As visions of cherry blossoms, fields of tulips and sunny days start to fill travelers’ minds, the tourism industry is looking ahead to what will drive vacationers’ plans this spring.
Among the observed trends so far are an increased appetite for spending among Gen Z travelers, an uptick in bucket-list trips such as safaris, demand for warm-weather escapes and more. Read on to see what else is in demand among travelers this season.
Editor’s note: This story was last updated on April 10, 2025.
Easter Trends From Trevolution Group
Trend 1: Easter Weekend Will Be Busy
Trevolution Group's Easter Travel Trends 2025 report found that Easter weekend will be a busy one for travel, with a 45% increase in holiday weekend bookings. Domestic road trips are up 30% and last-minute bookings have risen 25%. Flight prices have also risen for the weekend, up 20% to an average economy ticket cost of $735.
Trend 2: A Mix of Destinations
Trending global destinations for the holiday weekend include the Philippines, India, Italy, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, according to Trevolution's data. Families, specifically, are choosing fun options such as Orlando theme parks and even Disneyland Paris. Top spots for nature and adventure include the Swiss Alps, Scotland and Japan, while those interested in a beach vacation are opting for the Maldives, the Canary Islands or Bali.
Trends From Virtuoso
Trend 1: Set-Jetting Continues its Rise
This spring, Virtuoso is continuing to see film and television drive travel. Bookings by U.S. travelers to Thailand are up by 41%, coinciding with season three of HBO's "The White Lotus," with average daily rates also rising by 10%.
Trend 2: Women Are Going Solo
Recent Virtuoso data shows that women now make up 71% of solo travelers, who are increasingly embracing experiences that are typically more group-oriented, such as cruising.
Trend 3: Sustainability Matters
Twenty-six percent of Virtuoso advisors say their clients are committed to reducing their carbon footprint through carbon-offsetting initiatives. And a recent survey of Virtuoso clients revealed that 59% of these travelers are willing to spend more on responsible travel, as long as they know how the funds are being used.
Trends From Squaremouth
Trend 1: Adventure Is In
Travel insurance marketplace Squaremouth surveyed more than 8,000 travelers about their spring break plans, finding that more than 60% of respondents are “seeking adventure” in their trips for the upcoming season. This is a significant increase from last year, when just 42% of travelers cited adventure as their primary trip goal. Squaremouth also found that sales of adventure travel insurance policies have increased 18% compared to 2024, with top activities ranging from hiking/trekking to going on safari, snorkeling, scuba diving and horseback riding.
Trend 2: Spring Safaris
Squaremouth’s report showed an 18% increase in bookings for safari destinations, including South Africa, Botswana and Kenya. The rise in safari travel is related to an overall trend toward taking bucket-list trips in 2025, according to the company.
Trend 3: Warm Weather Rules
Last year, Squaremouth saw many travelers looking for “coolcations” in the spring — but for 2025, it reported a decline in interest for cooler-weather destinations such as Switzerland, Iceland and Antarctica (in some cases, down as much as 60% from last year). Instead, the list of in-demand destinations for spring travel is topped by Mexico and the Bahamas. Other popular countries include Japan, Italy and the Dominican Republic.
Trends From Hilton
Trend 1: International and Warm-Weather Destinations Are In
Destinations seeing the biggest spike in searches on Hilton's website for spring travel include Los Cabos, Mexico; Costa Rica; the Caribbean; Japan; and Amsterdam, all international hot spots. Most-searched locales include Hawaii; Cancun, Mexico; Orlando, Florida; Tokyo; and Las Vegas.
Trends From Villas of Distinction
Trend 1: Families Are Looking for Villa Escapes
Based on booking trends, luxury villa rental company Villas of Distinction reports that families and multigenerational groups are driving villa bookings this spring.
Trend 2: Hawaii and the Caribbean Are Top Villa Spots
Hawaii ranks as the company’s top destination for the season, followed by Jamaica, St. Martin, Barbados and Turks and Caicos. Barbados and Costa Rica have seen increased interest over 2024, and Mexico continues to see year-over-year growth.
Trends From Bread Financial
Trend 1: Gen Z Is Splurging
Bread Financial, a financial services company, released insights about spring break travel that show Gen Z is leading in spending, as well as splurging on extras. Twenty percent of respondents from this generation say they are willing to spend on the best experiences (the highest of all generations), with 37% staying at resorts and 37% booking spa experiences. The company found that Gen Z travelers are also 2.6 times more likely to pay for extras such as city tours or language classes. Other findings include that 38% will travel internationally and 60% will fly to their destinations.
Bread Financial even found that Gen Z is doing some major pre-trip spending: 97% of this age group’s respondents are prepping for their getaways by shopping, be it for apparel (63%), footwear (44%), beauty products (46%) or jewelry (30%).
Trends From Kampgrounds of America
Trend 1: Going Camping
Kampgrounds of America (KOA) reports that 17.4 million camping households plan to travel for spring break this year, an increase from 16.5 million last year.
Trend 2: Solo Travel for Spring
KOA also reports that 36% of Gen Z travelers are likely to take a solo trip this spring, along with 28% of millennials, 25% of Gen X and 22% of boomers. Another finding indicates that 36% of men are going solo this spring.
Trend 3: Prioritizing Relaxation
Instead of the traditional idea of partying over spring break, KOA found that 48% of those traveling this spring are looking to slow down and enjoy being in the moment. Forty-four percent want travel experiences that will help them recharge, while 66% want to spend time being active outdoors.
Trend 4: "Bond Breaks"
Travelers are choosing camping as a means of bonding and creating connections, according to KOA. Forty-three percent of campers are traveling with their significant other, compared to 36% of non-campers; 40% of campers are taking family trips, versus 34% of non-campers; and 59% of millennials want to spend time with friends this spring.
Trend 5: "Cowboy Core"
The rising trend in cowboy culture is driving interest in Southern states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana this spring among 29% of campers, 33% of Gen Z and 34% of millennials. Another 29% of campers are heading to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina to take part in the lifestyle.
Trends From Hertz
Trend 1: Top Destinations for Spring Car Travel
Hertz data shows that car rental bookings for spring are highest in Orlando; Phoenix, Arizona; Miami; Denver; Tampa, Florida; Oahu; Fort Myers, Florida; San Francisco; and Atlanta.
“Up-and-coming” destinations showing the greatest increase in rentals range from Birmingham, Alabama, to Pensacola, Florida; Reno, Nevada; San Diego; Sarasota, Florida; Sacramento, California; Calgary, Canada; and St. Louis, Missouri.
Trends From Allianz Partners USA
Trend 1: Spending Is Up
Allianz Partners USA has found that rising costs aren’t stopping Americans from splurging on spring travel this year — in fact, average trip cost is up nearly 14% over 2024, reaching $5,325.
Trend 2: Domestic Destinations Preferred
Allianz’s research found that 79% of spring breakers are staying in the U.S., while 21% are headed abroad. Orlando remains the most popular location for spring trips for the second year in a row, followed by New York, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas and Atlanta.
On the international scene, Mexico is travelers’ top choice, with Cancun (No. 1), San Jose del Cabo (No. 2) and Puerto Vallarta (No. 5) ranking among the top 10 destinations. London; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Paris; Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Tokyo; and Oranjestad, Aruba, round out the list.
