The UK lands in the top 10
The UK has ranked as the 10th most popular destination among global travelers for next year, ahead of Germany and tourism heavyweights like Thailand, Turkey, and Greece. The strongest interest is among incoming travelers from Canada, where the UK was the third preferred travel destination, ahead of Australia (4th) and Spain (4th). Respondents from heavyweight source markets such as the US, Italy and France also expressed strong interest in the UK–the country ranking sixth in the former two and seventh in the latter.
Event travel to boom
Nearly two-thirds (65%) globally are more likely to travel for an event next year, rising to 83% among Gen Zers and 96% among both Indian and Indonesian Gen Zers. Fifty-eight percent will book their hotel within a week of buying their concert ticket, with only 7% waiting until the last minute.
Saving to spend
Almost half (46%) plan to book a Standard (basic quality) Room in 2025, yet the majority will splurge ‘where it counts’, with 87% willing to spend on extras like breakfast (47%), room size (30%) and views (28%), and 70% open to paying more for an eco-friendly stay.
Website abandonment is accelerating
Fifty-two percent now say that they have abandoned an online booking due to a bad digital experience, rising by 3% in the last 12 months.
The AI divide
Sixty-three percent are open to using AI at times for planning, booking and experiencing their hotel stay, rising to above 90% among Gen Zers and dropping to below 40% among those over the age of 60. SiteMinder’s data exposes stark contrasts in openness to AI, with strong adoption in Thailand and Indonesia (98% each), China (96%) and India (94%), compared to lower levels in Canada, Australia (62%), Germany, France and the UK (63% each).
Dynamic pricing update
One in two UK travellers (49%) now support hotel price adjustments during busy periods. While this is below the global average of 65%, it means half the population has grown to become comfortable with demand-based hotel pricing.
