The trends, which are based on VisitScotland and wider travel industry insights, are experience-led – reflecting visitors continuing to prioritise creating last memories over material items when they travel.
The trends are detailed in VisitScotland’s Trends 2025 report, which highlights the experiences and interests’ visitors to Scotland will be seeking in 2025 and the opportunities these present for tourism and events businesses.
They have been grouped into two themes; Passion Travel – experiences related to personal interests or a particular event such as celebrating a special occasion – and Wellness Travel – experiences that enhance physical and mental wellbeing.
The eight trends identified as most relevant to Scotland in 2025 are: Celebreaktions’, ‘Hobbidays’, ‘Gig Tripping’, ‘Set Jetting’, ‘Instant Inspo’, ‘Sleep Tourism’, ‘Biohacking Wellness Tech’ and ‘Outdoor Therapy’.
Of the eight, ‘Celebreaktions’ refers to visitors combining milestone celebrations such as a wedding, big birthday or graduation with a holiday, while ‘Gig Tripping’ refers to people planning trips around concerts or festivals – such as Taylor Swift’s trio of shows at Scottish Gas Murrayfield in Edinburgh in June last year, which injected an estimated £77 million into the local economy.
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In addition, ‘Hobbidays’ refers to visitors seeking to combine their favourite pastimes with their travel, while ‘Set Jetting’ refers to visitors who are inspired to travel to locations featured in their favourite films and TV shows such as Outlander.
Wigwam Holidays Montrave Estate, located near the East Neuk of Fife, said it has seen an uptick in groups making bookings of its ensuite glamping cabins for celebratory events such as birthdays and family gatherings.
Nick Gilmour, Owner, Montrave Estate said: “Each year, we host more weekend breaks for large groups, typically catering to birthdays, hen nights, and family gatherings. We retain a loyal set of guests who book with us annually for end-of-summer blowouts, neighbour get-togethers, community group retreats, and more.
“We’ve noticed an increase in enquiries from returning guests who previously came alone but now want to bring friends or family to fill additional pods. Instagram has become a vital platform for us, driving many bookings by showcasing our offerings.”
Wedding planning firm Timeless White has also witnessed an increase in enquiries and bookings in recent years from international couples keen to celebrate their nuptials in iconic Scottish settings.
Founder Emma Matthews said: “In recent years, we have certainly noticed a growing interest in destination weddings in Scotland, where couples seek to combine their wedding celebrations with a memorable travel experience. Many couples, and their guests, view their wedding in Scotland as a ‘bucket list’ opportunity, often extending their stay to explore the beauty of different regions.
“The cultural richness offered by castles, stately homes, highland venues and traditional Scottish landscape spots, such as Glencoe and Isle of Skye, elevates the wedding experience and excites our market. Many couples seek to incorporate elements like highland games, whisky tasting, and traditional music to enhance the celebration but also offer guests a unique cultural immersion.”
Providing trend summaries, data insights and relevance to Scotland, VisitScotland’s Trends 2025 report also offers practical suggestions for tourism and events businesses on how to leverage these trends – from adapting and creating new experiences to collaborative partnerships, sales and marketing opportunities.
Cat Leaver, VisitScotland Director of Strategy and Competitive Intelligence, said: “If Scotland wants to continue to be a destination of choice for both international and UK holidaymakers, then it’s important that we keep up to date and understand what our visitors want.
“In recent years, we’ve witnessed a shift towards more experience-led and transformational travel. Our Trends 2025 analysis shows these experiences are constantly evolving with visitors seeking things that nurture personal interests, offer scope for celebration or actively support their health and wellbeing.
“As a destination Scotland is well placed to capitalise on these growing trends and we hope the report’s insights paired with practical suggestions will be a useful resource for tourism and events businesses in the year ahead.
“We will also be using these insights to inform and influence our own activity, creating inspirational content that positions Scotland as a must-visit, year-round destination.”
Richard Lochhead, Scottish Government Business Minister, said: “This is a valuable insight which will support Scotland’s many creative, entrepreneurial tourism businesses.
“Scotland’s expanding and resilient tourism sector makes an important contribution to the economy. We naturally want to see this continue in 2025 and are allocating an additional £2 million to VisitScotland to help it promote Scotland as a multi-attraction destination.”
