What 2025 Tourists Are Seeking From Travel

Global tourism is buzzing once again in 2025, rebounding strongly from the pandemic as international travel nears pre-pandemic levels. But things haven’t stayed the same. Today’s travellers still venture to experience new places and relax, but they’re also travelling as a form of expression and growth. The evolution in traveller motivations is forcing travel brands to rethink how they engage with consumers, balancing high expectations for unique experiences with mounting pressure to operate sustainably.

BETC Corporate’s deputy managing director and head of strategies, Adrien Fortabat sat down to tell us more about the story the numbers are telling. 

LBB> Tourism is thriving once again. How would you describe the state of the travel industry today compared to pre-pandemic times? What are the major shifts you've observed in traveller behaviour or preferences?

Adrien> At the end of covid, we wondered whether there would be a reset, or whether there would be revenge travel.

The figures speak for themselves: international tourism is set to return to covid levels, and Europe is set to break records this year.

At BETC, our latest Prosumers survey (worldwide quant studies that isolate people slightly ahead of their time in terms of attitude and behaviour) shows that there is a very strong desire to travel. 60% of Prosumers tell us, “I am willing to sacrifice many things to continue travelling,” and 78% think, “I will never give up flying because discovering the world is too vital for me.”

Many travel without any sense of guilt, with only 32% saying, “The environmental impact of each trip makes me feel guilty.”

When it comes to motivations, there are three main ones: exploration, relaxation, and self-expression. We want to discover destinations and discover ourselves; escape and let go.

LBB> What are the biggest challenges that travel brands are facing, especially regarding customer expectations and experience?

Adrien> The first step is to re-enchant travel. 26% of Prosumers think, “I'm less and less amazed by the places I go to when I travel.”

Local experience will be increasingly popular. 71% of Prosumers agree that “it's important for me to live as much like a local as possible when I visit a foreign country.”

Finally, there will be room for those who can resolve the cognitive dissonance surrounding environmental impact. 63% think “I'm prepared to pay more for travel that has less impact on the environment,” however, 51% agree that “I'm fed up with the fact that the most sustainable means of transport (like the train, for example) are often more expensive options.”

LBB> And what are the solutions to these challenges? What opportunities can be tapped into?

Adrien> The first opportunity, is longer but less frequent trips: 47% say, “In the future, we'll travel less often, but for longer." The almighty 'slow travel’ concept that we hear so much about will perhaps become a reality out of constraint.

The second opportunity is in travel that feels less like being a tourist and more like interacting with locals: 83% think that “tourism brands should support and empower local communities.”

Immersive experiences could develop for certain destinations, with 60% saying that in the future, technology will “enable me to travel to destinations without leaving my place.”

As far as recommendations go, 64% say they like it when travel brands team up with influencers to help them discover new destinations.

LBB> With the resurgence of travel, has the competition among travel brands changed?

Adrien> As the ad agency for the Moroccan National Tourist Office, whose ‘Kingdom of Light’ advertisements we produced, we had a front-row seat to see that there had been a commercial war to attract tourists in the aftermath of covid. Now that the tourists have returned, we can expect things to return to normal.

LBB> How do you see technology transforming the travel industry?

Adrien> I'm not a mind reader, but it's reasonable to imagine that AI will increasingly play the role played by travel agents and tour operators years ago. Making suggestions based on one's profile and online behaviours, packaging trips, recommending local experiences.

Either these solutions will be integrated with added value by booking sites and comparators, or they will be disrupted.

LBB> All this travel comes with a cost to the environment, and it seems most consumers believe that it is the airline’s responsibility to make travel more sustainable. How can brands take this on while encouraging travel in a responsible way?

Adrien> Yes, unfortunately everyone knows about it but doesn't want to do anything about it.

The perceived culprits are the airlines and the rich. 43% believe travel/airline brands are primarily responsible for climate change, with 48% agreeing, “I don't consider myself guilty when I take the plane; the fault is more on wealthy people who take it all the time.”

We're right in the middle of the triangle of inaction, with everyone blaming each other. Brands can take initiatives, but it's up to governments and citizens to act or put pressure.

LBB> Finally, what excites you most about the future of the travel sector, and what innovations or shifts are you most looking forward to?

Adrien> Developing and promoting local travel. There are fabulous countries and sites right next door.

In terms of innovation, we're obviously dreaming of cleaner energies like hydrogen-powered aircraft, but that's not for tomorrow.