eDreams ODIGEO - the world's leading travel subscription platform and  parent company of Opodo in the UK - launches its annual 'Year in Travel' report today.

The report examines search and booking data from travellers in key European markets* and the USA. It gives insight into 2025's evolving trends, the most popular attracting new interest this year - as well as a glimpse into what's ahead for travel in 2026.

TOP 2025 DESTINATIONS BOOKED:

London remained in the top 5 most-booked destinations globally during 2025. Barcelona came in 1st, followed by Paris, Mallorca, Madrid and London. (The 2024 ranking was Paris, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Madrid and London).

Inbound: 

• Bookings data shows which nations were most keen to visit the UK in 2025. 19% came from Germany, 18% from Spain, 14% from France 
• Top-ranking destinations within the UK for incoming travellers were London, Edinburgh, Manchester 
• London remained a firm favourite ranking 4th for Germans, 6th for Italians, 7th for Portuguese, and 10th for Spanish travellers in 2025.

Outbound: 

• Brits preferred city breaks in 2025: Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris were our top three booked destinations, followed by Malaga and Istanbul

TOP 2025 SEARCHES: 

• Globally, London continued to be the most searched-for destination in 2025, followed by Paris and New York City. It ranked 2nd in searches for the French, Italians, Portuguese and Spanish, 4th for Germans and 6th for Americans 
• Brit's top searches were broadly on par with 2024: with Paris, Bangkok and Amsterdam leading the pack - though we also had our eyes on travel to the big shiny cities of Dubai, Barcelona and New York City

2025 GROWTH DESTINATIONS:

• Travellers globally continued to show interest in destinations offering adventure and cultural immersion, evidenced by destinations with the biggest bookings growth: Rio de Janeiro +164%, Santiago +102%, Lima +54%, Sao Paulo +49% and Johannesburg and Pristina +44% 
• Bookings data for Brits 2025 reveals that our top growth destinations were those offering world-renowned French wine, Portuguese festivals, Spanish architecture and history, UNESCO World Heritage and more. The rankings are: Bordeaux +59%, Funchal and Sevilla +50%, Warsaw +43%, Ibiza and Malaga +37% and Bilbao +31%  

TRAVEL HABITS:

• Quick trips dominated global travel habits in 2025 with the most popular length of stay for travellers being just 3-4 days (32%), steady with last year's data. This compares to 24% of travellers who booked for longer stays of between 7-13 days while 15% chose to stay just 5-6 days
• For UK travellers, short stays of 3-4 days was also the most popular (35% of bookings, on par with last year) 
• Short-term planning: the Year in Travel report also reveals that in 2025, 54% of global and UK travellers booked travel within just 0-30 days of departure, whereas 21% of global and 20% of UK travellers also favoured booking 31-60 days before take-off

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026:

• Search data from eDreams ODIGEO reveals the most popular destinations for global traveller searches are Bangkok and Tokyo with  Paris in third place:  a similar trend to 2025 travel searches
• For global bookings, Bangkok also ranks highest, followed by Paris and Rio de Janeiro, indicating travellers are seeking rich cultural immersion in 2026

• London remains popular for  global travellers, ranking 4th in global searches and 6th in bookings for 2026
• For Brits? UK search data for 2026 travel shows Bangkok is also our most-searched-for destination, followed by Tokyo and Orlando. However, top booked destinations reveal UK travellers have their eyes on  city breaks: Amsterdam, Barcelona and Rome rank as the top three booked destinations for 2026

2025/2026 TRAVEL TRENDS:

In 2025, travel has continued to evolve beyond traditional leisure holidays. Consumers are seeking experiences that are transformational, purpose-driven and wellness-focussed. With the continued rise in AI and tech integration technologies, this has allowed for hyperpersonalisation when it comes to travel itineraries, real-time updates and travel tips. This year, the travel industry also saw a rise in event-driven and slow travel which allowed consumers to seek deeper cultural connections within a destination. 

1. Transformational/purpose-driven travel
   Travellers are increasingly prioritising transformational and purpose-driven holidays: designed not just for relaxation, but for learning, and personal growth. SmartFlyer's 2026 Travel Trends Report highlights how big-budget travel has jumped 26% year over year. Purpose-driven itineraries often bring together multigenerational families or friend groups, allowing shared meaning and deeper connections across generations.
2. Tech/AI integration: seamless, responsive travel planning

In 2025, AI has become more central in travel planning with consumers turning to AI-enabled tools to assist in trip organisation, advisory on real-time travel disruptions or changes, and even booking decisions, according to The Future of Commerce. Within the travel sector, AI integration also points to ultra-personalised, AI-enhanced travel as it continues to be a key theme in the future, where algorithms will anticipate preferences (down to sleep patterns or preferred lighting) to craft hyper-tailored experiences (The Rise of Artificial Intelligence, Financial Times). eDreams ODIGEO's proprietary AI makes over six billion daily predictions, allowing it to deliver the hyper-personalised and seamless experience that consumers  so clearly crave. 

This year, eDreams ODIGEO conducted a global survey on AI travel, revealing a 61% increase for UK travellers in usage of AI-powered travel platforms, compared to last year. In Europe, Gen Z and Millennials are most keen to utilise AI with 96% of 18-24 year olds in Spain admitting  to embracing AI in their travel experiences and 53% of 25-34 year olds in Portugal relying on the technology for trip planning. For Americans, 47% of respondents over the age of 55 used AI for travel purposes for the first time this year, highlighting that older generations are also embracing the benefits. Additionally, 67% of Germans over 55 relied on AI to help with trip planning - making this one of the highest senior adoption rates in Europe. The reliance on AI continued to rise in Italy this year, with 35% of travellers overall and 42% among the 35-44 year-old age range citing the lack of personalisation as a key issue when booking through traditional non-AI powered methods. In France, 73% of travellers admit to using AI to help find the best deals and 23% of travellers hoping AI will help them find the perfect accommodation. 24% of respondents in France hoped AI would help them to discover new destinations for exploration (eDreams ODIGEO global AI study PR September 2025).

3. Wellness & longevity travel for holistic health, deeper restoration
   As wellness travel has continued to grow in interest year on year, travellers are seeking wellness-stays beyond merely relaxing holidays. According to SmartFlyer there is a shift in consumer behaviour with value placed on holistic programming in mental health, sleep health, ancient and local healing traditions, as well as longevity and healthspan technologies (such as AI-driven sleep coaching or hyperbaric chambers). eDreams ODIGEO provides further evidence that this trend drives consumer travel behaviour: its survey revealed that 92% of global respondents felt that holidays had a 'very' or 'quite' positive impact on their mental wellbeing.
4. Conscious/regenerative travel
   An increasing number of travellers have shown their preference towards trips where they have a net-positive effect, not just minimising harm, but actively supporting conservation, community, and restoration. Whether it's staying in accommodation that: uses renewable energy, partners with local conservation projects, hosts reforestation or habitat restoration initiatives, or supports local wildlife monitoring efforts, according to Sustainable Travel Advisor. 
5. Event-driven travel: festivals, concerts, cultural moments
   Travel motivated by events, especially music festivals, continues to be significant. A recent poll conducted by eDreams ODIGEO, found that 34% of global respondents had travelled to a destination specifically for a music festival and a further 37% polled they had not yet but planned to do so in the future. Globally, 58% of respondents reported they would likely explore the surrounding area in addition to attending a music festival, reinforcing an interest in local cultural exploration as well. In 2025, festivals included: Coachella, Glastonbury, Primavera Sound, Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza and more (One Poll Music festivals PR April 2024)
6. Flexibility in travel

Holidaymakers are prioritising peace of mind and control when booking travel. Flexibility in travel is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Whether it's the ability to change plans or combine multiple providers in one booking for the best value, travellers want options that adapt to their lives, not the other way around. The era of rigid, one-size-fits-all travel is over. 

This year, eDreams ODIGEO conducted a global survey on the emergence of flexibility in travel, revealing a major preference for adaptable holidays. According to the data findings, more than half of Italians and Spaniards (54%) now consider travel flexibility to be more important than it was five years ago. In addition, 28% of French and English travellers aged 18-34 agreed they are willing to book longer and more expensive trips if flexible options are available. The survey also showed that travellers are increasingly valuing their freedom in trip planning, with 86% of Portuguese and 85% of German respondents expressing appreciation for the ability to combine different airlines when booking holidays. 

For 2026, travel will again be significantly shaped by major global trends and events, with sports, cultural, and music tourism already driving searches and bookings. Whether it is calendar staples like the annual Rio Carnival, or the hotly anticipated FIFA Men's World Cup, host destinations are already seeing an upswing in inbound interest.

Sports tourism will again be a key theme with searches for destinations hosting major sporting events creating spikes. The Winter Olympics is set to take place in Milan and Cortina D'Ampezzo between the 6th to 22nd February, with searches to the Italian capital up +24% over these dates. Also in February, the five-week-long Six Nations Rugby Union tournament also looks to be driving an interest in travel with searches up by a combined +14% to host cities in England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. 2026 will also see the return of one of football's most highly anticipated events, the Fifa Men's World Cup, co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico between 11th June to 19th July. The data reveals searches for travel to Mexico are already up to +15% and +14% for Canada. Further sporting events set to take place in 2026 could spike travel interest including the Asian Games set to take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (19th September - 4th October) and the Rugby League World Cup in Australia in October and November 2026. Sports fans may also see a spike in travel interest to Istanbul in May 2026, where the UEFA Europa League Final is set to take place. 

Cultural events are also on track to drive travel in 2026. Searches to Japan have risen by +12% over the dates of The Sapporo Snow Festival (4th - 11th February). The annual festival is one of the world's largest showcases of snow and ice sculptures, drawing crowds from across Japan and internationally. Also taking place in February is the Rio Carnival in Brazil. The huge street party, which runs from 28th February to 4th March, has boosted searches by +7% to Rio de Janeiro. Later in the year, annual events such as Oktoberfest in Germany (19th September - 4th October) and the Day of the Dead in Mexico (2nd November) could also spike travel interest.

Music tourism will remain a firm fixture in our calendars in 2026 with major music events and concerts driving international travel such as Iron Maiden or Shakira. In 2026, Austria will host the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest between 12th - 15th May, with global searches for travel to Vienna soaring by +166% compared to the same dates in 2025. Additionally, following the announcement of Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine Tour, searches are up +6% to LA for her tour dates (13th - 14th June). Finally, a significant musical highlight is the close of The Weekend's After Hours Till Dawn world tour. Global searches for travel over concert dates are up by +71% for Amsterdam (16th - 18th July), and +155% to Milan (24th - 26th July). 

Dana Dunne, CEO of eDreams ODIGEO, comments: “2025 has been a landmark year for travel, shaped by a growing appetite for meaningful, flexible, and tech-enhanced experiences. Travellers are no longer just booking holidays, they're curating journeys that reflect their values, passions, and desire for personal growth. From the rise of transformational and wellness-focused travel to the increasing popularity of culture-rich city breaks, we've seen a clear shift toward purpose-driven exploration.

As AI continues to revolutionise the way we travel, our proprietary technology  is primed to deliver hyper-personalised experiences for our 7.5 million Prime members. Whether it's real-time itinerary updates, personalised recommendations, or seamless booking, our six billion daily predictions empower travellers to take control of their journeys like never before”.

- ENDS-

For further information contact: opodo@grifcopr.com

Notes for Editor

Methodology:

The eDreams ODIGEO 2025 A Year in Travel Report is collated utilising flight booking data from the company's online travel agency brands (eDreams, Opodo, GO Voyages and Travellink). It covers the periods from 1st January to 31st October 2025 vs the same dates in 2024. Travelling dates: 1st January to 31st December 2025 against the same dates in 2024 & 1st of January 2026 to 31st December 2026.

About eDreams ODIGEO:

eDreams ODIGEO is the world's leading travel subscription platform and one of the largest e-commerce businesses in Europe. Under its four renowned online travel agency brands – eDreams, GO Voyages, Opodo, Travellink, and the metasearch engine Liligo – it serves millions of customers every year across 44 markets. Listed on the Spanish Stock Market, eDreams ODIGEO works with more than 600 airlines. The business launched Prime, the first subscription product in the travel sector which has topped over 7.5 million members since launching in 2017. The brand offers the best quality products in regular flights, low-cost airlines, hotels, dynamic packages, car rental and travel insurance to make travel easier, more accessible, and better value for consumers across the globe.

About Opodo:

Opodo is one of the leading online travel agents in Europe and offers customers tailor-made travel deals focusing on individual flight + hotel combinations. Customers benefit from easy and convenient booking processes, excellent value for money and an extensive international list of airlines and hotel partners, car rental companies and access to innovative services such as Opodo Prime, the very first subscription programme ever created in travel. Opodo is part of the eDreams ODIGEO Group, one of the world's largest online travel companies, serving millions of customers globally.