Money blog: Brits withdraw more money from pensions ahead of Budget | British News

By Jess Sharp, Money Team

Diversion destinations, freight excursions and the phenomenon list – have you ever heard of it?

If not, you could soon – these are some of the travel trends expected in 2025, according to Expedia.

Considerations people will make when choosing their vacation destination next year include staying away from popular cities, getting a specialty product and traveling to see a natural event, according to the travel company.

Here we take a look at the trends – and places you might want to add to your bucket list.

Redirection destinations

These are places that are close to established tourist hotspots, but are less crowded and less well-known.

Expedia found that 63% of travelers said they would be more likely to visit one of these locations on their next trip.

The top 10 most popular diversion destinations in 2025 were also identified based on search data.

At the top of the list was Reims, France, which is about two hours from Paris.

It is known for its Gothic cathedral and its champagne houses (it is the largest city in Champagne).

Here are the other places that made the list:

• Brescia, Italy – about an hour from Milan
• Cozumel, Mexico – an island near Cancun
• Santa Barbara, California, USA – about two hours from Los Angeles
• Waikato, New Zealand – almost two hours from Auckland
• Girona, Spain – a 39-minute train ride from Barcelona
• Fukuoka, Japan – 13 hours from Tokyo
• Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – just over an hour’s drive from Dubai
• Krabi, Thailand – almost three hours from Phuket
• Canmore, Alberta, Canada – about an hour from Calgary

Commodity trips

Social media, especially TikTok, has inspired people to take trips in search of a specialty product – these are commodity trips.

According to Expedia, 60% of people in the UK prefer to visit a supermarket to buy local delicacies when on holiday.

Coffee tours in Costa Rica, tea tastings in China and matcha experiences in Japan were among the most popular activities booked on the travel site.

A viral pistachio chocolate from Dubai, butter from France and Japanese sweets were also popular souvenirs.

Adjust nozzles

If you’re a regular reader of the Money blog, you may have come across this term before.

Basically, these are trips inspired by TV shows or movies.

Expedia found that two-thirds of travelers say movies, streaming services and TV shows have influenced their travel decisions – 16% more than last year.

Destinations inspired by Emily In Paris and White Lotus have already proven popular.

In 2025, The Real Housewives of Dubai aims to inspire people to visit the city in the United Arab Emirates.

In Yellowstone, people will visit Montana and Wyoming in the US, Scotland will get some visitors thanks to The Traitors, New York City will see And Just Like That fans, and One Piece will send travelers to Cape Town, South Africa.

The phenomena list

Two-thirds of travelers said that in 2025 it would be important to stay somewhere that offers a first-class view of natural phenomena.

The Northern Lights were the most important natural event to see. 70% of people said it was on their list, followed by volcanoes, geysers and hot springs.

Expedia’s partner Vrbo created this list of phenomena people want to visit – the Phenomenon List

• Northern lights – Lapland region, Finland
• International Dark Sky Park – Arches National Park, Utah
• Synchronous Firefly Season – Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg
• Penguin Parade – Phillip Island near Melbourne, Australia
• Bioluminescent Plankton – Vero Beach, Florida
• Migration of Black Sun Starlings – Wadden Sea National Park, Denmark
• Ballet of the Japanese Cranes – Hokkaido, Japan
• Highest Tides in the World, Seabed Walk – Bay of Fundy, Canada
• Murmuration of Starlings – Somerset, UK
• Volcanoes, lava fields and black sand beaches – Reykjavik, Iceland

All-inclusive trips, hotel restaurants and JOMO trips

The return of all-inclusive vacations is also predicted for next year, with Hotels.com finding that 61% of Gen Z travelers will consider such a vacation in 2025.

Half of them said they would book an all-inclusive stay because of the cost savings, while 39% said they would do so because of the minimal hassle.

As people book hotels, they are also paying attention to the experience offered by on-site restaurants, and the travel site predicts this will continue next year.

Almost a third of Brits said tables at restaurants reserved exclusively for hotel guests would increase the likelihood of booking a stay, while one in five cited room service from a famous hotel restaurant as the main reason.

And while the world is used to FOMO (the fear of missing out), next year is expected to be full of travelers enjoying the joy of missing out, or JOMO.

Doing less on vacation to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and taking trips to relax is likely to be the trend.

The best way to experience this type of travel is from a beach house, lakefront lodge or farmhouse, say British travelers asked by Expedia.