F**k-It Lists and More Rising Luxury Travel Trends to Watch

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Leading global network specializing in luxury and experiential travel Virtuoso, has announced a partnership with travel trend forecasting agency, Globetrender to unveil the Luxury Travel Trend Watch: 2025.

Working with global data from Virtuoso’s 2024 Brand and Travel Tracker Survey, Globetrender and Virtuoso identified seven trends shaping the 2025 luxury travel landscape.

Silver Bullet Wellness

Global Wellness Institute is seeing the rise of “Silver Bullet Wellness,” as wellness tourism is projected to grow 16.6 percent annually and reach $2.1 trillion by 2027. 

Luxury travelers are seeking treatments for insomnia, cognitive decline and disease prevention, moving beyond traditional pampering treatments to life-extension programs. Switzerland, Spain, Germany and Thailand are among countries leading the charge as high-net-worth travelers favor retreats offering intensive, tailored mind-body transformations.    

F**k-It Lists

The term “bucket list” has long dominated the travel landscape, but the focus has shifted to spontaneous, short-term experiences, reflecting a “carpe diem” mindset.

In 2025 and beyond, travelers are embracing “F**k-It Lists” – spontaneous, fun and liberating adventures that prioritize living in the moment and fueling splurges on more extravagant modes of travel like yacht charters, first-class flights and private jets.  

Mood Boarding

Philosopher Alain de Botton notes that the challenge of travel is that “you take yourself with you,” stressing the importance of understanding the purpose behind trips. 

When planning a trip, most people think of the destinations and activities, often overlooking how they want to feel.  As travel designers ask the right questions to tap into clients’ true motivations, they can address deeper emotional needs, giving rise to the “Mood Boarding” trend. Think candlelit banquet inside a volcano in Iceland.

XZ Beta Travel

By 2025, seven generations will be traveling together for the first time in history, as “Beta Babies” are born to Gen Z parents. This includes Generation Alpha, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and the Matures. XZ Beta Travel will see young Gen Z parents traveling with their children and Gen X grandparents, who often finance the trips.

As a result, hotels are adapting. Shangri-La Hong Kong Island, for example, transformed an entire floor into a luxury haven for Beta Babies and Generation Alpha, complete with communal spaces and themed rooms like treehouses and submarines. In the Italian Dolomites, Sonnwies caters exclusively to families with wellness offerings, including milk baths and chocolate massages for kids, an aquapark, playgrounds and zoo. 

Wander Women

As more women of all ages are opting for solo, adventurous trips, travel providers are responding by offering tailored experiences to cater to this trend.

According to Virtuoso, 71 percent of its solo travelers are women, with 47 percent divorced, separated or widowed, highlighting a surge in post-partner or family-raising travel.

AmaWaterways removed single supplements for solo travelers on select European river cruises in 2024 and Swiss travel network A Small World launched the Solo Cruise Company, targeting women 55+. In small group travel, Intrepid Travel will debut its first women-only trips to Saudi Arabia in November 2024, in partnership with a local female-owned operator. 

Memoirs in Motion

This trend involves luxury travelers hiring professional film crews to document their travels, turning holidays into personal legacies. Unlike the “Set-Jetting” trend, which focuses on visiting movie locations, this trend lets clients star in their own documentaries, reflecting the growing demand for personalized storytelling and memory preservation.

Companies like Cookson Adventures, Quintessentially Travel, Pelorus and Joro Experiences transform travel into cinematic memories, providing a virtually stunning record of extraordinary experiences.

Racketeering

The seventh trend reflects the growing popularity of racket sports like tennis, pickleball and padel during vacations.

Companies like Pickleball in Paradise now organize racket sport-themed vacations and resorts worldwide are capitalizing on this trend by adding state-of-the-art courts, clinics and tournaments. Notable destinations include Marbella Club, the birthplace of padel in Europe, and Necker Island, where Richard Branson hosts the exclusive Necker Cup tennis tournament.  

Even cruise lines, such as Crystal Cruises, now offer onboard pickleball and padel courts on their ships. 

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.