One word keeps coming up in conversations lately, influencing trip plans from travel clients and tastemakers: joy. Whether it is to celebrate a major life milestone, follow your favorite musician around the world, fly to Paris to cheer on your favorite Team USA sport, or go fast and furious on the track with Formula 1, people are prioritizing things that bring them fulfillment and happiness. Travel this year is less about the where and more about the why.
A recent analysis conducted by Virtuoso, the leading global luxury travel agency network, found “a notable shift from focusing on a trip to-do list to an emphasis on how one feels during travel. [The] research has identified that travelers prioritize curiosity and exploration (77 percent), joy and happiness (65 percent), and awe and wonder of nature (57 percent) as the top emotional drivers for luxury travelers. The intangibles of a travel experience are more compelling than checking off bucket list items.”
January is the perfect time for reflection and embracing the joy of travel in 2025. With the holidays behind us, people want something to look forward to. It’s also why many of us in the travel industry dubbed it “plan-uary.” A flood of trip ideas is flowing, and so many companies are catering to the needs of every kind of traveler.
At the Conde Nast Traveler ‘Point of Summit’ last fall, the panelists and audience of luxury travel specialists nodded in agreement when Samantha Brown, TV host of "Places to Love" and a travel expert, asserted that finding joy should be the biggest driving factor. Later during a panel on entertainment travel, the sentiment was echoed by Tonia Constable, vice president of global marketing partnerships for Marriott International, whose job is to create special experiences for fan bases and cater to personal passions.
Regarding travel trends, Virtuoso said: “Advisers have noted continued demand for exclusive-use experiences such as VIP transportation, luxury yachts and private residences, along with itineraries that incorporate next-level stimulation and engagement. Requests for these exceptionally high-end experiences have increased for 89% of Virtuoso advisers. Leading trends in ultra-luxe travel include expedition cruises; exotic destinations such as Fiji, the Maldives and Thailand; and African safaris. Top motivations for ultra-luxe travel are celebrations; passion-point experiences like sports, arts, culture, concerts and festivals; and once-in-a-lifetime trips.”
Milestone celebrations
Birthdays used to be celebrated with a local dinner or party at home. Now, a small get-together doesn’t quite cut it. People see milestone birthdays such as 40th, 50th, 60th and 70th as an opportunity to go big and take far-away trips. Older adults with more disposable income want to share joy with their loved ones. This might mean chartering a yacht to bring their closest friends along or renting a chalet in Val-d’Isere for a 50th birthday for an avid skier. Grandparents want to celebrate with the grandkids and foot the bill for over-the-top mutigenerational trips for the holidays in Europe and summer vacations to Africa. Joy is better shared with company.
Concert-goers
With Oasis, Green Day, Kylie Minogue and Metallica going on world tours in 2025, fans have a reason to hop on a plane to see their favorite musicians at cool international venues around the world. Taylor Swift’s world tour opened a whole new mindset of jet-setting for a concert without seeming excessive, only passionate. When the trip and tickets were less than scooping up nosebleed seats in the U.S., it became a reason to combine a love for music and travel.
Sports fans
Sports enthusiasts are getting the opportunity to get closer to their athletic heroes with hospitality companies that are creating integrated experiences and packages with meet-and-greets. Marriott Bonvoy enlisted former pro football player Jason Kelce for special appearances as its "fanbassador," to the joy of many Philadelphia Eagles fans. Meanwhile, the National Football League has been exporting the sport to the UK, Germany, Brazil and other destinations.
Suppliers such as On Location that are the official partners of the NFL, Super Bowl, Olympics, FIFA, Major League Baseball, professional tennis and golf, and much more offer hospitality experiences to accompany official tickets. Sports fans can enjoy added perks and exclusive dining with celebrity chefs, musicians and talent to co-mingle.
Formula 1 has taken off with attracting new audiences in its recent turn around the world. Vegas brought a whole new crowd of people out and continues to pick up speed as it loops around and back to Miami later in 2025.
Follow your gut
There are always the yearly unrivaled foodie events like a Cayman cookout at The Ritz-Carlton and the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado. But to get more immersive, tour operators can also pair you with a chef through Modern Adventure or winemakers, cheesemakers, truffle hunters, prosciutto makers, chefs and farmers with La Via Gaia in Italy. Chase Travel and its editorial arm Infatuation create opportunities to feed your soul with exclusive dining events.
Joy comes in all shapes and bite sizes, near and far. This year, allow happiness to steer your travel choices and find joy around the world.