Wellbeing experiences have been a clear favourite trend for travel enthusiasts this year and it’s expected to continue to be a frontrunner, according to luxury holiday rental company, Perfect Stays.
New customer booking data and team insights suggest that “people are looking for a wellness experience beyond the standard staycation”.
Rebecca Jackson, Head of Brand at Perfect Stays says: “We have seen an uplift in enquiries for properties with studios for Yoga and Pilates like Noordhoek and Pentyak.”
According to the team, a third of new properties to come online in the past year have been equipped with a private sauna.
As well as spa facilities in the home, visiting beachside saunas has become a popular concierge experience requested by guests, with saunas cropping up all along the coastline in recent years like Saunas by the Sea and Soul Sauna.
It follows a boom in sauna culture in the UK in 2023, with a greater interest in wellness being at the heart of its rapid growth.
This is a trend that spans beyond the British coastline, with community saunas popping up in hotspots like Kings Cross and Hackney.
At the UK’s first Sauna Summit in May 2024, the Sauna Society revealed that more than 30 sauna pop-ups have appeared already this year.
It’s clear that sauna culture is catching on and will only become more important for wellness travellers.
The trend of cool-cationing – where travellers will swap hot holidays for winter staycations and colder conditions – is not expected to go away any time soon.
Perfect Stays’ customer booking data shows that 17% more stays took place during the shoulder months of January to March this year, compared to the same period in 2023. Over half of these bookings were with a dog and 50% were adult-only groups.
Foodie trends for 2025
When it comes to foodie trends, chef-sisters Abi and Nat, of M2 Catering, said: “People are starting to care a lot more about where their food comes from, wanting food that is sustainably sourced from local suppliers. Foraging is also becoming popular.
“Guests get excited when they find foraged ingredients in their dishes. There has also been a big surge in the number of requests for vegan, plant-based dishes, even from meat-eaters. This lends itself well to the increased popularity of Asian spices which bring out the best natural flavours in ingredients like vegetables.”
Surf’s up for family travellers and young professionals too, with family surf sessions continuing to be popular.
George Stoy of George’s Surf School said: “Demand for two- to three-day immersive courses has also increased among young professionals coming on short breaks to Cornwall, perhaps leaning into the trend of active and wellness retreats.
“The growth in the desire for more screen-free time and the benefits of getting out to learn and build new skills, as well as being active and having fun in nature, are becoming more and more deliberate in the choices people are making.”
Mindful and meaningful drinking experiences are popular too, according to Jess Nelson of Trevibban Mill.
“There has been a substantial increase in people’s awareness towards what we put in our bodies, which I believe stems from more mindful drinking habits.
“People don’t want wines that are full of chemicals and sulphates, so they will naturally lean more towards organic, biodynamic and natural wines that have a more regenerative approach.
“Those who visit us are craving connection and having a glass of wine with friends seems to make that happen. Now, they are looking for something fun but interesting where they can enjoy, learn and make timeless memories.
“Ultimately, they are looking for quality of time, and wine over quantity.”
