From soft travel to a growth mindset, our tour operator and DMC members tell us what to expect from tourism in 2025.

Like the biodiversity hotspots we love travelling to and protecting, tourism is a complex ecosystem. Sitting in the middle are our Travel Business members, often supporting the roots (suppliers and providers on the ground) and the canopy (customers). Such a unique position is what makes DMCs, agents, and tour operators so critical in driving positive change in the travel industry. It also makes them the perfect group to ask what’s in store for travel in 2025. Here are a few snippets of wisdom!

The Long Run Travel Business members, often supporting the roots (suppliers and providers on the ground) and the canopy (customers)

Restoring Nature

“For something so fundamental to all life on earth, biodiversity isn’t getting the attention it deserves in the travel space.” Annemiek van Gijn, founder of Dutch-based tour operator All for Nature Travel, tells us. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, Travel & Tourism is one of six sectors with over 80 per cent of its goods and services highly dependent on nature. In short, nature is tourism’s biggest asset. Annemiek continues, “Sustainable wildlife tourism can play an active role in restoring and maintaining biodiversity, and it must, not only for the planet but the future of our industry.” All for Nature Travel sends guests to community-owned responsible wildlife experiences and reinvests 5 per cent of its turnover to nature conservation.

A Home-From-Home

“Community-based tourism is a buzz phrase in travel, but too often encounters with local people can be at best contrived and at worse voyeuristic,” Jarrod Kyte from UK-based tour operator Steppes Travel tells us. “The most natural way to connect with people is through food and so it is of no surprise that there is a growing interest from our clients in host-led food experiences where travellers get to meet with local families, join them at local markets to buy produce, and share in the preparation and enjoyment of a meal in the family’s home,” he continues. Steppes Travel works with a network of families in over 50 countries, focusing on marginalised communities who often find themselves at the periphery of the tourism value chain. These respectful interactions provide much-needed income and connection – a win-win.

Soft Tourism

“A soft tourism approach prioritises mindful, immersive, and low-impact travel as an antidote to large-scale mass tourism that is often extractive and impersonal,” says Agustina Lagos Marmol, founder of tour operator and DMC Dolomite Mountains in Italy. “This concept aligns with a growing desire among travellers to contribute positively to the places they visit while gaining a more enriching experience,” she continues. Amit Jaipuria, Founder of Postcard Travel, is seeing a similar trend in luxury travellers. He says, “A sense of connection is more important than ever for all types of travellers and will be an increasing focus for experience providers.”

Escaping the crowds

Agustina believes this mindful approach to travel planning will encourage travellers to explore lesser-known destinations, seek diverse ways of experiencing a place, or travel off-season, which is critical to overcoming overtourism.

Jarrod agrees, telling us, “As travellers tear up their Insta-generated bucket lists, innovative tour operators offering less prescriptive itineraries will flourish. We are seeing an increase in interest in Japan in the autumn, where the colour of the leaves rivals the cherry blossom in spring, while the appeal of a winter wildlife experience in Hokkaido is growing in popularity.” Steppes has seen a 61 per cent increase in enquiries for the Stans in the last 12 months, which Jarrod believes is indicative of a shift in focus towards emerging destinations and avoiding influencer-led travel.

All Aboard!

“Travellers are becoming more carbon-conscious and so, it’s no surprise that experiences like sailing are on the up — it’s immersive, low impact, and adventurous, ticking lots of boxes for responsible travellers these days,” Vicky Smith, founder of UK-based tour operator Earth-Changers.com says. From March to December 2025, Earth Changers’ itineraries include ocean citizen science expeditions to destinations like Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, and the Canaries. These sought-after trips are low-carbon and contribute to conservation efforts.

“There’s also growing demand among luxury travellers for slow experiences, like luxury sailing and sleeper train experiences, and so products in this space are expanding thick and fast, like Belmond’s new Slow Luxury itineraries.” Jo Hendry-Prior, Co-founder of Singapore-based travel designer Alchemist Travel, tells us.  

Show me the data

“The biggest focus in 2025 will likely be measuring impact. Companies can no longer just talk about sustainability; they must prove it with real data. From carbon footprints to social contributions, transparency and accountability will increasingly define industry leaders,” Rita Achaval, Head of Triple Impact at Chilean-based tour operator and DMC Glove Travel says. “At Glove, we are prioritising precise impact measurement—tracking the percentage of trips we compensate, the growth of local businesses we support, and the direct benefits we generate for communities and conservation efforts. Measuring and communicating real progress will be key to credibility and long-term change.”

Lars von der Wetter, founder of Singular Places, agrees. He says, “Measurement, certifications, and transparent sustainability communications will become more important as businesses seek to gain consumer trust.” Berit Algren Bonde, Product & Sustainability Director at Danish-based We Travel, adds, “Data and certifications will become more important, particularly with the EU green laws coming in. Hopefully, this won’t penalise smaller businesses, which are often inherently more sustainable but cannot afford to go through a certification process.”

A Growth Mindset

“Whether a sabbatical or a solo trip, more conscientious and well-travelled customers now seek adventures that help them evolve as humans”, Shilpa Sharma, Founder of India-based tour operator and DMC Breakaway Travel, explains. “Slow or regenerative tourism is the gateway to a type of tourism that doesn’t just sustain discovery but helps them grow while connecting with local projects and people to help them grow, too.” Shilpa continues. Breakaway facilitates this by curating experiences, like its Journey’s for Change itineraries, that make travellers discover, reflect, and learn.

Rita Achaval from Glove Travel agrees, “There’s a growing emphasis on meaningful travel contributions, which means deeper immersion and learning.” The Glove Travel team has noticed more demand for experiences built in partnership with local entrepreneurs or communities, facilitating a two-way exchange to empower host and guest alike.