Unpack ’25: The Trends In Travel From Expedia And Bookabach

October 17, 2024, New Zealand: The
Waikato region has been named among the top 10 trending
global destinations for 2025 in Expedia Group’s Unpack
‘25 report – alongside Abu Dhabi, Reims and Santa
Barbara.

With a combination of diverse landscapes and
natural wonders, the Waikato region made the list of top
‘Detour Destinations’ travellers want to discover in
2025. Waikato offers travellers a range of iconic
experiences, whether it’s the Hobbiton™ Movie Set,
Hamilton Gardens, experiencing the sunset at Raglan,
visiting New Zealand’s largest fenced eco-sanctuary at
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, visiting Zealong Tea
Estate, or enjoying an incredible Waikato-grown
meal.

Expedia Group’s Unpack ‘25 is the annual
data driven outlook for what’s motivating travellers and
where they will go next year, drawing on first-party travel
data, insights from 25,000 travellers, and the latest
industry innovation to “unpack” the six noteworthy
travel trends for 2025. This year’s report includes trends
such as Detour Destinations (featuring Waikato), JOMO (Joy
of Missing Out) Travel and The Phenomena-List, which will
see people travel great distances to see natural phenomena
in real life.

“Expedia Group continuously works to
blend technology with travel, making journeys simpler and
more enjoyable. The Unpack report is our opportunity to
reflect on what travellers are seeking and how our partners
are innovating,” said Ariane Gorin, CEO of Expedia Group.
“From this year’s trends, I’m eager to recharge and
embrace JOMO Travel and visit some Detour Destinations for
my next holiday.”

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism CEO
Nicola Greenwell says their team has worked hard over the
years to attract visitors to Waikato, knowing they have
amazing experiences to share. “We are so proud to be the
only New Zealand destination identified on Expedia’s
global list – now that’s mighty! We’d encourage
travellers to ensure their visit is lengthy, allowing plenty
of time to explore the many unforgettable experiences
awaiting them in the mighty
Waikato.”

Expedia – Detour Destinations:
Next year, travellers are not only visiting the
tried-and-true tourist destinations – they are adding
detours, with the Waikato region featuring in the top ten.
Expedia’s destinations of the year are near popular
hotspots, making them ideal day trips while also being as
attractive as the main attractions. In the hunt for the less
crowded and less well known, 63% of consumers say they are
likely to visit a Detour Destination on their next
trip*.

Expedia compiled the 10 trending Detour
Destinations for 2025 based on increase in
searches:^

• Reims, France (detour from
Paris)

• Brescia, Italy (detour from
Milan)

• Cozumel, Mexico (detour from
Cancun)

• Santa Barbara, California, USA (detour
from Los Angeles)

• Waikato, New Zealand (detour
from Auckland)

• Girona, Spain (detour from
Barcelona)

• Fukuoka, Japan (detour from
Tokyo)

• Abu Dhabi, UAE (detour from
Dubai)

• Krabi, Thailand (detour from
Phuket)

• Canmore, Alberta, Canada (detour from
Calgary)

Expedia – Goods Getaways:
TikTok has inspired travellers to take trips in
search of craveable (and share-worthy) specialty goods.
Whether it’s a viral chocolate bar from Dubai, butter from
France, skincare products from Korea or Japanese sweets,
travellers are making extra space in their carry-ons for
unique treasures, even creating entire trips around getting
the goods.

When going on holiday, 39% of travellers
visit grocery stores or supermarkets and 44% shop for local
goods they can’t get at home.* Coffee tours in Costa Rica,
tea tastings in China and matcha experiences in Japan are
some of the most popular Goods Getaway experiences bookable
on Expedia.^^

Bookabach – JOMO Travel:
We often experience FOMO when seeing others go on
an action packed holiday, but in 2025, travellers will
embrace JOMO, the joy of missing out. JOMO Travel
means doing less on holiday to escape the hustle and bustle
of everyday life as well as staying at cosy cabins or
peaceful beach houses to boost relaxation and reconnection.
Two-thirds (62%) of travellers say these types of trips
reduce stress and anxiety, and nearly half say that it
enhances quality time with loved ones.

The best way to
experience JOMO Travel is from a charming beach house,
secluded lakeside lodge or cosy mountain cabin. The top
holiday home amenities JOMO Travellers are seeking are
tranquil gardens, spa pools and decks with a
view.*

Bookabach – The Phenomena-List:
Droves of international travellers booked private
holiday homes along the path of totality to see the total
solar eclipse in 2024, proving people will travel great
distances to see natural phenomena in real life. Survey data
revealed that the Northern Lights (61%) are the top
phenomenon travellers want to see, followed by geological
phenomena (30%) like volcanoes, geysers and hot springs.
Eighty percent of travellers say it’s important to stay in
a place that offers prime viewing for these natural
wonders,* so it’s no surprise that private holiday homes
in remote destinations are ideal for
phenomena-seekers.

Bookabach has handpicked these
global natural phenomena travellers will want a front-row
seat to in 2025:

• International Dark Sky Park –
Arches National Park, Utah

• Synchronous firefly
season – Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, TN • Penguin
parade – Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia

•
Bioluminescent plankton – Vero Beach, Florida

•
“Black Sun” starlings’ migration – Wadden Sea National
Park, Denmark • Ballet of Japanese cranes – Hokkaido,
Japan

• Highest tides in the world, walk on the
ocean floor – Bay of Fundy, Canada • Starling murmurations
– Somerset, U.K.

• Volcanoes, lava fields and black
sand beaches – Reykjavík, Iceland

• Northern Lights
– Lapland region, Finland

2025 Set-Jetting
Forecast: From bingeworthy streaming shows to
reality TV, travellers keep turning to the screen for
holiday inspiration. Since Expedia identified Set-Jetting as
a travel behavior in 2022, the trend continues to grow.
Two-thirds of travellers say movies, streaming services and
TV shows have influenced their travel choices, a 16%
increase from last year.

For the second year, Expedia
compiled the Set-Jetting Forecast to reveal what
entertainment inspired destinations travellers will head to
in 2025. Destinations inspired by “Emily in Paris” and
“White Lotus” are not the only Set-Jetting standouts, as
proven by Expedia search data following these
releases:^^^

• Dubai inspired by “The Real
Housewives of Dubai”

• Montana and Wyoming
inspired by “Yellowstone”

• New York City
inspired by “And Just Like That…”

• Cape Town
inspired by “One Piece”

• Scotland inspired by
“The Traitors”

One-Click Trips:
Half of consumers make daily, weekly or monthly
purchases because of trusted influencer content^^^^.Though
shopping on Instagram and TikTok has become the new normal
for lower-ticket items like fashion and beauty, travel
shopping on social media is still in its early stages. Half
of consumers say they have wanted to book a trip they saw on
their social feeds, but cited time and complexity as the
primary barriers. Globally, Expedia recently launched travel
industry-first shoppable storefronts curated by social media
creators, tastemakers and brands with more than 100 Travel
Shops, and coming to New Zealand in the
future.

New Zealand traveller
breakdown:

Expedia Detour
Destinations:

63% of Kiwis say they are likely to
visit a Detour Destination on their next trip. Waikato
data:

This information is based off actual
accommodation booking data for Waikato. NZ plus
international traveller data was included.

Top
countries doing inbound travel into Waikato region:

1.
US

2. Australia

Regions in Waikato from most
popular:

1. Hamilton

2. Cambridge

3.
Raglan

4. Waitomo

5. Waikato (this result
represents general searches where the
traveller

searches under the whole region)

6.
Matamata

7. Huntly

Most popular traveller type
in order:

1. Couple

2. Family

3.
Group

4. Solo

Expedia – Goods
Getaways:

32% of Kiwi travellers have chosen a
holiday destination to buy an item they can’t get at home.
This rises to 44% of 18-34s.

74% of Kiwi travellers
visit supermarkets or a grocery store to buy local goods
they can’t eat at home.

Kiwis were most likely to go
on holiday to buy:

• Sweets from Japan
(23%)

• Skincare from Korea – “K Beauty”
(20%)

• Custom made clothes from Vietnam
(20%)

• Pistachio chocolate from Dubai
(17%)

The most popular ‘iconic’ souvenirs
were:

• A watch from Switzerland (18%)

•
Maple syrup from Canada (18%)

• Macarons from France
(16%)

The most common souvenirs Kiwis seek out while
travelling are:

• Key rings, mugs, magnets
(52%)

• Clothes (50%)

• Local arts and
crafts (43%)

• Local food or delicacies they can’t
get at home (38%)

The top supermarket items to buy
were:

• Sweets (56%)

• Soaps (32%)

•
Savoury snacks (28%)

• Beverages (26%)

•
Coffee and tea (26%)

Bookabach – The Phenomena
List:

85% are interested in travelling to
experience natural phenomena in the coming year, rising to
92% for 18-24 year olds and 91% for 35-44 year
olds.

18-24 year olds are most likely to rely on
social media (44%) to choose where to view natural
phenomena.

Three quarters (75%) think it would be
important to have a private viewing spot for the natural
phenomena from their rental.

The global natural
phenomena Kiwis are most interested in seeing:

• The
Northern Lights (69%)

• A solar eclipse
(27%)

• Geological phenomena (25%) e.g. geysers, hot
springs, volcanoes) • Sea turtle hatchings (24%)

•
Bioluminescence (21%)

Bookabach – JOMO
Travel:

Nearly all 18-24 year olds want to take a
JOMO holiday (94%).

85% of Kiwis who have stayed in a
holiday home would be interested in taking a JOMO holiday to
unwind and recharge, and on a regular basis, with nearly a
quarter (23%) admitting they feel the need for this type of
holiday every few months and one in ten (12%) saying they
need it weekly!

73% of Kiwis believe a serene holiday
is an antidote to stress and anxiety because it:

•
Increases relaxation (67%)

• Provides a sense of
escape from daily responsibilities (58%) – increasing to
62% for women

• Encourages restful sleep
(54%)

• Enhances quality time with family and
friends (54%)

Kiwis’ top five preferred
accommodation for a rest and recharge holiday are:

•
Charming beach house (41%)

• Secluded lake side
lodge (30%)

• Private island retreat (29%)

•
Treehouse or forest retreat (23%)

• Remote cabin
(19%)

Expedia Group – Set-Jetting:

•
59% of Kiwis have researched a location they have seen in a
TV or movie, for a holiday

• 44% have considered
booking a location seen in TV/movies

• 21% have
booked a holiday to a location seen in TV/movies

Over
six in ten (63%) have had their travel decision making
influenced by TV and movies; specifically:

• 42% by
movies

• 36% by shows on streaming
services

• 35% by TV

The most influential
genres to Kiwis are:

• Documentaries (33%)

•
Films/movies (19%)

• Adventure/Challenge TV
(14%)

• Reality TV (13%)

• Drama or comedy
series (11%)

Of the destinations depicted in TV shows
or films, Hawaii emerged as the top location (42%) because
of its portrayal in the upcoming Moana 2 and Jurassic World
4, followed by:

• Japan/Shogun (39%)

•
Paris/Emily in Paris (37%)

• Queensland/ Bluey
(34%)

• New York/Sex and the City (33%)

•
Thailand/The White Lotus (28%)

• Scotland/One Day
(26%)

• Egypt / Tomb Raider (24%)

• Los
Angeles/Selling Sunset (24%)

• Madrid/Money Heist
(22%

One-click trips:

Social media
continues to have a strong influence in the travel decision
making process for Kiwi travellers, specifically:

•
Facebook (42%)

• Instagram (33%)

• TikTok
(33%)

40% of Kiwis say they have wanted to book an
entire trip they saw on social media – from activities,
restaurants to car rentals hotels and flights. This rises to
60% (on average) among
18-34s.

*Methodology

Third-party
research was commissioned by Expedia Group and conducted by
market research firm OnePoll, in accordance with the Market
Research Society’s code of conduct. The study was
conducted among 25,000 respondents across 19 countries,
among adults who have travelled for leisure or plan to in
the next three years.

About Expedia
Group

Expedia Group, Inc. brands power travel
for everyone, everywhere through our global platform. Driven
by the core belief that travel is a force for good, we help
people experience the world in new ways and build lasting
connections. We provide industry-leading technology
solutions to fuel partner growth and success, while
facilitating memorable experiences for
travellers.

Note:

^Date
range Sept. 1, 2023 – Aug. 31, 2024

^^Based
on global activities data on Expedia between Jan. 1 – Aug.
1, 2024

^^^Based on Expedia travel data
comparing release dates to 90 days after in 2023, to the
same dates in 2022.

^^^^The 2024 Influencer
Marketing Report: In Influencers we Trust, Sprout Social
(April 2024). To learn more about the travel trends in
Unpack ’25™, visit expedia.co.nz/unpack-travel-trends
and download the full report. Visit
www.expedia.co.nz/newsroom for Unpack ’25 assets and more
news from Expedia and
Bookabach.

© Scoop Media

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