2025’s biggest travel trends for Brits

The UK’s holiday plans for 2025 are revealed

AllClear Travel Insurance can reveal that nine in ten (91%) British people have started the new year with firm resolutions to book up overseas holidays for 2025.

AllClear asked a nationally representative sample of 2,000 Brits about their holiday plans for 2025. Six in ten of those planning to go abroad in 2025 (60%) say they are planning a relaxing beach holiday, the wet cold weather of January perhaps making them yearn for long days of sunshine and clear blue sea.

City breaks proving popular

City breaks are set to enjoy a significant peak in 2025. Whilst the Covid era saw the popularity of city breaks plummet to 13%, they bounced back last spring (23%) and this year is set to see a new peak, with 48% opting for a city break as part of their holiday mix for 2025.

Relaxation and wellbeing are important for holidaymakers in 2025 – with 27% looking forward to the simple pleasures of a holiday lounging by the hotel pool. Cruises are also popular for one in five adults (22%) – peaking with people aged over 55 (29%).

For some, activity holidays are very much on the agenda for the year ahead. Nationally, 18% of UK adults are planning a hiking holiday, whilst 14% fancy a camping or caravan break with the family. Of those who love to spend their holidays getting fit, 4% are taking a sports holiday, and 3% are drawn to an extreme activity break abroad.

Here are the top 10 holiday preferences for 2025:

Holiday hotspots for 2025

With the search for heat at the forefront of many holidaymakers’ minds, 49% of those going on holiday abroad are planning to visit hotspots in the Mediterranean. This was popular across the board for age groups, but mostly for the over 55s – with more than half of respondents (52%) in this age bracket seeking the shores of Southern Europe.

Given the popularity of beach holidays, 32% of people say they would like to visit the relaxing shores of the Caribbean this year. However, not everyone is flocking towards hot weather. With heatwaves and floods affecting much of the globe over the last few years, the cooler climates of Northern Europe and Scandinavia are attracting 22% of those going abroad in 2025.

Here are the top 10 holiday destinations for Brits in 2025:

Cutting corners on travel cover puts some holidaymakers at risk

Whilst there is a strong appetite to embark on exciting adventures abroad this year, the AllClear data also suggests that some people could be taking unnecessary risks by cutting corners on their travel cover. Over the last year, one in four people with medical conditions (26%) admit that they withhold information when shopping around for travel insurance – and this is most commonly done when people worried about being refused an insurance policy (61%) or feel the need to find travel cover at a cheaper price (60%).

Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at AllClear Travel Insurance comments: “From our new research conducted over the Christmas and New Year period, it is clear that many people have started 2025 with holiday plans firmly in their minds. Not only is the percentage of people planning to travel overseas this year at a new peak but it is apparent that people are planning multiple trips aboard. For many, a summer beach or resort holiday in the sun is coupled with interest in taking city breaks, having activity holidays, a romantic break or a cruise.

“Set against this growing demand to travel, it is also important that people have the right travel cover to protect them abroad. Over the last two years, our research has revealed that some people don’t fully declare information when taking out a policy and this applied to one in four people with medical conditions – those people who most need the best medical cover possible when travelling abroad. For older travellers and those with medical conditions, we would encourage people to ensure they have best possible medical expense cover in place for that extra peace of mind while they are away.”

The online research on holiday choices for 2025 was conducted for AllClear by Walr research among a representative sample for 2,000 adults between Christmas and New Year 2024.

The study on insurance declaration was conducted for AllClear by Walr research among a representative sample for 2,000 adults in November 2024.