Japan and Thailand have ranked as the most popular holiday destinations, for the second consecutive year, according to the UAE-headquartered Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, that revealed its GHA Discovery members’ top destinations and travel motivations for 2025.
China climbed to the third position, overtaking Spain. Australia, New Zealand, and Italy tied for fourth, pushing out 2024 favourites Canada and Hawaii.
Key Findings
Leisure travel continues to dominate, with 99% of members surveyed planning holidays in 2025, while business travel is rebounding – 62% are planning work trips, with travellers based in China, Germany, and Spain leading the resurgence.
More than 93% of members are expecting to travel internationally for leisure next year, and 69% expect to do so for business, with business trips largely being within the region of residence, while leisure travel is expanding further, with Europe and Asia being the preferred regions for all source markets.
Travellers plan to take six leisure trips on average (similar to 2024) and more than five business trips with an overnight stay in 2025 (a 13% increase year over year).
Travellers in China anticipate the most business trips (7 trips on average), followed by Germany (6 trips) and Spain (5). For leisure, China dominates again, with members based in this market planning the most stays (7), followed by those in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates with 6 trips planned.
Regional Highlights
Asia: For business travel, 93% of Singaporean members plan international trips. Members in China and Australia focus on domestic business travel, while Australians also target Oceania and Indians the Middle East for work.
Leisure travel shows similar patterns: 75% of Singaporeans plan overseas vacations, while Indians favour the Middle East. Japan is the top holiday destination for members in China, Australia, Thailand, and Singapore, while Japan-based members prefer Thailand and Indians are keen on Europe.
Europe: Travellers from Spain, Germany, and the UK favour Thailand and Japan as holiday destinations for the third year in a row. Renewed interest in Dubai, New York, and the Caribbean replaced last year’s choices of Spain and Italy.
Business trips will stay within the region, followed by Asia, North America, and, to a lesser extent, the Middle East.
North America: US members are planning vacations domestically as well as across Europe and the Caribbean, with familiar hotspots like Hawaii, Spain, and Italy still popular. While Japan remains on the list, its appeal has slightly declined since 2023. For business travel, domestic trips will dominate in 2025.
Middle East & North Africa: For UAE-based members, Thailand has surpassed Japan as the top holiday destination and Vietnam has emerged as one to watch for 2025.
Intra-regional holidays within the Middle East are also expected to remain popular. On the business front, international travel will significantly outweigh domestic trips.
Motivations, Inspirations and Preferences
Relaxing and unwinding is the leading reason for travel in 2025, with 72% of members prioritising it. This overtakes last year’s focus on exploring new destinations and cultures, which now ranks second at 62%, followed by escaping everyday life in third (46%).
Family and foodie breaks, as well as city and cultural activities, remain popular, while most members plan to travel with a spouse or partner, mirroring 2024 trends.
Mixing Old with New
Members aim to balance new destinations with revisiting old favourites. Those from India, China, and Spain are more inclined to travel somewhere new, while members in Germany, Singapore, and the UAE prefer a mix.
In line with last year’s preferences, cities and beaches/tropical destinations dominate, more so than mountains and countryside.
Friends and Family
About 43% of members rely on recommendations from friends and family, whether through word of mouth or social feeds, which follows 2024’s trend. Travel magazines continue to influence 20% of members, maintaining their relevance from last year.
Loyalty Platforms Lead the Way
Loyalty programme websites, apps, and social pages are now the top choice for travel research and booking across all regions, continuing the upward trend seen in 2023 and 2024.
More than one-third (35%) of members turn to these platforms to search for hotels, while a striking 50% of travellers in China, India, and the UAE prefer booking through hotel loyalty programme websites or apps.
Online travel agent (OTA) sites remain the second most popular source for research, echoing last year’s patterns.
When choosing where to stay, travellers prioritise the quality of accommodation, loyalty programme benefits, and the property’s location or neighbourhood, all above the price or hotel brand. This ranking is largely consistent across markets and even across loyalty tiers.
Upgrades and Recognition
Room upgrades, early check-in, and late checkout retain their status as top perks for higher loyalty tiers especially in Japan (94%) and Germany (84%), while member rates and discounts remain the priority for lower tier members.
“2025 promises to be a year of exploration, with destinations like Japan, Thailand, UAE and Italy continuing to captivate our members, alongside new favourites like New Zealand, and Vietnam” said Kristi Gole, Executive Vice President of Strategy at GHA.
“As business travel continues its long recovery and longer leisure stays take centre stage, we’re seeing a clear shift towards blending work and relaxation. And with loyalty programmes increasingly influencing choice, we are in a prime position at GHA to help our members make the most of their travels across these sought-after destinations.” – TradeArabia News Service
