Sojern, the digital marketing platform built for hospitality, has just released its latest year-over-year travel data ahead of the 2025 holiday season. The findings point to a notable global reset: travelers are tightening their radius, booking on shorter notice, and putting real value at the center of decision-making. holiday travel trends 2025

“Travelers are more intentional about how they spend this holiday season,” said Noreen Henry, Chief Revenue Officer at Sojern.

“That creates opportunities for marketers to focus on regional getaways, flexible pricing and late-booking offers—even as appetite for long-haul trips softens.”

U.S. Travelers: Road Trips Win Over Flights

Nearly 90% of American holidaymakers will drive instead of fly this year, a reversal that underlines economic caution after what many dubbed the “summer of savings” in airfare. Domestic flight bookings are modestly up (+4% YoY), but international outbound demand is sliding: Canada (-14%), Mexico (-5%), Caribbean (-8%), Asia (-9%) and Europe (-3%).

Inbound international interest is also waning. Bookings to New York are down 16%, and Florida sees an 18% drop. Still, domestic demand for both states remains solid. With Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday looming, deal-driven spikes are expected as travelers compress booking windows.

LATAM: Puerto Rico Leads in a Cooling Market

Latin America and the Caribbean are seeing softer demand overall, with Mexico (-5%), Dominican Republic (-6%) and Costa Rica (-15%) losing momentum. Puerto Rico is the exception—bookings are up 9% overall, including a 28% surge from international markets, cementing its spot as the Caribbean’s top destination for Americans for the second year in a row.

Europe: Christmas Markets and Short-Haul Growth

Across Europe, the magic of short-haul escapes is proving more attractive than transatlantic trips. Domestic bookings are up 8%, while North America demand is down 17%.

Cities like Budapest, Warsaw and Gdansk—recently crowned Europe’s best Christmas market—are drawing new attention. Spain (14%), Germany (10%) and the UK (9%) dominate intra-European travel, while London (5%) and Paris (3%) remain marquee destinations. Austria’s Vienna (+21%) is thriving on festive demand, while Hungary (+20%) and Poland (+9%) showcase Eastern Europe’s rise.

Dubai holds its ground as a global outlier, still commanding 5% of European outbound bookings. With 55% of trips yet to be booked, Europe remains a late-booking market ripe for agile marketing strategies.

GCC: Domestic Growth and Event Power

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) enters the holiday window with domestic demand and events driving growth. Saudi Arabia’s domestic bookings are up 25%, while Dubai captures 88% of UAE inbound travel, even as total UAE bookings dip slightly (-6%).

December’s Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is expected to further boost high-spend inbound tourism, keeping the GCC firmly on the map for premium travelers.

APAC: Early Momentum for Chinese New Year 2026

Looking further ahead, Chinese New Year (February 17, 2026, Year of the Fire Horse) is already showing sharp booking increases. Across APAC, flights are up 26% and hotel stays 16% compared to last year.

China is leading the rebound: outbound flights are up 54% and hotels 28%. Regional standouts include Hong Kong (20%), Seoul (13%) and Taipei (11%) in East Asia; Singapore (+44.5%), Bangkok (15%) and Manila (5%) in Southeast Asia; and Australia’s Sydney (+25%) and Melbourne (+15%).

Long-haul ambition is returning, too—bookings from China to Europe, the Middle East and Africa are up an astonishing 330%, suggesting a widening travel appetite fueled by culture, cuisine and convenience.

How Sojern’s Data Fits Global Trends

Sojern’s holiday snapshot reinforces trends we’ve seen across reports from Skyscanner, Expedia and the UNWTO: domestic and regional travel are gaining traction, value-conscious choices are shaping markets, and late bookings are becoming the new normal.

While long-haul travel isn’t collapsing, it’s being reprioritized. Competitors like ForwardKeys also show similar booking compression, especially in Europe, where Christmas market demand offsets weaker U.S. arrivals. Meanwhile, APAC’s rebound mirrors IATA’s forecasts of Asia-Pacific driving the strongest passenger growth globally through 2026.

For travel marketers, the takeaway is clear: agility matters. The brands that win this season will be those that pivot quickly—offering deals at the right moment, highlighting nearby escapes, and keeping flexible offers visible until the very last booking surge.