Holiday Travel Trends 2025: Cost, Comfort, and Closer-to-Home Trips

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sojern, the leading digital marketing platform built for hospitality, today unveils its latest year-over-year (YoY) travel trends ahead of the 2025 holiday season. As travelers worldwide navigate economic pressures, shifting political landscapes and evolving travel preferences, new Sojern data reveals a key shift: this year's holidaymakers are staying closer to home, booking later, and placing value at the heart of every decision.

"This holiday season, travelers are making more intentional choices about where and how they spend," said Noreen Henry, Chief Revenue Officer at Sojern. "Our data shows a clear opportunity for travel marketers to promote regional getaways, flexible pricing, and late-booking offers to capture demand even as long-haul travel softens. By adapting their strategies, travel brands can reach travelers where they are, both geographically and financially."

Americans Travel Based on Points, Proximity, and Price

In the U.S., nearly 90% of holiday travelers are planning to hit the road rather than fly, signaling a broader shift in how Americans approach winter vacations during periods of economic uncertainty. This shift follows what many dubbed a "summer of savings," where airfare prices fell YoY across peak travel months, including Labor Day weekend.  

• Domestic flight bookings are up 4% YoY, while outbound bookings to key international destinations have declined: Canada (-14%), Mexico (-5%), the Caribbean (-8%), Asia (-9%) and Europe (-3%).
• Inbound international travel to the U.S. continues its year-long downward trend, with bookings down 16% to New York and 18% to Florida, despite stable or growing domestic interest in those states.
• Looking ahead, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday are crucial triggers for holiday bookings. Travelers are holding out for deals, compressing the booking window and driving demand surges around promotional events.

LATAM Travel Shifts: Puerto Rico Surges Amid Regional Declines

Travel patterns across Latin America and the Caribbean continue to reflect financial caution and changing preferences.

• Flight bookings from the U.S. to the region are down 8% overall, with Mexico (-5%), the Dominican Republic (-6%) and Costa Rica (-15%) all seeing declines.
• Puerto Rico, however, stands out, solidifying its status as the top Caribbean destination for Americans, beating traditional hotspots like Mexico and the Dominican Republic for the second consecutive year. Bookings are up 9%, including a 7% increase from the U.S. and a 28% rise from international markets.

Europe's Christmas Markets Shine as Long-Haul Travel Fades

Across Europe, short-haul escapes are in and long-haul trips are out. Cities like Budapest, Warsaw and Gdansk (recently voted Europe's top Christmas market) are attracting significant interest.

• Domestic travel within Europe is up 8%, while bookings to North America are down 17%. Notably, the U.S. is absent from Europe's top 15 international destinations this holiday season.
• Canada now leads as the top Western Hemisphere destination, capturing 27.5% of European outbound bookings.
• Top intra-European countries include Spain (14%), Germany (10%) and the UK (9%).
• At the city level, London (5%), host of World Travel Market, and Paris (3%) rank as top destinations, thanks to their winter charm.
• Notably, Dubai (5%) also remains a top-tier destination for Europeans, showing that while long-haul travel has softened, select global hubs continue to attract demand.
• Austria is seeing a 21% increase, fueled by demand for festive traditions in Vienna.
• Eastern European cities are gaining traction, with Hungary (+20%) and Poland (+9%) driving growth.
• With nearly 55% of bookings from Europe still to come, the late-booking trend remains a major opportunity for travel marketers to stay visible throughout the season and convert undecided travelers.

GCC Momentum Driven by Major Events 

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is entering a strong seasonal window, with domestic and event-led development at the forefront.

• Saudi Arabia shows 25% growth in domestic bookings, and 5% overall, driven by infrastructure investments and events.
• In the UAE, Dubai continues to dominate, capturing 88% of inbound travel, despite a 6% decline in total UAE bookings.
• From Europe, the UAE remains the top MEA-bound destination, accounting for 25% of international flight bookings.
• The Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December is expected to further boost high-spend inbound travel.

Chinese New Year 2026: APAC Flights Surge, Regional Favorites Emerge

Chinese New Year (CNY) 2026, falling on February 17 and marking the start of the Year of the Fire Horse, is shaping up to be a high-demand travel period, with strong early growth in both flights and hotel bookings.

• Asia Pacific (APAC) flight bookings overall to all destinations during CNY are up 26%, while hotel bookings have risen 16% compared to the same period in 2025.
• Flights from China to all destinations are up 54% and hotel bookings up 28%, reflecting a strong rebound in outbound travel.
• East Asia leads regional growth for global CNY travelers, with hotel bookings up 42%, followed by Southeast Asia (+39%) and domestic travel (+22%)
• Top destinations include:
  • Hong Kong (20%), Seoul (13%), and Taipei (11%) in East Asia
  • Singapore (44.5%), Bangkok (15%) and Manila (5%) in Southeast Asia
  • Sydney (25%), Melbourne (15%) and Brisbane (13%) across wider APAC
• Chinese travelers are also expanding their horizons, with bookings to Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) up 330%.
• This rebound reflects renewed confidence among Chinese travelers and a growing mix of regional and long-haul trips, both driven by culture, cuisine and convenience.

For full regional breakdowns and strategic recommendations for travel marketers, visit Sojern's website.

*Data source: Sojern platform data, pulled w/c 8 September 2025

About Sojern

Sojern  is the leading marketing platform built for hospitality, designed to boost growth and profitability for the travel industry. The Sojern marketing platform is a set of easy-to-use software and services that delivers unrivaled traveler insight, intelligent audiences, multichannel activation and optimization, and a connected guest experience—all in one place. More than 10,000 travel marketers rely on our platform annually to find, attract, convert and engage travelers. Founded in 2007, Sojern is headquartered in San Francisco, California with teams in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.

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