Move over, bleisure. There's a new crop of travel buzzwords in town.
The current lineup of travel jargon embodies more inclusive, experiential travel trends, although the buzzwords themselves range from self-explanatory to nearly impossible to interpret.
Hotel News Now invited Hertelier founder Emily Goldfischer to the HNN podcast to unpack the top travel trends for this year appearing on multiple "best-of" lists. The trends cover everything from solo travel to multigenerational travel trends, and the buzzwords that describe them cover a wide range as well, from giggle-worthy to groan.
Goldfischer, a hotelier and journalist, launched Hertelier in 2021, and one of her early articles brought the word "bleisure," a trend happening well before the pandemic, firmly into the limelight.
Now in 2025, Goldfischer said the travel trends popping up over and over on lists from the last few months encompass a traveling culture that is empowered, a little nostalgic for simpler times and above all, not letting anything get in the way of where they want to go.
The big 5 trends
- Nostalgic travel: Described by Hilton as "time travel," and by Amadeus and Globetrender as "new heydays," this trend recognizes travelers are longing for simpler times, and want to pack up — often with extended family — for vacations that remind them of their youth. Globetrender editor Jenny Southan describes the trend as "after a tumultuous year of ... elections and change fatigue, citizens will be yearning for simpler, happier times of the past — a psychological phenomenon dubbed 'rosy retrospection,'" Goldfischer explained.
- Solo travel: Described by Hilton as "me-moons" and by Virtuoso as "wander women," this trend tackles the growing number of travelers heading out on solo expeditions. One data point from Hilton's research: Restaurants are adapting to varied seating options and an odd number of barstools to accommodate solo travelers. Women continue to grow in the solo travel cohort, Goldfischer said, citing Marriott International research on the purchasing power of women. "Women are three times more likely than men to spend on luxury goods, which underscores the increasing economic clout of women, particularly in the luxury market," she said.
- Secondary destinations: Dubbed "detour destinations" by Expedia, this trend covers travelers who hit the major global hotspots in the revenge travel years of 2022 and 2023, and are now checking out the next place, whether that be to avoid crowds, for a lower price tag or even for bragging rights around unexpected and different experiences, Goldfischer said.
- Slow travel: Slowing down never sounded so good. Taking a break, staying in (at the hotel) and unplugging was featured on many 2025 travel trend lists, spawning buzzwords like hurkle-durkling from Hilton and JOMO (joy of missing out) from Expedia.
- Set-jetting: Coined by Expedia for 2024 and back on that company's list for 2025, set-jetting (or "movie memoirs" on the Virtuoso list) describes the practice of traveling to the location popularized by famous TV shows or movies, like walking in the footsteps of "Emily in Paris," or heading out on an epic "Outlander" adventure. "The next season of 'White Lotus' ... has already sent booking to Thailand soaring," Goldfischer said.
Listen to the podcast for the full rundown of these trends, plus Goldfischer and Ricca's fun takes on their most-loved — and hated — silly travel buzzwords.
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