Greta Garbo and as serene as the Dalai Lama—remotely placed cabins, private villas, and luxurious resorts where comfort and solitude man the reception. Take, for example, Santani Wellness nestled in Sri Lanka’s lush green hills. “Here, true wellness begins when you disconnect to reconnect,” says Vickum Nawagamuwage, Founder and CEO of Santani Resort and Spa.

At sleep retreats, personalised therapies are the draw. “Specialists work with guests to identify root causes of sleep disturbances, crafting tailored programmes that promise more than a temporary fix,” adds Nawagamuwage.

Traditional practices like Ayurveda are often pencilled into the plan; it offers treatments such as Shirodhara which releases warm oil steadily onto the forehead to soothe a city-buzzed nervous system, and Abhyanga, a oil massage as synchronised as a Swiss watch’s movements to help realign the out-of-whack natural rhythm of the body. The demand for these retreats has grown over the years. “Our number of guests in their late 20s to early 40s is growing. They’re searching for ways to revive from what we often call ‘the busyness of modern life’,” says Nawagamuwage.

The friend zone

As work and leisure begin to gel like wine and cheese, the frolleague phenomenon—travelling with colleagues who are also friends—is the brave new version of group travel. The traditional family vacay isn’t the sole go-to for a bonding binge. Shazan Abbas, International Operations Manager at the travel firm Capture a Trip, reflects on a unique irony in the travel industry: “While we meticulously craft journeys to ensure our clients have the time of their lives, we often find ourselves tethered to our desks, missing out on the adventures we help create.” Recently he decided to go rogue and celebrate the New Year in Kazakhstan with his colleagues. “This excursion was more than just a holiday—it was an opportunity to bond, recharge, and experience firsthand the thrill of travel we so often design for others,” he recalls fondly.

Abbas’s experience is a nudge towards a corporate leisure trend: prioritising team-building retreats to give burnout a black eye and give workplace camaraderie the trophy. According to a recent report from McKinsey & Company, 30 per cent of workers now prefer to travel with colleagues who are also friends, viewing it as an opportunity to mix productivity with leisure.

“Workations have evolved into something that feels more like a vacation with an added bonus of productivity,” says Kothari. This drift is most prominent among millennials and Gen Z professionals, who see value in forging stronger relationships with colleagues outside the office. From team-building trips to creative brainstorming sessions at exotic locations, frolleagues are giving work relationships a new makeover.

Past perfect

According to a 2024 study by the Travel Association, people are spending family nostalgia coupons to go shopping in the past. Make a note: 58 per cent of travellers are revisiting with their progeny places where they had a blast in the past as kiddies. These nostalgic R&Rs provide folks with an opportunity to pass on family traditions with the salt, suss out new experiences through parental eyes, and share stories of their past with the new generation.

These Back to the Future landings are to water the plant of emotional connections while creating new memories with iPhones and laughs; maybe some feel-good tears too. These time travel trips build a bridge of sighs between generations and cultural storytelling wins the family lottery.

Whether it’s returning to a cabin in the woods, booking that sea-view room in a fondly remembered hotel in that coastal town you visited when you had braces, or an amusement park where the stuffed bear was won after taking out the water balloon with a toy gun; these forays offer more than just a break from routine—they hardwire personal heritage and trusted values in the young ‘uns.

“Time travel brings the emotional essence of a place into the present,” explains Abbas. “My parents would take me to Shimla every summer,” shares Richa Mehta, a frequent traveller from Mumbai. “We’d walk along Mall Road, and sip hot cocoa at this little café that is still around. Now, I bring my kids here, and it feels like life has come full circle. Watching them run through the same pine forests where I once played is surreal—it’s like giving them a piece of my own childhood while also creating memories that are uniquely theirs,” she adds.

Fight club

Battle tourism has been the new kryptonite for those looking for an adrenalin rush. This year, India joins the bandwagon. Galwan, in Ladakh, and Doklam, a trijunction between India, Bhutan and China, saw violent border clashes in 2020 and 2017, respectively.

While tensions continue to run high in these regions, they have nonetheless become the go-to places for battlefield tourism. In fact, the Ministry of Tourism has launched the Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan, zeroing in on as many as 77 war sites across the country offering virtual tours, besides putting out information on how to get there.

Get, set, go

Adventure travel is on top of its game as more travellers seek active vacations that club fitness, wellness, and outdoor exploration, even if they are not gym rats. From hiking to biking to water sports and eco-tourism, these are turning the traditional holiday on its head, getting the pulse to race. Richa Agarwal, a 29-year-old assistant manager at a bank, knows this shift firsthand.

“As a banker, my schedule is always packed, but I’ve learned to recognise when I need a break. Adventure activities like river rafting, paragliding, and zip-lining are the perfect antidote to my hectic lifestyle,” she says. Agarwal recently made her long-standing wish to go river rafting come true during a trip to Rishikesh.

“Adventure sports challenge you to step beyond your comfort zone. Breaking free from the monotony of daily life is essential, and this rafting experience was exactly what I needed. The mix of anxiety, thrill, fear, and the sheer beauty of Rishikesh was unforgettable,” she adds.

A report by the World Tourism Organization found that 70 per cent of global travellers strutted their interest in active vacations. This year, 20 per cent of leisure travellers are expected to vote for outdoor adventures—hiking trails, kayaking, zip-lining, and other derring-dos that challenge both their bodies and minds. Adventure travel is not only about thrills without frills; it is where nature is the medium and physical wellbeing is the message.

“Adventure travel is no longer just about conquering challenges; it’s about being present in the natural world,” says Yashish Birla from Beyond Road Tours, a travel company in Delhi.

Quietly into the world

In a world that has its foot on the gas, the casualty is quiet time. The gumbo of content screaming for constant attention and the relentless soundtrack of white noise in life means that opportunities to find silence are as rare as a dodo in a zoo.

Pinterest’s 2024 travel report cited “quiet life travel” as one of its most popular trends. “The quest for a quieter, more serene lifestyle is rising, with searches for ‘quiet life’ soaring by 530 per cent. This longing for simplicity has extended to travel—since last year, searches for ‘quiet places’ and ‘calm places’ have increased by 50 per cent and 42 per cent respectively,” the report said.

Abhinav Trivedi, General Manager, The Kumaon, Binsar, Uttarakhand, feels quiet travel is more than a fad; “it’s a movement toward reconnecting with nature and oneself”. “As people increasingly yearn for peaceful, undisturbed experiences away from the multiple stressors of our always-on modern life, quiet travel is set to define the future of the industry,” he says.

On screen, off screen

Set jetting has spilt over into 2025. More than half of travellers Expedia surveyed for its 2024 report said films and TV were screenophiles. Bridgerton in Bath, Emily in Paris, Succession in Norway and The White Lotus in Sicily has got the potatoes off their couches to hot foot it to film locales: screen tourism is growing faster than Wild Bill can get his Colt out of its holster.

This year, Visit Britain’s ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign is coaxing Netflixers and cinema buffs with films and TV shows to visit. London gets top billing. Patricia Yates, CEO of Visit Britain, in a press conference, trotted out the campaign’s main menu recommending a course of filming locations, stating that “nine out of 10 visitors to the UK are keen on exploring film and TV locations. Our campaign is all about bringing the magic of British films and TV to life... we want visitors to feel that they are part of these cinematic landscapes,” she said.

Astro adventure

Booking.com’s 2025 travel predictions report surveyed 27,000 travellers across 33 countries, including India to identify the star-struck in the travelling world. A staggering 78 per cent of Indians were identified as astrotourists. All were raring to go to dark sky destinations for stargazing and constellation tracking.

A Skyscanner study, meanwhile, revealed the “top dark sky experiences for Indian travellers”: Night sky photography (56 per cent), sleeping under the stars (53 per cent), and catching the Northern Lights (44 per cent). Shekhar Sawant, General Manager, Heritage Village Resort & Spa Manesar, believes this celestial activity fits to the ‘T’ the growing trend of experiential travel—especially among GenZ.

“Today’s young travellers are no longer satisfied with a generic stay; they seek out destinations that offer authentic, immersive activities that resonate with their interests and values,” he says.

Earth bound

The Lemongrass 2025 Travel Trends report has headlined ‘grounding getaways’ as one of the travel super trends in 2025. Grounding—basically physical contact with the earth—is being sold as a way to crank up the physiological state of being, and give mental and physical health a leg up. The concept recently reached breakout status on Google Trends with inquiries on techniques and gear topping searches.

Grounding is simple, but modern life isn’t a natural ally; concrete is paved with bad intentions towards mud and grass. Who doesn’t love spending life indoors in air-conditioning or heated rooms; the great outdoors looks greater on TV with popcorn. The desire to “earth” has pushed wellness resorts to chalk out new packages to guide guests on their ‘grounding’ journey, be it a barefoot trail, walking blindfolded on the grass, or mucking about for sea glass on the beach.

Rail renaissance

Many more travellers will be queuing up at train stations in 2025. A travel report by Railbookers states that 2025 will be “the year of tailored train-based vacations, with travellers seeking customised itineraries and experiences”. Switzerland, Italy, the UK, France, Canada and Ireland top the list.

Rail journeys are politically correct too: less carbon emissions, lining up travel as the modern excursionist’s sustainability shtick. “Since we are choosing to reduce flight travel, trains are the best option. They’re also the original form of slow travel, offering leisurely and scenic journeys,” says Janu Ketkar, a Pune-based GenZ traveller.

Seize the day

Virtuoso’s Luxury Travel Trend Watch: 2025, a report produced in association with Globetrender, highlighted f**k-it lists as the travel trend of the year. Instead of staying away from the bad boy/girl stuff, a f**k-it list encourages spontaneous adventures that prioritise living in the moment.

This includes impulsive travel, taking off with little planning, figuring things out on the fly: basically daring to be different. In the luxury sector, this means “splurging on more extravagant modes of travel like yacht charters, first-class flights, and private jets”.

With millennials and GenZ behaving like travel is running out of time, a f**k-it list resonates with the ‘Year of the Travel Maximiser’ as announced by Hilton. In this carpe diem mood, as wars, inflation and racism become the order of the day, living in the moment, doing the unusual and the unexpected is the trip of the year.

Location, location, location

Where are these new travellers staying in 2025? The answer lies in a growing preference for unique, immersive accommodations. The new traveller is shying away from traditional hotels in favour of homestays, boutique hotels, and luxury resorts that provide personalised, intimate experiences.

Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Booking.com, says, “We have observed a shift in priorities of Indian travellers with an increased emphasis on comfort, personalisation and sustainability. This year, almost one out of five Indians revealed that they are likely to stay at an alternative stay (e.g. a tree house, igloo, etc.), apart from hotels (67 per cent), resorts (54 per cent), villa (33 per cent) or hostel (22 per cent).”

The rise of unique stays, sought by one out of five Indian families—such as ryokans, treehouses, and homesteads—highlight the desire for experiences that blend comfort with authenticity. This indicates a growing appetite for personalised and memorable accommodations that cater to various generational needs. Indian families are also prioritising destinations that offer safety (44 per cent) along with accommodations that offer amenities like on-site restaurants (31 per cent). Moreover, an appreciation for the nocturnal world is also deepening Indian travellers’ connections with nature with 72 per cent seeking accommodations with minimal light pollution.

Experienza

Today’s travellers aren’t just seeking to check off tourist sites; they’re after something deeper, something more profound. According to Manoj Dharmani, CEO of DUDigital Global, “Last year was a transformative year for Indian travellers, with evolving preferences that highlight a shift toward meaningful and experiential travel. Many of these trends will be carried forward this year. We’ve observed fascinating trends shaping the travel industry, driven by a growing desire for authenticity, adventure, and personalisation.”

Adventure and Nature: Aurora hunting in Northern Europe, wellness retreats in Bali, and skiing in the Alps

Cultural Immersion: Festivals, local cuisine, and community-based tourism in destinations like Uzbekistan and Cambodia

Music and Sports: Concerts, festivals, and events like the Border-Gavaskar cricket series

Luxury Cruises: Once a niche, cruises are now gaining traction among Indian families for their all-inclusive luxury

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The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com