In the days following the COVID pandemic, “bucket lists” were a huge trend in travel. Now, Virtuoso says luxury travellers are moving up to what it calls “F**k it Lists.”
“The focus has shifted to spontaneous, short-term experiences, reflecting a “carpe diem” mindset,” Virtuoso said in its Luxury Travel Trend Watch for next year. “In 2025 and beyond, travellers are embracing “F**k-It Lists” – spontaneous, fun and liberating adventures that prioritize living in the moment.
“As the affluent continue to favour experiences over luxury goods, this trend is fuelling splurges on more extravagant modes of travel like yacht charters, first-class flights and private jets.”
Companies like Pelorus organize supercar road trips, while Based on a True Story offers unique experiences with actors, costumes and scripts, such as surprise kidnappings or pirate treasure hunts. For extreme adventurers, Desert Island Survival teaches castaway skills on uninhabited islands in places like Tonga and Panama, where participants must survive without instructors after learning basic survival skills.
Silver Bullet Wellness
Wellness tourism, projected to grow 16.6% per year and reach $2.1 trillion by 2027 (Global Wellness Institute), is seeing the rise of “Silver Bullet Wellness,” which provides personalized health habits and longevity plans. Luxury travellers are now seeking treatments for issues like insomnia, cognitive decline and disease prevention, moving beyond traditional pampering treatments to life-extension programs. Switzerland, Spain, Germany and Thailand are among the countries leading the charge, with high-net-worth travellers increasingly favouring retreats offering intensive, tailored mind-body transformations.
Adopters of Silver Bullet Wellness want to return home regenerated and rewired, whether that’s thanks to a “monk-level” meditation retreat at the Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai in Thailand; genetic testing at Buchinger Wilhelmi in Germany; menopause therapy at the Amilla Maldives; or “quantum healing” at Kintsugi Space in Abu Dhabi.
Wander Women
The rise of independent travel among women is set to grow in 2025 and beyond, with more women of all ages opting for solo, adventurous trips. Travel providers are responding by offering tailored experiences to cater to this trend, dubbed “Wander Women.” According to Virtuoso, 71% of its solo travelers are women, with 47% of them divorced, separated or widowed, highlighting a surge in post-partner or family-raising travel.
Mood Boarding
When planning a trip, most people think of the destinations and activities, often overlooking how they want to feel. Many seek relaxation but find themselves still thinking about work by the pool. In reality, an itinerary involving physical activities like hiking may better help disconnect from professional stress. As travel designers ask the right questions to tap into clients’ true motivations, they can address deeper emotional needs, giving rise to the “Mood Boarding” trend in pre-trip consultations.
Philosopher Alain de Botton notes the challenge of travel is that “you take yourself with you,” stressing the importance of understanding the purpose behind trips.
Virtuoso believes luxury travel advisors should help clients distinguish between “wants” and “needs,” curating experiences that offer emotional nourishment. For instance, a candlelit beach dinner may be less about the event itself and more about fostering connection or forgiveness between partners. Philippe Brown, founder of Brown + Hudson, a Virtuoso member agency, was an early pioneer of “Mood Boarding,” using psychometric questionnaires to assess travellers’ psychological preferences.
XZ Beta Travel
By 2025, seven generations will be travelling together for the first time in history, as “Beta Babies” are born to Gen Z parents (aged 16-30). This includes Generation Alpha (aged 1-15 in 2025), Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and the Matures. A key trend, “XZ Beta Travel,” will see young Gen Z parents traveling with their children and Gen X grandparents, who often finance the trips.
Gen Z, with 2 billion people and expected to represent 27% of the global workforce by 2025, is a growing and aspirational consumer group. McKinsey reports that 35% of the luxury travel market consists of “aspiring” travellers with net worths between $100,000 and $1 million, typically under 40 and increasingly from Asia. This demographic drives over a third of the $239 billion luxury travel market.
Memoirs in Motion
The trend “Memoirs in Motion” involves luxury travellers hiring professional film crews to document their travels, turning holidays into cinematic experiences and personal legacies. Unlike the “Set-Jetting” trend, which focuses on visiting movie locations, this new trend lets clients star in their own documentaries, reflecting the growing demand for personalised storytelling and memory preservation.
With most people storing thousands of unused photos and videos on their phones, luxury companies like Cookson Adventures cater to the need for meaningful retrospectives. Inspired by David Attenborough-style documentaries, Cookson provides clients with cinematographers to create daily film edits, social media reels and full documentaries, starting at $17,000. According to Louis Waite, Cookson’s head of photography, capturing guests’ emotions is just as important as filming the action, with some clients even requesting on-the-go edits for social media.
Racketeering
The trend of “Racketeering,” coined by Globetrender, reflects the growing popularity of racket sports like tennis, pickleball and padel during vacations, spurred by the 2024 film “Challengers.” Companies like Pickleball in Paradise now organise racket sport-themed vacations. Resorts worldwide are capitalising on this trend by adding state-of-the-art courts, clinics and tournaments. Notable destinations include Marbella Club, the birthplace of padel in Europe, and Necker Island, where Richard Branson hosts the exclusive Necker Cup tennis tournament. His Moskito Island estate also offers tennis facilities.
