Skyscanner has unveiled its latest Horizons Spring Travel Outlook report, highlighting an early increase in travel demand and the evolving travel trends shaping 2025, based on the forward-looking search data of 110m+ users each month and a survey of 19k travellers worldwide. The report gives insights into conscious-led travel behaviour, the increasing role of AI in travel planning, including differences across generations, and the most popular and trending destinations. 

Spring Travel Demand and Booking Horizons 

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For the first time, global booking windows have stabilised year-on-year in a sign that traveller confidence continues to grow. 

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Over half of travellers (53%) are booking their trips over a month in advance, with the largest segment (31%) booking between 31 and 90 days in advance. Nearly half of travellers continued to book their flights less than a month ahead, with almost 1 in 5 booking less than seven days before departure. 

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Easter Travel Outlook is Strong 

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The shift in Easter’s dates from the end of March 2024 to the middle of April 2025 is reflected in both airline volume and yield, as travellers make the most of the holidays to get away. 

1. Bookings have grown YoY for both March and April, with growth in domestic travel for April double that of March (+60% vs +29%).  
2. International travel is growing too, increasing +17% YoY for March and +62% YoY for April. 

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Planning Trends: Experience-led, tech-inspired  

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Travellers in 2025 are placing greater emphasis on experience-led travel. More than ever, they seek shared experiences with like-minded individuals, desiring to be part of something bigger than themselves. Simultaneously, they are making more conscious choices about their travel habits, considering the impact on local communities. 

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Experience-Led Travel: Sport Mode kicks off 

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Experience-led travel remains a strong motivator for global travellers. Many are planning trips around major global events, blending the excitement of live entertainment with cultural exploration. 

1. 49% of travellers are planning to travel for a sporting event in 2025 
2. The Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix 2025, 28-30 November had a 111% WoW search increase 
3. Younger generations are particularly engaged, with 71% of Gen Z (18-24 year-olds) expressing interest in travelling to watch their favourite athletes live

Conscious-led Travel is top-of-mind 

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Conscious-led travel – the pursuit of travelling while reducing negative impacts on the environment, societies and economies – is important for travellers, especially Gen Z. 

1. 26% of travellers say they are open to visiting lesser-known destinations 
2. This figure rises to 29% among Gen Z (18-24 year-olds), indicating a generational shift towards less-crowded locations 

While interest in undiscovered destinations grows, certain barriers remain. To confidently explore new places, travellers seek reassurance in key areas: safety concerns (50%), having access to clear information on the safety of a destination, understanding where to go (32%) - including awareness of where to go and what to expect, and having confidence there would be enough to do (30%) are the top three factors impacting considerations.  

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The Role of AI in Travel Planning 

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The report also highlights the multigenerational adoption of AI in travel planning, with travellers across age groups increasingly using AI-powered tools to personalise their itineraries, discover new destinations and optimise their experiences. 

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Access the latest edition of the Horizons Report: Spring Travel Outlook, to get valuable insights into traveller demand and evolving behaviour ahead of the Summer Travel season. To find out more about how to leverage these insights to effectively reach and inspire travellers, and get access to this exclusive offer, please fill out the form here and your friends at Skyscanner will be in touch soon.  

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_{This article was written in partnership with Skyscanner.}