Skyscanner has launched a new report exploring the latest trends in travel: ‘Skyscanner Horizons: Insights into spending, planning and destinations in 2024/5’. This report reveals a combination of consumer research and proprietary search data to provide a unique perspective on the current state of travellers. I’m thinking about my plans for the next 12 months.
The report surveyed 19,000 consumers across 16 markets to find out their views on travel trends, spending, types of travel, primary sources of destination inspiration, use of AI, and overtourism. We take a deep dive into key metrics such as the travel planning process involved. Of these, 6,000 survey respondents were from the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Skyscanner’s search data further complements these insights by providing details on destination selection, average lead time, average trip length and year-over-year search volume comparisons.
Asia Pacific travelers continue to prioritize travel and travel spending
Asia Pacific travelers continue to prioritize travel and travel spending, with travelers from India planning the most travel and travel spending. 80% of the region’s residents plan to travel as much or more in 2025 than they did in 2024.
From sporting events and immersive art installations to gaming “pilgrims” that bring people together, travel behavior across the board is shaped by the desire for collective experiences. Seven travel trends were identified: Sports Mode, Astro Adventurers, Reset Jetters, Art Ventures, Cowboy Core, Horticultural Culture, and Gami Vacations.
Travel continues to be a priority and travelers expect to spend more
72% of Asia Pacific travelers plan to spend more or the same amount on flights in 2025 compared to the previous year. Similarly, 71% and 46% of travelers in the region plan to spend more or the same amount on accommodation and car rental activities, respectively.
When it comes to incidental costs, the most common flight upgrades were seat selection (38%), insurance (38%), better food (29%), airport lounge access (25%), and excess baggage (23%). %). About 31% of travelers are willing to upgrade their hotel room (for example, a larger room or a room with an ocean view). The same percentage are also willing to upgrade their accommodation to get a higher star rating.
The biggest factor in travel planning is food
Aside from cost, the biggest decision-making factor when choosing a destination is food. Two-thirds (67%) of Asia Pacific travelers agreed that food is important when choosing a holiday destination. Other top factors observed were weather (55%), natural scenery (55%), tourist attractions (54%), and culture (54%).
Increased confidence in using AI for planning
46% of travelers in Asia Pacific are confident in using AI tools to help plan and book their trips, with around 17% saying they are very confident.
The top four applications for AI in travel include destination research (40%), itinerary creation (36%), option comparison (33%), and destination inspiration (31%) .
Attitudes and impacts on overtourism
When asked how they would change the way they travel in the future, more than one in four (27%) Asia Pacific travelers said they would consider less touristy destinations, and 25% said they would change the way they travel in the future. answered that they strive to have a positive impact on
It has been observed that Korean travelers are particularly interested in visiting quieter and less crowded destinations, while Indian travelers are most likely to actively contribute to the destinations they visit. It has been observed that.
When discussing factors influencing choice, travelers are increasingly interested in exploring lesser-known destinations, with 27% of respondents in Asia-Pacific preferring these less-touristed regions. indicates an intention to visit.
59% of travelers in Asia-Pacific cited safety as their top reason for choosing a less touristy destination over a more popular one. A high proportion of Singaporean (67%), Indian (60%) and Korean travelers (64%) contributed to this sentiment.
Furthermore, knowing where to go (36%) and confidence in the activities available at the destination (34%) are also important factors influencing the decision to travel to a lesser-known destination It was.
Main source of travel inspiration
Social media and word-of-mouth recommendations are the primary source of travel inspiration for travelers around the world. More than half (55%) of Asia Pacific respondents turn to social media for travel ideas, and 45% rely on word-of-mouth recommendations.
Other notable sources include online media (42%), movies and TV shows (40%), and guidebooks (28%), all of which are important in shaping travel choices. playing a role.
2025 Destination Trends and Trip Length
Travelers continue to seek inspiration through Skyscanner’s popular ‘Anywhere’ search feature, which ranks highly across all regions. The top destinations identified in the Asia-Pacific region revealed a preference for larger cities across Asia.
The average trip length is short, with a maximum of 6 days to 2 weeks, excluding London. Overall, travel days are down about 1 day year-over-year (YoY). Average lead times are approximately 30-70 days, with the longest being in London and Tokyo. On average, travelers book flights to New Delhi just 28 days before departure.
Trending destinations identified in Asia Pacific show love for off-the-beaten-path Asian destinations, with Dayong in China and Shillong in India both seeing significant search volumes of over 800% year-on-year recorded a significant increase.
Smaller destinations in India, Japan and Cambodia are rapidly gaining popularity, accounting for six of the top 10 spots. Average travel lengths are short and all in the single digits as travelers are staying shorter.
“Our data shows that travel demand remains resilient, with travelers adjusting itineraries in search of collective experiences. This resiliency, ingenuity, and innovation from both travelers and airlines is driving Convergence will make next year a transformative year for everyone,” said Hugh Aitkens, vice president of strategic relationship development at Skyscanner.
“Going forward, we expect the market to become more active in seat sales and promotions as airlines compete for wallet share.”
