Intrepid Travel, with almost 1,000 small group adventures across all seven continents, has dropped its Five for 2025: Top Travel Trend Predictions for the year ahead. Trips led by women for just women, Gen Z solo adventures, and parents looking to connect with their kids in new ways were just a few that made the list.
1. Women-Only Wandering
All-woman group trips are booming. Women are boldly venturing into new territories on trips designed with them in mind. Intrepid’s Women’s Expeditions, all-female tours led by a local female leader created to offer an insight into the daily lives and challenges of women in other countries, grew by 37% in 2024.
Women’s-only backcountry trekking adventures are also taking off. Wildland Trekking has doubled the range of its women’s trips to keep up with demand. 60% of Wildland’s new-hires for 2024 guides were women as a result, reflecting the expanding demand for women-led outdoor adventures and the catalyst Intrepid provides for this movement.
“Women love exploring off-the-beaten-track destinations with other like-minded women,” said Jenny Gray, Senior Product Manager at Intrepid Travel. “82% of women on these trips are joining solo, some for their first time.They are feeling empowered to do this on these all-women trips.”
2. Not-Hot Destinations
The hunt for the undiscovered and destination dupes will continue as travelers crave cultural immersion over being surrounded by other tourists. Over-tourism hit a breaking point in 2024, becoming a mainstream topic, dominating headlines and leading to frustrations for both tourists and locals alike and leading over 70% of Americans to seek out destination ‘dupes’ this summer to try and avoid the crowds.
Travelers are looking for ways to side-step the crowds and explore beyond the regular tourist routes, opting for off-season travel and lesser-known destinations.
Intrepid is introducing even more trips for 2025 in alternative regions of popular countries and emerging destinations. Airlines are also responding to this consumer appetite with United Airlines just this week announcing its largest-ever international route expansion for summer 2025 including brand new routes between the to lesser-visited destinations like Mongolia, Greenland, and Senegal.
As of next June, Americans will now have access to a historic new four-hour flight to the only direct connection between the US and the Greenland Capital, and be able to explore the destination away from the tourist track of polar cruise ships. While Iceland drew over 2 million visitors last year and had to introduce tourist taxes, Greenland welcomed under 150,000.
United is also launching a nonstop, year-round flight to Senegal from Washington DC’s Dulles airport, which travelers can explore along with other Western African hidden gems.
3. Friendtrips
Zillenials are increasingly turning to group travel experiences where they can create connections - starting solo and turning strangers into new friends as third spaces disappear.
At the start of 2024, Intrepid increased the age limit of its 18 to 29s trips to 35 after a rise in enquiries from travelers in their early 30s wanting to join young adult trips. Since upping the age, the 18-35 range nearly doubled in growth (up 46% YOY in 2024), to become Intrepid’s third most popular trip style of the year.
“Younger generations are really embracing group travel right now.” said Matt Berna, President of the Americas at Intrepid Travel, “they’re craving face to face connection in an increasingly digital world where it’s becoming harder to meet friends organically. They’re not afraid to join these trips on their own so they can expand their social circles.”
In 2024, 21-30 year olds also surpassed the largest group of travelers joining trips solo. A number that had been consistently older in years past.
4. Purposeful Parenting
Families are prioritizing connecting and learning from local communities and opportunities for meaningful cultural exchange on trips. Intrepid’s family tours grew another 20% in 2024 globally (+25% for U.S. travelers) on top of a record year for the style in 2023. The tours allow children to form their own friendships with other kids on the trip and give parents a much-deserved rest as their tour leader handles all the planning and logistics.
“Our style of family travel is continuing to trend. The feedback that we heard the most this year was that parents want even more opportunities to support local communities and participate in conservation efforts on trips,” said Matt Berna, President of the Americas at Intrepid Travel. “Parents are seeing travel as an opportunity to take their children’s learning beyond the classroom as they prepare them to be responsible, global citizens.”
5. Back on Track
The rail renaissance continues, with travelers opting to experience destinations at a relaxed pace. After receiving an influx of requests for longer trips, Intrepid has extended over 50 of its tours by a day for 2025, giving travelers even more free time and flexibility to explore on their own, while also lowering the carbon intensity of trips by reducing the average distance traveled each day.
Extended stays are allowing for a slower travel pace as more immersive experiences rise in favor of fast paced country hopping and jam-packed sightseeing. More travelers are also considering the environmental impact of their trips, with 87% reporting that they would consider an alternative form of transportation if it reduced their carbon footprint – 31% of which would do so even if it meant taking a longer route.
“Train travel allows travelers to stretch out their time and the overall experience in a destination. Instead of burning a whole day of their trip stuck in the airport, a rail trip is a chance to take in the countryside and enjoy the journey” Berna said.
About Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel has been a world leader in responsible travel for 35 years. The company’s mission is to create positive change through the joy of travel, which comes to life on more than 900 trips all designed to truly experience local culture. With its own network of destination management companies in 27 countries, Intrepid has unique local expertise and perspectives. Globally recognized for their commitment to transparency and ethical travel, they became a certified B-Corp in 2018. Intrepid Travel is also the first tour operator with near-term science-based climate targets through the Science Based Targets Initiative, and its not-for-profit, The Intrepid Foundation, has raised more than $15.5 million for more than 160 partners. For more information download the company’s 2023 Integrated Annual Report and follow Intrepid on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok or LinkedIn.