Travel Trends Report 2025: Silent Travel

In this third article in a series looking at travel trends for the year ahead, I investigate the idea of silent travel—journeys that offer a true disconnect from the noise of urban life.

In its trends predictions for 2025, flight-free specialist, Byway Travel, highlights ‘quietcations’ as a form of travel that is on the rise. “It’s time to turn down the volume,” says Cat Jones, CEO and founder of Byway. “In 2024, we saw the rise of ‘sleep tourism’, with travelers prioritising restful holidays over packed itineraries. We also saw an increase in trips away from touristy hotspots (68% of nights we booked in 2024 were in non-hotspots). 2025 will be for time off that actually helps you slow down, reset and recharge from the busyness of life.”

She continues: “So, skip the chaos of airports: take the quiet carriage somewhere away from the crowds. Going by train means more leg-room and fewer luggage restrictions—so you can quiet your mind with a book to lose yourself in, or a journal to scrawl your thoughts into. And the destination? Quiet spots where you can lose the earplugs and get lost in the sounds of nature instead, like stargazing in a Dark Sky Reserve in Snowdonia, wild swimming in Highland waters or forest bathing in ancient woodland.”

Luxury tour operator Black Tomato also reports a sharp increase in travelers looking for destinations that offer the very rare luxury of genuine, unfettered silence. “We’ve seen record numbers of travelers embarking away from their respective cities for longer, often month-long, intentional resets to garner a holistic sense of tranquility. Furthermore, clients are seeking to experience silent experiences with others, as opposed to solo ventures. Think: trips to the Slovenian Alps, Lake Tekapo in New Zealand, the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, or the salt flats of Bolivia. Equally, you can find silence in places closer afoot, such as the United States’ magnificent National Parks, where communing with the natural world takes on new heights.”

Available to book with The Ultimate Travel Company (UTC) is the Guyana Experience—a 20 day trip to the untouched South American country that immerses you in nature, and allows travelers to escape the noise of modern life. Included in the itinerary is a leisurely cruise down the Rupununi River to rural Guyana to meet the Macushi people. Guided night safaris through Iwokrama Forest are also on the table, along with visits to tropical rainforests and towering natural waterfalls.

“With modern life becoming increasingly fast-paced, and technology at our fingertips 24/7, many travelers are opting for holiday destinations where they can unwind, get back to nature and disconnect from technology,” says the Ultimate Travel Company. “UTC has noticed tourists leaning more towards destinations with untouched, unrefined landscapes, with activities geared more towards getting back to nature, mindfulness and rejuvenation.”

In response to the demand, some hotels are launching targeted ‘quiet retreats’ and silent experiences. InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort, for instance, is offering Silent Immersion packages for individuals wanting to escape the clamour of everyday life.

Seema Rana, the resort’s wellness mentor, explains more: “In our fast-paced world, characterised by high competition and a relentless pursuit of material success, the significance of peace has become increasingly evident. Amidst escalating stress and anxiety levels encountered in contemporary society, the pursuit of silence and solitude serves as a powerful remedy. It enables travelers to unwind and attain inner tranquillity. Silence provides a valuable opportunity for the mind to detach from external distractions and cultivate inner peace. This state of quietness allows individuals to reflect on their thoughts and emotions in a focused manner.”

Some of the benefits arising from taking part in a silent retreat, says Seema, include: an improvement in sleep quality; better self-awareness; stress relief (silence lowers cortisol and adrenaline, thereby allowing the brain to reset); mindfulness (silence aids individuals in grounding themselves in the present moment); lowers blood pressure and increases creativity.

Meanwhile, Greydon House, a 20-room boutique property in Nantucket, is now offering a Silent Travel package to guests, which includes a rotating selection of curated books; art supplies for creativity and a journal with prompts to effective journaling. The hotel is located in Nantucket’s historic downtown district. The hotel’s design, by Roman and Williams, and artwork from the likes of Julian Schnabel and Terry Winters, reflects the island’s storied past.

Of course, some of the world’s destinations, such as Switzerland’s Alpine region, offer access to tranquillity due to their serene geographical position. Bürgenstock Resort is located above Lake Lucerne and offers guests naural, silent experiences on the doorstep. “We’ve seen a growing desire among guests for experiences that bring tranquillity and mindful reflection,” says Chris Franzen, the resort’s managing director. “Nestled above Lake Lucerne, our setting offers an escape where silence becomes a luxury—whether walking through serene Alpine trails, meditating with lake views, or unwinding in our spa. Guests are drawn to the peace here, finding solace in nature’s quiet beauty, far from the pace of urban life.”

Tapping into the trend is the new fashion for what luxury travel company, Wayfairer Travel, describes as ‘noctotourism’. Jay Stevens, CEO, says: “Noctotourism is set to transform travel in 2025 as night-owl travelers are increasingly seeking unique after-dark experiences, where you inevitably have to sit in stillness or be quiet. We’ve had a significant uptick in requests for experiences such as night time diving in the Great Barrier Reef and Egypt’s Red Sea, nocturnal wildlife safaris in Zambia and Kenya, Northern Light chasing in Norway and Iceland and stargazing in Argentina.”

Finally, HKS, global leaders in architecture and hospitality strategy, puts its own spin on the trend, by calling it ‘The Benefits of Boredom’. “It’s a trend that highlights the appeal of slow, luxury travel and ‘information fasting’,” says Ben Martin, principal of HKS Advisory Services. “Experiences like leisurely train journeys and prioritizing sleep reclaim natural rhythms disrupted since Edison’s light bulb. Embracing simplicity and neuroaesthetics, travelers find restoration in intentional ‘boredom’. As we know, intentional boredom is often the most conducive for creative inspiration and is vital to brain health. By embracing silent retreats and minimizing overstimulation, travelers combat psycho-social stress, especially beneficial for neurodivergent individuals.”

[The latter is another trending item within itself, already covered in my Travel Trends Report no 2 on Soft Travel].

This post was originally published on here