#Trending This Week - Luxe Layovers, Digital Detox Summer, Pullbacks on Airfare And Bar Tabs, And The Age of Resort Core
Issue 248 • June 17, 2025
Peak summer vacation season is here and we’re already seeing trends of how, why, where, and when people are traveling. Here’s what you need to know this week in a quick three-minute read.
Get Ready For The Digital Detox Summer
Pinterest users are looking to ditch the screens and literally touch grass this season. Book retreats, nature baths, and farmhouse cottage interiors will take over the summer. Travel trends reflect a growing desire for digital detoxing, as individuals seek respite from technology by getting back in touch with nature and slowing down with a good book. Nature bathing is on the rise with Gen Z, with searches for relaxing in nature increasing by 32% as they opt for serene environments such as forests, countrysides, and nature parks. Summer travel plans also highlight mountainous destinations where the allure of aesthetic hiking and scenic vistas provides a perfect backdrop for disconnecting from the digital world and reconnecting with the earth around us. Read more on Pinterest here.
Wealthy Travelers Are Pulling Back On Airfare
Affluent consumers — seen as the most resilient segment of travelers — are spending significantly less on airline tickets, signaling a potential threat for an industry that has banked on premium customers seeing them through these economic turbulent times. Could it be an indication of what’s to come for hotels, resorts, and cruises? Read more in Forbes here.
Bar Tabs Are A Thing Of The Past
Is it the end of an era? Gen Z has little interest in starting a bar tab. They prefer to pay for each drink as they order them and overall seem to be drinking much less than previous generations — perhaps much to the dismay of cocktail lounges and hotel bars. In fact, Gen Z feels anxious about losing track of their spending by leaving their credit cards behind the bar. Read more in The New York Times here.
Welcome To The Age Of “Resort-Core”
"Resort core" refers to the trend of high-end, luxury resort-branded merchandise becoming popular among fashion and lifestyle enthusiasts. Travelers want to bring that holiday energy home with them and hotels providing mementos and design souveniers to achieve this is becoming increasingly popular. Resort core is about crafting a version of the world we wish we lived in: slower, softer, more intentional. Instead of granting travelers the opportunity to merely fantasize about some place else, resort core provides them with the tools to actively and authentically engage with a favorite location after returning home. Read more in Livingetc here.
Travelers Now Seek Luxe Layovers
There was a time when a layover was to be avoided at all costs. Nobody wanted to be stranded in a city or at an airport for any length of time. But now travelers are viewing layovers through a new lens. They are the perfect opportunity to enjoy some indulgences in that city one normally wouldn’t have time to experience and suddenly the longer the layover the better so people can squeeze in a skyline soak, a 10-course tasting menu, or a skincare refresh between flights. Read more in Late Checkout here.