Tourism Industry Trends 2025: What’s Shaping Fall Travel Right Now
September 23, 2025
Fall is always a season of transition. But in the tourism world, Fall 2025 isn’t a reset, it’s an acceleration. The trends we’ve seen building this year are solidifying into real behaviors, and the momentum isn’t slowing down.
Travelers are choosing simplicity, connection, and intention. Memory-making over box-checking. And for anyone watching tourism trends, the message is clear: travel isn’t getting louder, it’s getting deeper.
As we head into the holiday season, here are the top tourism industry trends 2025 is bringing into sharper focus.
The Rise of JOMO: Joy Over Jam-Packed Itineraries
If we had to pick one trend that captures the mood this fall, it’s this: JOMO—the joy of missing out.
Instead of whirlwind trips, travelers are opting for longer stays and deeper experiences. For 88% of people, a love of life comes from experiences. This season’s biggest tourism trends revolve around fewer destinations, explored more fully.
Put this into action:
- Create slow-travel itineraries that highlight 2–4 day stays focused on rest, local flavor, and meaningful connection.
- Shift your messaging to focus on how a visit feels—peaceful, grounding, easy—not just what travelers can do.
- Feature local voices—chefs, artists, guides—in your storytelling to deepen emotional connection.
Fall Travel Trends Are All About Seasonal Energy
The term “peak season” is evolving—and a new trend is stepping in: experiential seasonality.
We’re seeing an uptick in travel built around seasonal moments. Foliage trips are up in search volume. Harvest festivals, fall food trails, and even pre-winter wellness escapes are becoming magnets for intentional travelers.
Put this into action:
- Promote fall-specific experiences like foliage drives, harvest festivals, and seasonal food events in real time, while search demand is high.
- Inspire with sensory content (crunchy leaves, warm drinks, golden hour shots) that taps into the emotional pull of fall.
Travel Budgets Are Up—But So Is Selectiveness
Yes, the average 2025 travel budget is hovering around $10,000, nearly double what it was a year ago. But it’s not a spending spree. Some of that increase is tied to rising costs, not just willingness to splurge.
Nine out of 10 holiday travelers are choosing to drive rather than fly, and they’re making value-conscious choices that stretch their dollar without sacrificing impact.
Put this into action:
- Highlight drive-in accessibility with road trip itineraries and regional messaging that makes nearby feel exciting.
- Package hyper-local experiences—like farm-to-table dinners, cultural tours, or artist-led workshops—as “worth it” moments.
Wellness Travel Isn’t Niche Anymore
Wellness tourism has gone mainstream—and it’s showing up in one of the strongest tourism trends this fall.
From hot springs road trips to forest bathing weekends, people are building getaways around how they want to feel, not just where they want to go. Destinations offering quiet, connection, or natural beauty should be preparing for a surge, especially as the holiday buzz looms.
Put this into action:
- Spotlight natural assets like hot springs, hiking trails, or quiet outdoor spaces as core reasons to visit—not side perks.
- Use feelings-first messaging (calm, clarity, balance) in campaigns to speak to the emotional why behind the trip.
Tech Isn’t Flashy. It’s Functional.
Tech-enabled planning is officially table stakes. This year, 80% of younger travelers are using apps and social to plan, and 83% have found at least one use for AI in booking trips.
But here’s what makes this one of the more interesting tourism industry trends 2025: travelers aren’t chasing shiny tech. Travelers are using tech to plan smarter: weather-aware routes, real-time tips, and decision-making that aligns with their values.
Put this into action:
- Integrate dynamic content like weather-based suggestions, seasonal alerts, or time-sensitive tips to help travelers plan smarter.
- Use tech to support values-based travel—highlight eco-friendly options, local businesses, and experiences aligned with sustainability and connection.
Holiday Spending Is Changing—and Generational Divides Are Driving It
Yes, the average travel budget is up. But overall holiday spending is down 5%—the first drop since 2020. And Gen Z is leading that dip, cutting their budgets by 23% due to rising costs and job market pressure.
This generational split is subtle, but it’s one of the more strategic tourism trends to watch as we close out the year.
Put this into action:
- Promote family-friendly experiences with all-in pricing, bundled activities, or multi-day passes that speak to higher-spending households.
- Adjust campaign visuals and tone to reflect generational intent—what excites a 24-year-old traveler won’t land the same for a parent planning a holiday trip.
Zooming Out: The Big Picture on Fall 2025 Travel
At the center of every major trend this season—budgeting, planning, tech, timing—is intentionality. And that’s the throughline across the fall travel trends and broader tourism industry trends in 2025 that we’re watching closely.
People aren’t booking getaways to escape—they’re booking to feel more rooted. They want their vacations to reflect who they are, what they value, and where they feel most alive.
So what should communities be doing with this?
- Lean into emotional storytelling. Skip the checklist, show the why.
- Elevate local. That small coffee shop, that fall festival? They’re what people remember.
- Make it frictionless. If tech is part of the planning process, your content needs to be ready to meet it.
This Fall isn’t about more—it’s about meaning.
And that? That’s a trend worth paying attention to.
