How Travel Preferences Shifted in 2025 (What's In & Out)

FlightHub has released the second edition of its Unveiled list, offering fresh insight into today’s travel and booking behaviour. Drawing on North American booking data from Q4 2024 and the first half of 2025, this year’s list uncovers clear shifts in consumer preferences, from generational getaways to dramatic destination shakeups. The report also highlights the most booked Canadian destinations, reinforcing continued demand for domestic travel across the country.

“With Unveiled, we’re spotlighting destinations that offer rich experiences without the high price tag,” said Henri Chelhot, CEO of FlightHub. “But more importantly, this data helps us understand how travel habits are evolving and ensures we’re building experiences and tools that reflect what today’s travellers truly value.”

Hot vs. Not: Year-over-Year Shakeups

The Unveiled list for 2025 highlights new key travel trends to watch. Tokyo, Japan emerges as the breakout destination of the year, with a 56 percent increase in bookings compared to 2024. Manila, Philippines maintains its top spot as the hotspot destination, continuing its strong appeal among travelers.

Contrarily, Las Vegas, United States has seen a sharp decline, dropping by 40 percent compared to last year, signalling a decrease in popularity.

Generations and Genders are Shaping Travel in 2025

This year’s data also points to unique generational and gender preferences:

  • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico has become the leading destination for Baby Boomers, with 32 percent of bookings coming from this age group.
  • Cancun, Mexico ranked highest for girls’ trips, with one in six total bookings to the city made by female groups, while Medellín, Colombia emerged as the top destination for men traveling in groups, securing more than double the share seen in most other popular destinations.
  • Lagos, Nigeria stands out as the most popular destination for solo travelers, accounting for 84 percent of bookings.

Travel Trends

This list reveals broader consumer behaviour insights shaping how and when people travel:

  • Toronto (YYZ) to Calgary (YYC) holds the title for the most booked itinerary, with Toronto (YYZ) leading as the most popular destination in Canada.
  • Tuesday remains the most popular day to book, accounting for 16 percent of total bookings.
  • August continues to be the busiest travel month, making up 10 percent of total bookings.
  • The longest flight booked was from New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN), clocking in at 18 hours and 40 minutes.
  • Domestic travel also remained strong, with Toronto (1), Vancouver (2) and Calgary (3) topping the list of most booked Canadian destinations, followed by Edmonton (4), Montréal (5) and Winnipeg (6), reflecting both urban and regional demand.

These travel insights show how seasonality, affordability, and evolving preferences continue to influence traveller decisions.

Expert Recommendations for Memorable Travel

With the Unveiled list, FlightHub’s travel experts have also curated destinations that consistently deliver exceptional experiences. Chosen for their stability, year-round popularity, variety of budget options and rich local culture, the 2025 picks span the globe from Doha, Qatar, Boracay, Philippines and Banff, Canada to Lima, Peru, Busan, South Korea and Vis, Croatia. The list also includes Hammamet, Tunisia, San Blas, Panama, Vienna, Austria and Puglia, Italy.

“This year’s data demonstrates a trend toward domestic tourism following the U.S. election, a shift accentuated by the current economic conditions,” said Ayoub Hissar, director of communications at FlightHub.. “While Western Canada and Toronto benefits from this trend, Montreal climbed three spots in the ranking from last year.”

To learn more detailed information about the Unveiled list, visit: https://unveiled.flighthub.com/

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