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Last year marked the full rebound of global tourism to pre-pandemic levels. It seems like no coincidence that we also saw a backlash: tourists were blamed for bad behaviour, housing shortages and other grievances in some of the most popular cities. Gion, Kyoto’s geisha district, from its Instagrammable alleyways over their paparazzi-like antics, while thousands of Barcelonians took to the streets in , brandishing signs like “Tourist go home! Expats too!”

For tourism to be sustainable, we can’t all descend on the same places at once, but it’s estimated that 80 per cent of travellers visit just 10 per cent of the world’s tourist destinations. This has inspired the small-group tour operator Intrepid to release an annual “,” to encourage “tourist dispersal.” The list features 10 unsung destinations that want more visitors (and have the infrastructure to welcome them).

Created with the forecasting agency Globetrender, Intrepid’s “Not Hot List” for 2025 includes , Greenland, where you can go iceberg and whale watching — the whole territory is now more accessible, thanks to the in the capital. The not-hot destination closest to Toronto is the of upstate New York, described as a “forgotten great wilderness,” despite being bigger than the Grand Canyon.

Intrepid also highlights the remote of Pakistan, home to multiple mountain ranges for adventurous climbers. Pakistan is on tour operator G Adventures’ Where to Travel list for 2025, too — the company will launch its , bringing travellers to communities that haven’t previously benefited from tourism.

Romance of the rails

Riding on its reputation as a lower-carbon alternative to flying, train travel has been picking up momentum. This is especially true in Europe, where multiple have launched in recent years. In 2025, we’ll see more new trains — not just green but also glam. Luxury sleepers will bring back a sense of retro romance to the rails, complete with stylish interiors, menus by top chefs and even day excursions.

Slated to arrive in April, will link some of Italy’s most sought-after destinations — Rome, Venice, Portofino — in eight itineraries. The train will also transport guests to the golden age of Italian design circa the ’60s, with its smoked antique mirrors, golden accents and lacquered ceiling.

Beginning in July, , a Belmond train, promises to be an elegant country retreat on wheels, running from London to Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales. Belmond’s other new train, the art deco , debuted last June and will launch a Paris-to-Tuscany route this year.

But for rail enthusiasts, the ultimate trip might be Railbookers’ “” itinerary: a 59-day journey across a dozen countries on four continents aboard seven opulent trains (including the aforementioned La Dolce Vita).

As seen on screens

Call it set-jetting, pop-culture tourism or a location vacation, but the trend of travelling to the real-life backdrops of TV shows and movies is still going strong. According to Expedia Group’s 2025 trend report, 66 per cent of travellers say their trip choices have been influenced by what they saw on the small or silver screen. 

That’s one big reason Thailand, named Travel and Leisure’s “Destination of the Year 2025,” has main-character energy: Season 3 of “The White Lotus” was filmed at the . Not to miss a moment in the limelight, the hotel company has plans to roll out show-inspired events, from dining to wellness, at its properties worldwide.

Other fictional worlds poised to inspire travel plans include “Paddington in Peru,” wherein the lovable bear sets off on a high-stakes quest in the Amazon. And “Outlander” is putting Scotland in the spotlight again — the historical drama is the country’s — as fans await the final season.

Longevity is the new wellness

In the 1970s, when Canyon Ranch was founded, health vacations took place at what were colloquially called “fat farms.” Today, that cringe-y term isn’t the only thing that’s passé: modern retreats are less about shedding pounds and more about the zeitgeisty (and lucrative) wellness trend of the moment: longevity.

According to ’s travel predictions research for 2025, 54 per cent of Canadian travellers surveyed were interested in a longevity retreat. Similarly, Globetrender coined the phrase “silver bullet wellness” to encompass the trend of hyper-specific cures and personal optimization.

In November, Canyon Ranch’s Tucson resort launched a four-day program called , during which guests take more than a dozen health diagnostic tests and meet one-on-one with an entourage of doctors and other experts, in between activities like canyon walks, pickleball classes or intuitive archery.

Six Senses Ibiza is home to , a longevity club that promises to help “reverse your biological age” with workouts, bespoke nutrient infusions and biohacking. Those eager to learn the secrets of centenarians can nerd out on research at an , offered at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica and Kamalaya Koh Samui in Thailand. Soon, you’ll even be able to check into a longevity hotel: . The first location is set to open in Los Angeles this year.

Adventures for women only

At last year’s conference for Virtuoso, a global network of 20,000 travel advisors, “wander women” was called out as one of the key trends for 2025. In fact, women make up 71 per cent of the network’s solo traveller clients.

“Solo” doesn’t necessarily mean going absolutely alone, however: by popular demand, multiple companies have recently launched or expanded their roster of small-group tours for women travellers.

Butterfield & Robinson is debuting , for example, including a biking trip through Cambodia and Vietnam. Backroads began offering  in 2024, but it’s already adding more this year; there are now 43 walking and hiking trip options, covering places like the Camino de Santiago (from Portugal to Spain), the Swiss Alps and Nepal.

Trips led by women, and exclusively for women, were also highlighted as a 2025 trend by Intrepid, which saw year-over-year sales of its jump by 37 per cent in 2024. These tours are developed to offer cultural insights into the lives of the local women in destinations like Turkey, Morocco and Jordan.

Demand for is also up at Intrepid’s sister company Wildland Trekking, which doubled its number of such trips for 2025. The additions include a classic Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu, and a basecamp-style backcountry trip to Alaska’s wild coast.