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What’s Most Important to Travel Enthusiasts, Travel Zoo
According to the latest survey of over 33,000 respondents, Travel Zoo reports that over 48% of its members have spent at least 15 days abroad in 2024. Over 79% have yet to book a trip in 2025, and 90% are open to new destinations and travel ideas. Travel Zoo members are also more buoyant about their current financial situation than general population travelers. The report's key findings highlight the rise of the bucket list, seeing and experiencing more, discovering ‘destination dupes,’ more local trips, longer international getaways, and an appetite for off-peak travel. 37% of Travel Zoo members plan to tick off several bucket-list destinations, and over 80% like to immerse themselves in a destination through its food. 65% of survey respondents cited their preference for picking destination dupes, where they can avoid crowds while on vacation, save money while traveling, and discover new places. 65% of Travel Zoo members would also be interested in visiting a vacation destination if they saw it in a movie or a TV show, compared to 55% of travelers in the general population.
2025 Meeting & Event Industry Predictions, Convene and Business Travel News
In a recent webinar with Business Travel News, several important trends about predictions for the meetings and events industry in 2025 were highlighted. In 2024, meetings and events bounced back in a big way, driven largely by an experience-driven economy. The “flight-to-experience” trend will continue well in 2025, with attendees seeking ROI – “return on interaction” – through exceptional experiences. Cultivating an experiential program will lead to immersive brand experiences like activations or enhanced food and beverage offerings. Meeting planners are also emerging as experience designers. 42% of event organizers cite elevating the attendee experience as a top priority. Planners are also seeking innovative venues to create bespoke, high-impact events beyond traditional venues. The rise of more local and regional events will also be important to capture due to rising travel costs, evolving corporate social responsibility targets, and looming economic uncertainty.
2025 Fine Wine Market Outlook: Optimism Rises Despite Recent Challenges, Wine-Intelligence
While the fine wine market has seen a downward trend in recent months, this year’s Golden Vines Report found that 64% of respondents are optimistic about the market’s direction for 2025. Among the report’s most notable trends, 20% of respondents expect demand for fine wines to grow, spurred by rising interest in high-quality wines at home and in the hospitality sector. Fine wines are gaining traction as consumers embrace a “drink less but better” philosophy, emphasizing premium quality over quantity. Additionally, there is a noticeable shift toward wines emphasizing craftsmanship, single-vineyard sourcing, native grape varieties, and sustainable practices. This shift particularly appeals to younger generations, including Millennials, who value transparency, lower alcohol content, and organic and natural wines. New generations of wine producers are meeting these demands, crafting wines that are lighter, more focused on terroir, and accompanied by rich storytelling.
International Travel Update, U.S. Travel Association and Visa
As of October 2024, overseas visitor arrivals to the United States are approximately +5.8% percentage points greater than September 2023, and year-to-date, 12.9% greater than the same period last year. Overseas arrivals to California have recovered up to 83% of 2019 levels. In Sonoma County, year-to-date, the top five countries demonstrating the most significant spending are visitors from Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. The top three international visitor spending categories are the restaurants and dining, retail, and hotels/lodging segments. The average length of stay among international visitors in 2024 is 5.8 days; 91% stayed overnight, and Mexico, Canada, the U.K., and Australia were among the top markets with the longest stay (averaging between 6-8 days).
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