KAYAK Launches 'What the Future' Travel Trend Report for 2025 and beyond
Rise of City Jumping, Spiritual Sidequests and Feedbooking amongst top travel predictions for travel by 2030
LONDON, Jan. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Out with one and done trips, in with multi-destination city jumping adventures planned by an AI travel agent. Today, KAYAK, the world's leading travel search engine, is launching its WTF - What the Future Report - revealing eight predictions for travel by 2030.
In partnership with The Future Laboratory, one of the world's leading futures consultancies, the WTF Report blends social and cultural research, interviews with KAYAK executives and external experts, survey insights from 9,100 people across 9 countries, and an in-depth analysis of KAYAK user behaviour.
KAYAK 2030: Travel Predictions
AI Agents
A new wave of travel agents is emerging, focusing on personalised travel experiences. Modern travellers seek flexibility (38%), customised itineraries (37%), and value AI tools for planning (17%). By 2030, virtual AI Assistants will handle a variety of travel arrangements, offering tailored trips and securing the best deals effortlessly.
"AI is already rapidly improving customer support for travel delays and itinerary changes. It's also suggesting personalised recommendations of places to visit and things to do. The next big step forward will be automated bookings - and we're already making KAYAK AI agent-friendly," - Steve Hafner, CEO of KAYAK.
City Jumping
By 2030, travellers will prioritise multi-stop trips over single-destination vacations. For 66% of survey respondents, travel ranks as a top priority, signalling a growing desire to explore. As visa regulations relax worldwide, governments and destinations are gearing up for the rise of city-jumping travellers.
Vitamin T
By 2030, the value of a trip will hinge on wellness scores. KAYAK notes a surge in wellness travel, with pools as the top-searched hotel amenity globally, followed by hot tubs, spas, and fitness facilities. 60% of travellers prioritise relaxation, while 13% emphasise health and wellness. Destinations promoting longevity will become sought-after additions to travellers' bucket lists.
Feedbooking
From browsing feeds to booking trips, travellers will use social media as a booking platform. Currently, 36% of travellers find trip inspiration on social platforms, a trend expected to grow by 2030. KAYAK predicts social media will shift from inspiration to a full-fledged travel shopping channel, with apps serving as travel storefronts.
Virtual Voyages
By 2030, travel will feature holographic concierges and automatic airfare refunds. Travellers anticipate virtual hotel room previews (35%) and almost 10% of air passengers expect in-flight VR entertainment for an immersive experience. The future of travel is set to exceed expectations with innovative technologies.
LIT - Low Intensity Travel
The shift toward unexplored destinations will challenge today's top travel spots. Concerns over overtourism and carbon footprint (14%) will influence future travel decisions. The quest for unventured experiences will shift from adventurers to conscious travellers, becoming a mainstream travel priority.
Spiritual Sidequests
From silent retreats to genealogical investigations, Spiritual Sidequests will have their moment by 2030, with more and more travellers wanting to pair exploring a destination with exploring their inner-self to grow and heal.
Disloyalty Programme
Loyalty Programmes will adapt to meet the demands of price-conscious travellers. 29% of travellers want personalised loyalty rewards, such as receiving refunds when air ticket prices go down (32%). With 72% anticipating higher travel prices in the future, travellers are prioritising savings and will switch brands for better deals.
In Gen-Z terms, here's the ins and outs of future travel:
Out | In |
DIYing every part of the journey | Letting your AI Agents handle it |
(Over)Spending 10 days in one city | Stuffing in as many stops as possible |
Taking off for a quick fix | Holidaying for longevity |
Only buying tickets on the big screens | Booking flights from Instagram |
Resigning to less-than-perfect rooms | Virtually touring your room |
Flocking to tourist traps | Visiting hidden gems |
Travelling to the clout | Putting self-discovery on a map |
Committing to one airline | Dating around for the best deal |
You can read more about KAYAK's WTF travel predictions HERE.
Methodology
Survey insights
PureSpectrum interviewed 9112 respondents aged 18+ in the US, UK, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden who travel for leisure purposes internationally at least once a year. The survey was conducted using an online methodology. A sample of 2000 people were polled in the US, and all other markets had a targeted minimum sample of 1000 completes. The research fieldwork was conducted from August 13 - 20, 2024.
KAYAK data analysis
Based on hotel searches made on KAYAK and associated brands in the period between September 1, 2023, and September 15, 2024, for stays between January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024.
About KAYAK
KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world's leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. We also support business travellers with ours corporate travel solution.
About The Future Laboratory
The Future Laboratory is one of the world's most renowned futures consultancies. With a unique blend of trend forecasting, consumer insight, brand strategy and innovation, the company has helped to shape, inspire and future-proof organisations globally since 2001.
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