Travel remains the benchmark for the vast majority of consumers globally, with 88% planning a leisure trip in the next year and 68% intending to travel internationally – an increase of 19% compared to 2022. This is the key finding of Expedia Group’s Traveler Value Index 2025.
The research, which was based on information from more than 11,000 consumers in 11 global markets, also highlights the key role of social media and influencers in consumers’ travel decisions.
“In today’s climate of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, it has never been more important to understand how travellers’ plans, preferences and values are changing. What is clear from this year’s data is that despite these changes, the desire to travel remains a fundamental part of everyone’s lives,” said Expedia Group Chief Commercial Officer Greg Schulze.
The importance of travel
50% of consumers consider travel more vital today than five years ago, highlighting the essential role of travel in personal fulfilment.
In addition, travellers are increasingly embracing flexcations and bleisure travel, combining work and leisure to meet their evolving needs.
A combination of price and reliability
Price remains a key factor, with 58% of consumers expecting to be more price-conscious in the next 12 months. However, reliability is equally important, with three quarters of travellers willing to pay more for accommodation with better reviews.
Social media and influencers influence travellers
Over 6 in 10 consumers (61%) get their travel ideas from social media, up from 35% in 2022.
Even higher is the percentage of those who turn to influencers, with 73% saying that influencer recommendations have influenced their decision to book a trip or a travel item.
Travel bookings through loyalty programmes are increasing
83% of travellers see travel as the top category for redeeming loyalty points, while 82% are interested in booking travel through non-travel loyalty programmes such as credit cards or retailers, highlighting the growing influence of non-travel loyalty programmes.
Regional and genealogical differences
The research highlights significant differences in travellers’ preferences depending on their country of origin and age. In particular:
– Consumers from China (87%), the UK (77%) and Germany (72%) are more likely to plan international travel in the next 12 months. Meanwhile, those under 40 show a greater preference for combining work and leisure, often opting for bleisure and flexcation trips.
– For hotels, rental accommodation, activities and cruises, positive reviews are a key decision factor – particularly for younger travellers.
– Air travel priorities vary, with travellers from China looking for contactless experiences, travellers from Germany valuing a full refund in case of cancellation, while Canadians, Australians, French and Italians rank price as the main criterion.
– Price remains the dominant factor for car rentals worldwide – particularly in Canada, Australia and the US – but for travellers under 40, positive reviews have almost as much influence on decision making.
– Younger travellers, particularly under 40, are most influenced by social media, with 84% reporting that influencer recommendations influence their travel choices.
The research was conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Expedia Group, on a sample of 11,000 consumers aged 18+ in 11 markets (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the US) between 14 February and 3 March 2025.
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