There was a time when a Hermès Birkin or a Patek Philippe signalled that you’d “made it.” Today, among the world’s wealthiest, it’s no longer the rare handbag or the vintage watch that turns heads. Instead, it’s the week-long Ayurvedic detox in Kerala booked years in advance, the invitation-only supper club in Paris where the guest list is tighter than a Michelin star, or the desert safari in Morocco where your guide is a Berber poet.
Welcome to 2025, where luxury has shifted from ownership to experience. And few know this better than Virtuoso, the world’s leading luxury travel network. Its $90 billion dataset—culled from more than 20,000 advisors across 58 countries—reveals that the ultra-rich are funnelling their wealth into transformative, tailor-made experiences that cannot be bought off-the-shelf.
Will Guidara, the hospitality visionary behind Unreasonable Hospitality and the man who turned Eleven Madison Park into the world’s best restaurant, put it simply: “We realised we weren’t in the restaurant business, we were in the human connection business.” His words landed hard in a ballroom of 4,800 luxury travel professionals because, at its heart, luxury isn’t just about perfection—it’s about presence.
And Virtuoso has the data to prove it. The 2025 Virtuoso Luxe Report—their annual crystal ball for travel trends—paints a portrait of travellers who aren’t simply chasing five-star gloss. They’re chasing meaning. Here’s what it reveals:
Cool Is The New Hot
Forget sun-baked beaches. In 2025, “coolcations” are stealing the spotlight. With its pristine landscapes and ever-expanding expedition cruise options, Antarctica has leapt from fifth to second on Virtuoso’s “destinations to watch” list. Norway and Iceland also cracked the top five, signalling a collective drift northwards. Climate change is a huge driver—76% of advisors say clients now prefer destinations with moderate weather, while nearly 80% recommend shoulder-season travel to avoid heat and crowds.
The Ones Who Are Sailing Solo
If 2024 was the year of “revenge travel,” 2025 is the year of independent travel. Solo cruising, once considered niche, is booming. Expedition voyages, intimate river journeys, and ocean cruises are giving solo travellers freedom without loneliness. Cruise lines are tailoring experiences—from dedicated solo cabins to curated social activities—that make going it alone less intimidating and more empowering. And women are leading this charge: at Virtuoso Travel Week, data revealed that solo female travellers now account for 68% of all solo bookings.
Balance Is The Mantra
The adrenaline rush of scaling peaks or diving with sharks hasn’t disappeared, but luxury travellers in 2025 are craving balance. Think Bhutan, Costa Rica, or Morocco, where treks and adventures come paired with wellness rituals and restorative experiences. Virtuoso advisors describe this as “soft adventure”—journeys that are as much about coming home refreshed as they are about pushing boundaries.
Forget The Bucket List
While Instagram (or TikTok) may offer quick inspiration (and yes, travellers are still screenshotting destinations off their #ForYou pages), increasingly, clients are outsourcing the decision-making altogether. Advisors report a rise in “You Tell Me” travel, where clients ask, “Where should I go next?” Documentaries, books, and even Olympic coverage are inspiring off-beat journeys—think lesser-known French regions over the usual Tuscan villa. It’s a reminder that luxury travellers are willing to be guided, not just served.
Palate Meets Place
Food has always been a travel motivator, but now it’s centre stage. Virtuoso advisors note that culinary immersion is no longer just about fine dining—it’s about truffle hunting in Istria, exploring Tokyo’s back-alley ramen shops, or tasting street food in Lisbon. For some clients, advisors spend weeks designing gastronomic itineraries, proving that a good meal has become as integral to a trip as the hotel itself.
Destinations On The Rise
Portugal tops 2025’s “destinations on the rise” list, thanks to its balance of value, mild climate, and diverse experiences—from the volcanic landscapes of the Azores to Lisbon’s buzzing food scene. Japan continues its momentum, with family-friendly experiences like Studio Ghibli Museum visits and ryokan stays making it a favourite among multigenerational travellers. Meanwhile, classics like Italy, France, and Greece remain unbeatable, with Paris holding firm as the most sought-after city.
The Bigger Picture
What makes Virtuoso’s data compelling is its contrast with mainstream travel headlines. While many reports cite shrinking booking windows, Virtuoso data shows stability: in 2025, the average booking window remains 122 days, unchanged from 2024. Why? Because luxury travellers know that if you want the safari lodge or the presidential suite, you book early.
And despite economic jitters, luxury travel isn’t slowing. Leisure sales in the first half of 2025 are up 12% over last year. Hotel bookings surged by over 25%, cruises by nearly 10%. The appetite for big-ticket journeys is only growing—bookings over $50,000 are up 35% year-on-year. Simply put: high-net-worth travellers remain insulated from global volatility.
Connection As A Currency
Perhaps the most striking insight from both Virtuoso’s data and its travel week panels is that travellers want intentionality. Safety now outranks perks as the top reason clients turn to advisors. Multigenerational trips, women-led solo journeys, and celebration travel are on the rise. Sustainability isn’t a buzzword—it’s a priority for 77% of travellers.
At its core, this shift signals a profound truth: experiences are becoming the most valuable status symbols. Anyone can buy a watch, but not everyone can attend a supper club curated by a three-star chef in a hidden Kyoto garden, or join a multigenerational trip to Antarctica with private naturalists. For luxury brands and advisors, the takeaway is clear: the future of luxury is about curation, not consumption. For UHNWIs, it’s not “what do you own?” but “where have you been, and how did it change you?”
So yes, in 2025, the five-star suite and the business-class seat still matter. But what really lingers is the rare truffle you unearthed in Croatia, the stranger who became a friend on a ship in the Arctic, or the family dinner in Portugal where the wine flowed as easily as the laughter.
Because the real luxury? That’s the story you bring home.
