- Japan and Thailand are the holiday favorites for the second year in a row, followed by China, Australia, New Zealand and Italy.
- Business travel is making a comeback (13% increase in planned business trips worldwide), led by travelers to China, Germany and Spain.
- Asia and Europe dominate business and leisure travel plans for 2025
- Longest vacation planned by travelers to China, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates
- Relaxation and relaxation overtake exploring new destinations as the #1 travel motivation
- Recommendations from friends and family remain the main source of inspiration
- Loyalty platforms remain the best tool for researching and booking hotels
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world's largest alliance of independent hotel brands, has unveiled its DISCOVERY OF GHA members’ top travel destinations and motivations for 2025.
For the second year in a row, Japan and Thailand rank among the most popular vacation destinations, while China climbs to third place, overtaking Spain. Australia, New Zealand and Italy are tied for fourth, ahead of 2024 favorites Canada and Hawaii.
Leisure travel continues to dominate, with 99% of surveyed members planning vacations in 2025, while business travel rebounds: 62% are planning business trips, with travelers based in China, Germany and Spain being at the forefront of the resurgence.
More than 93% of members plan to travel abroad for leisure in the next year, and 69% plan to do so for business, with business travel largely taking place within the region of residence, while Leisure travel continues to grow, with Europe and Asia being the main destinations. preferred regions for all source markets. Travelers plan to take an average of six leisure trips (similar to 2024) and more than five overnight business trips in 2025 (a 13% year-over-year increase).
Travelers to China plan the most business trips (7 trips on average), followed by Germany (6 trips) and Spain (5). For leisure, China again dominates, with members based in this market planning the most trips (7), followed by those in Thailand and the UAE with 6 trips planned.
Regional Highlights
Asia: For business trips, 93% of Singaporean members plan international trips. Members in China and Australia are focusing on domestic business travel, while Australians are also targeting Oceania and the Indians Middle East for work. Leisure travel shows similar trends: 75% of Singaporeans plan vacations abroad, while Indians favor Middle East. Japan is the premier vacation destination for members of China, Australia, Thailand and Singaporewhile members based in Japan prefer Thailand and Indians love Europe.
Europe: Travelers from Spain, Germany and United Kingdom service Thailand and Japan as vacation destinations for the third year in a row. A renewed interest in Dubai, New York and the Caribbean replaced last year's picks from Spain and Italy. Business travel will remain in the region, followed by Asia, North Americaand, to a lesser extent, the Middle East.
North America: American members plan vacations domestically as well as around the world. Europe and the Caribbeanwith familiar hot spots like Hawaii, Spain and Italy always popular. While Japan remains on the list, its appeal has declined slightly since 2023. For business travel, domestic travel will dominate in 2025.
Middle East and North Africa: For members based in the United Arab Emirates, Thailand has exceeded Japan as the first vacation destination and Vietnam emerges as a destination to watch between now and 2025. Intra-regional holidays within Middle East are also expected to remain popular. On the business front, international travel will far exceed domestic travel.
Motivations, inspirations and preferences
Relaxation rules: Relaxation and relaxation are the top reason to travel in 2025, with 72% of members prioritizing it. This surpasses last year's focus on exploring new destinations and cultures, which now ranks second at 62%, followed by escaping the everyday in third place (46%). Family and foodie breaks, as well as urban and cultural activities, remain popular, while most members plan to travel with a spouse or partner, reflecting 2024 trends.
Mixing the old with the new: Members aim to balance new destinations with revisiting old favorites. Members from India, China, and Spain are more likely to travel to a new location, while members from Germany, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates prefer a mix. In line with last year's preferences, cities and beaches/tropical destinations dominate, more than mountains and countryside.
Friends and family inspire: 43% of members rely on recommendations from friends and family, whether through word of mouth or social media, following the 2024 trend. Travel magazines continue to influence 20% of members, thus maintaining their relevance compared to last year.
Loyalty platforms are leading the way: Loyalty program websites, apps and social pages are now the top choice for researching and booking travel across all regions, continuing the upward trend seen in 2023 and 2024. More than a third (35%) ) members turn to these platforms to carry out research. for hotels, while 50% of travelers in China, India and the UAE prefer to book through hotel loyalty program websites or apps. Online travel agent (OTA) sites remain the second most popular search source, echoing trends from last year.
When choosing where to stay, travelers prioritize accommodation quality, loyalty program benefits, and the property's location or neighborhood over price or hotel brand. This ranking is largely consistent across markets and even across loyalty tiers.
Improvements and reconnaissance rock: Room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out retain their status as top perks for higher loyalty tiers, particularly in Japan (94%) and Germany (84%), while member rates and Discounts remain the priority for lower-tier members.
2025 is shaping up to be a year of exploration, with destinations like Japan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Italy continuing to captivate our members, alongside new favorites like New Zealand and Vietnam.
As business travel continues its long recovery and longer leisure stays take center stage, we are seeing a clear shift towards a mix of work and relaxation. And with loyalty programs increasingly influencing choice, we are in a unique position at GHA to help our members get the most out of their travels through these sought-after destinations. Kristi Gole, Director, Vice President of Strategy at GHA
For more information, visit Global Hotel Alliance And DISCOVERY OF GHA.
GHA DISCOVERY membership is free and travelers can register online or download the GHA DISCOVERY app and register on their mobile phone. Travelers can also connect with GHA DISCOVERY on Instagram and Facebook.
About GHA and GHA DISCOVERY
Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is the largest global alliance of independent hotel brands with 40 brands and more than 800 hotels in 100 countries. Its award-winning loyalty program – GHA DISCOVERY – offers 28 million members recognition, D$ rewards and exclusive experiences at its hotels and partners, with or without a stay. GHA DISCOVERY generated $2.3 billion in revenue and 10 million room nights in 2023.
Through GHA membership, brands expand their global reach, generate additional revenue and reduce their reliance on third-party channels, while preserving management independence and individual positioning. For more information, visit globalhotelalliance.com Or ghadiscovery.com.
