‘They want something different’: Two reports predict a big shift in travel behavior in 2025

The biggest travel trend of 2022 was to go big, spend big — with people eagerly booking bucket list-style trips to places like Bali, Rome, London and Paris.

But two new reports show travelers are now in a very different headspace.

Trend reports from Expedia and Booking.com show vacationers are forgoing splashy trips to global hot spots in favor of quieter trips to places that are lesser-known — and far less crowded.

Some 63% of travelers said they are likely to visit an off-the-beaten-track destination on their next trip, according to Expedia's "Unpack '25," a travel trend report which surveyed 25,000 respondents from 19 countries.

Flight searches from Expedia from Sept. 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2024, showed rising interest to:

1. Reims, France
2. Brescia, Italy
3. Cozumel, Mexico
4. Santa Barbara, California
5. Waikato, New Zealand  
6. Girona, Spain
7. Fukuoka, Japan
8. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
9. Krabi, Thailand
10. Canmore, Canada

"Many destinations are becoming quite overcrowded," said James Marshall, vice president of global air accounts at Expedia. "A lot of the travelers, they want something different. They want to move away and find equivalent destinations that haven't been discovered by that many people."

United Airlines announced this month it's expanding international services to Senegal, Greenland and Mongolia next year in a bid to capture travel interest to the next "it" destination.

Patrick Quayle, United's senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, told reporters that savvy travelers have been to Paris, Rome and Madrid many times over.

"They're looking for something different," he said.

But there are other reasons travelers are looking to take the road less traveled, said Expedia Group's Chief Commercial Officer Greg Schulze.

These destinations tend to be cheaper and more relaxing, Schulze told CNBC Travel.

"The price of travel has increased over these years," he said. "Detour destinations often are more economical for travelers … they can get a superior experience for less money."

Lesser-known spots also satisfy travelers' increasing interest in "authentic" experiences, Schulze said.

Marshall added that travel influencers are driving interest to new places too.

"Trendsetters very often are the ones going to be doing a lot of research, and they're going to find those alternatives because they feel they need [to]," he said. "Social media amplifies a lot."

A trend report, published Wednesday by Booking.com, concluded that travelers share a desire to explore less visited locales.

"There will be an increased desire for authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences," states the opening line of Booking.com's "2025 Travel Predictions."

Some 67% of adult travelers said they want to visit less crowded destinations, according to a Booking.com survey of more than 27,700 respondents from 33 countries and territories.

A separate report from the company, also published Wednesday, listed 10 "trending destinations" where the company is seeing a year-on-year rise in interest:

1. Sanya, China
2. Trieste, Italy
3. Joao Pessoa, Brazil
4. Tromso, Norway
5. Willemstad, Curaçao
6. Tignes, France
7. San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
8. Naha, Okinawa, Japan
9. Villajoyosa, Spain
10. Houston, United States

Expedia declared 2022 the year of the GOAT, or "greatest of all trips."

But traveler mindsets are changing, it said, with more today embracing JOMO, or the "joy of missing out."

Marshall said 62% of surveyed travelers say that "JOMO travel" reduces stress and anxiety, and nearly half say it allows them to better reconnect with loved ones.

He noted interest in vacation home rentals near beaches, lakes and in the mountains. Plus, holiday-makers indicate they want amenities that show they plan to spend ample time in the house, from pools and gardens to "porches with a view," he said.

"You go there with your friends, with your family, far away from the crowds, far away from the busyness," he said. "And you're very happy that you miss out on everything else."

— CNBC's Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.