Digital travel platform Agoda has unveiled its 2025 Travel Trends survey, highlighting the key factors set to shape the travel landscape in Asia in the coming year. The survey reveals a strong focus on relaxation, family-oriented trips, and the excitement of discovering new destinations as primary motivations for travelers. Additionally, 6% of Thai travelers plan to work remotely in order to travel more.
Agoda's findings indicate that travelers are prioritizing quality time with loved ones and seeking respite from daily routines. The survey also underscores the growing interest in exploring uncharted territories. Noteworthy is the popularity of theme parks, with one in eight respondents expecting to go on a trip to visit one.
Ittai Chorev, Chief Product Officer at Agoda, said: "At Agoda, we love seeing how travelers are planning their adventures for 2025. Whether it's unwinding with family or exploring new places, we're here to make every traveler's dream trip memorable and are ready to help them every step of the way."
Seven key insights from Agoda's 2025 Travel Trends survey:
For many travelers family time equals quality time. More than a third of travelers (34%) plan to travel with family in 2025. Indonesians are the most fervent family travelers of all, with no less than 58% expecting to go on a multi-generational trip with loved ones. Family travelers are followed by couples (23%), and solo travelers (19%) in terms of most popular travel groupings.
Escaping from the hustle and bustle of daily life is by far the most important reason to travel, according to the survey. 75% of respondents cited relaxation as their most important travel motivation. Singaporeans desire relaxation the most (87%). Regionally, visiting family and friends follows in second (39%), with cultural exploration in third (34%).
Technology is playing a pivotal role in shaping travel plans. A substantial majority of travelers (80%) plan to use travel apps, while about one in eight (12%) are interested in virtual reality tours. Indian travelers appear to be most tech-savvy, with nine out of ten respondents claiming the use of travel apps when booking a trip.
Budget considerations remain a key factor, with a significant portion of Thai travelers (78%) planning to spend less than $250 per night on accommodation and 71% think the travel budget will be the same as last year. But price is not a barrier to international travel - 87% of travelers expect to take the same number of trips or more compared to 2024, with most of those journeys crossing borders (52%). Perhaps unsurprisingly, travelers from Hong Kong expect to travel internationally the most (82%). More than a quarter of respondents (27%) plan to travel both domestically and internationally.
In addition to traditional business trips, which 28% of respondents expect to embark on, the survey also picked up on the emergence of digital nomads, borderless workers who work remotely. 1 in 25 expects to work remotely in 2025, with a focus on combining work and leisure, as more companies adopt flexible work arrangements. Most prospective digital nomads in the region are from the Philippines, where one in fourteen travelers expect to work while traveling. Following with Thai travelers, 6% of respondents from Thailand also plan to work remotely in 2025
There's nothing quite as exciting as exploring a place for the very first time. 84% of travelers expect to visit new destinations in 2025. Travel inspiration can come from many sources including personal interests and hobbies (71%), great value deals (56%), and recommendations from friends and family (33%). One in five (20%) gets their travel inspiration from social media, with Malaysians and Indonesians most inspired by Instagram and the likes (both 29%).
Asia's many theme parks - Disney in Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, Lotte World in Seoul, Universal in Osaka and Singapore, Ferrari World in Abu Dabhi, to name a few - are a major draw for year-round tourism. Over one in eight travelers (13%) expect to travel specifically to visit a theme park in 2025. Indonesians seem most excited by the prospects of rollercoasters and amusement, with one in five expecting to travel for theme parks.
Agoda's offerings, including over 4.5 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities, provide travelers with the flexibility to tailor their trips to their unique interests and preferences. For more information and to take advantage of the latest deals, visit Agoda.com or download the Agoda app.