2025 Travel Predictions: The Year of the Explorer
Last Updated on December 19, 2024 by Boatsetter Team
Key Takeaways
- Outdoor exploration, ”slowcations,” and off the beaten path journeys will drive travel in 2025 (1).
- Trending waterfront destinations including lakes, harbors, and national parks are the most popular vacation destinations, from Bar Harbor to Lake Tahoe (2).
The year of the Explorer
Several trending destinations for 2025 are coastal cities, historic harbors and waterside communities, with on-water exploration becoming the preferred way to experience these places. Forecasts show travelers choose boating as an immersive way to discover secluded coves and remote islands while connecting with coastal communities and marine environments. Off-the-beaten-path journeys are leading travelers to “dupe destinations” or beyond tourist zones of major cities like Miami and Los Angeles, where they experience local life through fishing excursions with pro anglers or boat tours to observe marine wildlife up close (4).
The mix of passion-driven travel and water-based adventures is reshaping vacation planning for 2025. Travel experts predict rising interest in destinations hosting waterfront events, from Tampa’s Gasparilla Pirate Festival — the U.S.’s largest outdoor celebration — to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami, where beach getaways are a must-do activity. This extends to Multi-Day boat rentals in places like Lake Tahoe, where travelers make itineraries with hiking and boating adventures.
Best places to explore by boat in 2025
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- Based on a recent study conducted by Get Your Guide around the “explorers” subsect of the leisure travel market.
- https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-usa-vacations https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-places-to-go-2025-8739580 news.airbnb.com/revealing-the-25-places-to-visit-in-2025/
- https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/state-of-travel-survey-2024
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelinavillaclarke/2024/12/16/travel-trends-report-2025-go-off-the-beaten-track/
Gabriela dos Santos is an experienced Editor known for her insightful and engaging writing. Gabriela has been working in editorial writing for 3 years, with a background in writing for magazines and media outlets. In 2022, she joined the Boatsetter Team, bringing her dedication, passion for storytelling and factual accuracy to the Boatsetter Blog. She is always on the lookout for stories of connection and community; to inform, to entertain, to inspire! In her free time, Gabriela loves traveling and spending time by (or on) the water.
