From dude ranches and beach escapes to active adventures, summer travel interests span a diverse range of trends this year. And, while it remains to be seen how the uncertainty of the current economic climate will impact travel for the upcoming season (and the rest of this year), multiple outlets have noted increasing anxiety about pricing, which may in turn spur demand for more budget-friendly options.
Following is a roundup of trending destinations, travel styles, client concerns and other factors affecting summer travel for 2025.
Editor's Note: This story was last updated on May 27, 2025.
Trends From Fora Travel
Trend 1: Demand Is Still High
Recent data from Fora Travel shows that travel demand remains high this summer, with domestic bookings up 202% year over year, and international bookings up 173%. Trip lengths are also longer, averaging 5.9 days compared to 5.1 days in 2024.
Trend 2: Hot Destinations
The most-booked countries for the agency this summer include the U.S., Italy, France, the U.K., Spain, Greece, Mexico, Japan, Portugal and Canada. Top international cities range from Paris and London to Rome, Florence, Athens, Barcelona, Tokyo, Lisbon, Venice and Dublin. Within the U.S., hot spots include New York City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Houston, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, San Antonio, Miami and San Francisco. Bookings to Greece, in particular, are up 171% year over year, with Santorini and Milos leading the surge in growth.
The fastest-growing destinations year over year are led by Atlanta, up 556%, followed by Calgary, Canada (+472%); Seoul (+457%); and Reykjavik, Iceland (+425%).
Destinations seeing the most searches on foratravel.com include Mallorca, Spain; Japan; Paris; Hawaii; Lisbon; and Disney parks.
Trend 3: Cruising Is Booming
Cruise bookings are growing faster than any other category for Fora this summer, seeing a 256% year-over-year spike in bookings for August.
Trends From Pilot and Campspot
Trend 1: Short Trips and "Pop-Up Escapes"
Travel center network Pilot teamed up with campground booking platform Campspot to survey nearly 2,000 travelers about their summer plans and interests. Among the findings: 53% of those surveyed are planning more short trips or weekend getaways than in past years, and 90% are looking for "pop-up escapes," or quick trips within driving distance of their homes. Camping is another popular option for the summer, with 88% of respondents already planning a one- to three-night camping trip within driving distance.
In terms of desired destinations, 58% are heading to lakes and beaches, 51% are opting for mountains or national parks and 48% looking for charming small towns. Fifty-seven percent will travel 200 miles or less for their trips.
Trend 2: Travel as a Cure for Stress
According to the report, 82% of travelers are regularly feeling stressed or overwhelmed this year, including 96% of Gen Z respondents, 96% of millennials, 89% of Gen X and 74% of boomers. Consequently, leading factors influencing travel plans for the summer include an increased desire to spend time outside, getting away from stress and burnout, and rising costs or economic uncertainty.
Trends From Harvest Hosts
Trend 1: Driving Over Flying
RV membership program Harvest Hosts took a look at Americans' current travel plans and found that 39% of those surveyed are reconsidering travel by air this summer, due to the cost. Instead, 43% are choosing to drive to their destination.
Trend 2: Economic Concerns
In fact, ongoing economic uncertainty is causing 64% of respondents to change their travel plans in some way, according to Harvest Hosts. Twenty-seven percent are choosing lower-cost trips, 14% are taking fewer trips and 12% are opting not to travel at all. Many Americans (52%) are also planning to take multiple smaller, closer-to-home trips rather than one big trip; of these respondents, 40% cite cost as the top reason for this change in plans.
Trends From Hilton
Trend 1: Beaches and Cities Rule This Summer
Recent data from Hilton.com revealed that travelers are, unsurprisingly, interested in beach escapes this summer. Coastal destinations showing the biggest increase in year-over-year search include Los Cabos, Mexico (No. 1); San Juan, Puerto Rico (No. 2); Hawaii (No. 7); and San Diego (No. 10). Urban locations also made a strong showing on the list, including New York (No. 3), Tokyo (No. 4), Paris (No. 5), Chicago (No. 6), Las Vegas (No. 8) and Nashville (No. 9).
Trends From Tripadvisor
Trend 1: Travelers Head to Cancun and Las Vegas
Tripadvisor has released its Summer Travel Index for 2025, naming Cancun, Mexico, as the top international destination for U.S. travelers this summer. Other global hotspots include Paris, London, Rome, Cabo San Lucas in Mexico and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
On the domestic side, Las Vegas ranks No. 1, followed by New York City; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Ocean City, Maryland; Chicago; and Honolulu.
Trend 2: Interest in Experiences
Activities and experiences are a top priority for travelers, with 83% reporting it's a key part of their trip budgets and 89% planning up to five activities. When it comes to rest and relaxation, all generations show interest in downtime, though it's most popular among boomers and Gen X (56%) compared to millennials and Gen Z (47%). Fifty-seven percent of travelers also report that they will book activities in advance of their travels, a figure that goes up to 78% among Gen Z and millennials.
Top trending experience categories include cultural and themed tours, outdoor activities (such as hiking and horseback riding) and water-based options (including cruises, sailing and water tours).
Trends From Allianz Partners
Trend 1: Opting for Domestic Vacations
Allianz Partners' Summer Travel report found that Americans are largely planning to travel domestically this summer, with 71% of analyzed itineraries booked for U.S. destinations. Seattle is proving the most popular city, followed by Orlando, Florida; New York; Honolulu; and Kahului, Hawaii. Rounding out the top 10 are Boston; Portland, Oregon; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; and Anchorage, Alaska.
Trend 2: Beach Escapes
Among the 29% of analyzed itineraries for international destinations, warm weather and beaches are in high demand. Mexico made multiple appearances on the list, including Cancun (No. 1), San Jose del Cabo (No. 2) and Puerto Vallarta (No. 9). The Caribbean also made a strong showing, including the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Aruba. Non-beach cities that made the list range from London, Paris and Dublin to Calgary, Canada.
Trend 3: Europe Travel Continues to Increase
Allianz has found that U.S. summer travel to Europe will rise 10% this year, continuing a four-year upward trend. In 2022, U.S. summer trips to Europe increased 600% year over year, before rising 55% in 2023 and 34% in 2024. The top 10 destinations for Americans this season include London; Paris; Dublin; Rome; Edinburgh, Scotland; Reykjavik, Iceland; Barcelona; Amsterdam; Lisbon, Portugal; and Nice, France.
Trends From Kindred
Trend 1: Frustration With Rising Costs
Home-swapping community Kindred has revealed in its 2025 Summer Travel Report that the average summer getaway is now costing $259.20 more per person. Due to this rising expense, 84% of hotel guests and 84% of short-term rental users are reporting pain points with their travel experience, and 90% of U.S. travelers are actively looking for ways to cut back on their summer travel spending. Primary motivators for seeking savings include increased cost of living (49%), rising travel prices (45%) and economic uncertainty (28%).
Trend 2: Shifting Accommodation Preferences
According to Kindred's findings, top strategies for cutting back on spending include staying with friends or family (41%), opting for cost-effective accommodations (40%), taking staycations (26%) or turning to home-swapping (12%). Top traveler frustrations with hotels include high costs for extras (30%), noise and other disruptions (27%), expensive dining (26%) and limited kitchen facilities (22%). Short-term rental complaints range from high cleaning or service fees (18%) to rising prices (19%) and a lack of personal connection (13%).
Trends From Mastercard Economics Institute
Trend 1: Tokyo Is the No. 1 Destination This Summer
Mastercard Economics Institute has released its Travel Trends 2025 Report, including findings on the top destinations for travel this summer. According to the report, Tokyo has risen to be the top trending summer destination this year, leading a list heavy with Asia-Pacific locations, likely due to their value proposition. Another Japanese city, Osaka, ranks second on the list, followed by Paris and Shanghai.
Additional destinations proving popular for the season include Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Seoul, South Korea; Beijing; Madrid; Rio de Janeiro; Singapore; Nha Trang, Vietnam; Reykjavik; and Fukuoka, Japan. Interestingly, two destinations in Egypt also made the list: Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh.
Trends From Kayak
Trend 1: More Affordable Airfare
For its Summer Travel Check-In Report, Kayak analyzed travelers' summer trip searches and found that average flight prices are down 7% year over year in more than 100 cities, including both international and domestic spots. Sydney (-23%) and Hong Kong (-16%) saw the biggest drops. And, for the first time in years, Kayak reports that airfare over the July 4 holiday weekend is down, with domestic flights trending nearly 10% cheaper than last year.
Those seeking the best flight deals should look at domestic destinations including Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale in Florida, or Raleigh, North Carolina. On the international front, the best deals can be found for flights to Mexico City, Toronto or San Salvador (in El Salvador).
Trend 2: Increased Interest in the South Pacific, Africa
Kayak also found that interest in the South Pacific is spiking, with searches up 13% and prices down 15%. Africa is also seeing an 8% rise in searches and a 5% reduction in prices.
Trends From Google
Trend 1: Hot International Destinations
Google Flights search trends reveal high demand for Caribbean travel this summer, with Curacao ranking as the most-searched international destination, St. Lucia coming in third and Aruba ranking 10th on the list. Japan also took two spots, with Osaka in second and Tokyo in fourth. Rounding out the top 10 are Rio de Janeiro; Sydney; Tel Aviv (notable for indicating some rebounding demand for Israel); Johannesburg, South Africa; and Cairo.
Trend 2: Popular Domestic Spots
San Juan, Puerto Rico, ranked as the most-searched domestic destination for summer travel on Google Flights, followed by Billings, Montana; Nantucket, Massachusetts; St. Louis, Missouri; and Providence, Rhode Island in the top five. Also in the top 10 are Maui; Omaha, Nebraska; Juneau, Alaska; Bangor, Maine; and Madison, Wisconsin.
Trend 3: Additional Search Trends
According to Google, travel-related searches that are trending this summer include outdoor destinations such as upstate New York, Joshua Tree National Park in California and Sedona, Arizona (demand for the outdoors also explains other domestic destinations that are trending, such as Montana, Alaska and Maine).
Among families, dude ranches are proving to be hottest type of vacation in the U.S. this summer.
Trends From Explore Worldwide
Trend 1: Active Journeys
Small-group adventure travel operator Explore Worldwide is seeing an increase in bookings for active journeys this summer. The company reports a 47% year-over-year rise in walking and hiking tours, as well as 27% growth in cycling trips. Leading destinations for the brand include the coastal trails of the Azores in Portugal and hiking routes in the Dolomites.
Trends From Squaremouth
Trend 1: Rising Costs
According to travel insurance comparison service Squaremouth, the average cost of a summer trip is expected to rise 38% this year compared to 2024, reaching $10,346. Data suggests that increasing costs are unlikely to slow, making this summer one of the priciest on record and leading travelers to reconsider or scale back their plans.
Trend 2: Budget-Friendly Destinations
Given the high price of travel, many people are seeking budget-friendly destinations for their getaways. Squaremouth has found that the most popular affordable summer vacation spots this year (based on insured trip costs) include Bermuda, Vietnam, Mexico, the Bahamas, Aruba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Poland and Turks and Caicos. In Europe specifically, top affordable spots (in addition to Poland) range from Finland, Austria and Greenland to Germany, Ireland and Spain, according to the company.
Trends From Aon Affinity
Trend 1: Affordability and Crime Are Top Concerns
Aon Affinity, the affinity business of Aon (a risk-mitigation professional services firm), commissioned a survey of more than 2,000 American adults’ travel decisions. Among the findings: 61% say that affordability is a major concern this summer, up from 56% in 2019. More than two-thirds of Americans (68%) also cite high crime as a deterrent to booking trips.
Trend 2: Younger Generations Take the Lead
According to the survey, the industry can expect to see more travel among younger generations this summer, as Gen Z (87%), millennials (85%) and Gen X (85%) are more likely to have traveled in the past year compared to Boomers (70%).
Trends From Dollar Flight Club
Trend 1: Classic Destinations Are in Demand
Flight-tracking company Dollar Flight Club has released its Summer 2025 Travel Report, revealing a resurgence in classic “bucket-list” destinations both abroad and in the U.S. International “dream destinations” include Paris, Tokyo, Rome, Cancun and Bangkok, while the domestic list features Honolulu; Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas; New York City; and Denver.
Trend 2: “Coolcations” Continue
The desire for cooler summer weather (and fewer crowds) continues to drive bookings this summer. Dollar Flight Club revealed that the most affordable destinations for partaking in the trend include Dublin; Edinburgh; Santiago, Chile; Reykjavik, Iceland; and Copenhagen.
Trends From Vacasa
Trend 1: Traveling Together
According to vacation rental platform Vacasa's 2025 Summer Travel Trends Report, summer travelers of all ages are favoring trips with friends, family or a partner. The survey of 1,000 Americans 18 years and older found that 46% of Gen Z travelers are looking to vacation with a group of friends; 57% of Gen X and 54% of millennials are vacationing with their kids; and 68% of travelers are taking a trip with their romantic partner, led by older travelers Gen X and above (76%).
Trend 2: Beaches, Nature and the U.S. Are Top Picks
When it comes to destination choice, coastal escapes are the top pick, with 56% of travelers opting for beach destinations (up from 50% last summer). National parks (29%) and lakes (27%) are also in high demand, perhaps related to the desire for a digital detox (38%). Vacasa also found that 87% of respondents plan to stay in the U.S., though only 17% of trips will be a local "staycation," while 74% of travelers will embark on a road trip.
Trend 3: Trip Frequency Is Up, But Budgets Are Down
Trip frequency is on the rise this summer, with travelers planning an average of five trips for the season, though most will likely be weekend-long or slightly extended weekend trips of 3-4 days (89%). Most travelers (79%) are opting for budget-conscious choices due to concerns related to inflation and cost of living. Travelers are choosing instead to splurge a bit on their experiences, such as food and drink (60%) and entertainment (44%).
Trend 4: Inspiration Comes From Word of Mouth, Social Media
Recommendations from friends and family reign among 56% of Americans looking for trip inspiration, though nearly 40% of Gen Z and millennials use social platforms for their vacation planning, with a preference for authentic, unsponsored content.
Trends From Expedia
Trend 1: Short-Haul Getaways Preferred
In its Summer Travel Outlook, Expedia found that Americans are favoring trips within four hours of travel, including destinations such as Cancun, Punta Cana and Aruba.
Trend 2: Opting for the Off-Season
Those taking long-haul trips are favoring off-season destinations that are also more off the beaten path, such as Cairns, Australia (up 75%), and Miyako, Japan (+105%).
Trend 3: Domestic Escapes
Expedia found that domestic destinations are popular this summer, including New York, Miami and Chicago. Madison, Wisconsin, is seeing a 250% surge in interest (with a concert series drawing music fans) and San Juan is up 55%, thanks to a Bad Bunny residency. Other hot spots include Baton Rouge, Louisiana (+165%); Tallahassee, Florida (+75%); Cleveland, Ohio (+40%); Sacramento, California (+30%); Maui County, Hawaii (+25%); and more.
Trend 4: Italy Still Rules
American interest in Italy remains high, with regions including Campania, Lombardy and Alghero seeing a surge of 100% year over year.
