As the new year signals a fresh start and new exciting opportunities, many Brits are already mapping out their travel goals for 2025. According to a recent survey by Scenic Cruises, nearly half (46%) of Brits aim to travel more frequently next year, and 58% are determined to explore a new country.
Scenic Cruises also partnered with luxury travel creator Britt Scatena, who travels monthly to create content for her brand, She Comes With Baggage. With over 20 different countries under her belt, Britt shared her top tips for crafting meaningful travel goals and, most importantly, how to stick to them.
Brits are prioritising exploration and relaxation in 2025
The study highlights that British travellers are focusing on a mix of adventure and leisure in their travel plans for the year ahead. Exploring new destinations tops the list, with 58% aiming to visit a new country, followed by 51% intending to take more frequent short trips. Wellness and relaxation also featured prominently, with 44% prioritising self-care-focused travel experiences.
Other popular resolutions include all-inclusive trips (31%), exploring a new continent (21%), multi-destination travel (20%), sustainable travel (19%), once-in-a-lifetime trips (18%), and adventure travel (16%).
History, wildlife and food rank as top travel experiences
History tops the list of new experiences for 2025, with 53% of Brits eager to explore ancient sites and cultural landmarks. Wildlife encounters (43%) and food and wine tours (38%) follow closely, reflecting a strong interest in nature and culinary discovery.
Other top choices include active travel like hiking and kayaking (28%), immersive experiences (25%), musical cultural experiences like the ballet or opera (24%), exclusive activities such as private tastings and concerts (22%), and thrilling adventures like helicopter rides or bungee jumping (20%).
Viral baby animals drive growing interest in wildlife travel
The internet’s love for viral animal stories appears to have left a mark on Brits’ travel aspirations. Over a third (35%) of respondents expressed greater interest in wildlife travel after hearing stories about animals like Moo Deng the baby hippo or Pesto the penguin.
With almost one in five (18%) Brits actively planning a wildlife-spotting trip for 2025, the survey revealed that 17% of respondents are keen to spot wild hippos, and 13% are interested in observing wild penguins.
How to create travel resolutions – and stick to them
Britt Scatena, a luxury travel content creator, shared her top tips for crafting exciting yet achievable travel resolutions:
1. Break goals into steps
“Start by combining big dreams with practical steps. For example, if you want to visit a far-flung destination like Bora Bora, break it into smaller goals like researching the best travel seasons, finding your dream hotel, and planning a rough itinerary. Treating each step as a mini accomplishment keeps the goal from feeling overwhelming.”
2. Stay motivated with vision boards
“To stay motivated, focus on what excites you most about the resolution—whether it’s the destination, the experiences, or the memories you’ll create. Visualisation is a powerful tool: create a vision board or even set your phone wallpaper to an image of your dream location as a daily reminder of your goal.”
3. Be accountable
“Accountability can make a big difference! Share your travel resolutions with a friend or family member who can check in and cheer you on. Even better, plan a trip together—it’s easier to stay motivated when you have a travel buddy to share the excitement with!”
4. Stay organised
Britt recommends using different organisational methods such as apps and lists to curate your travel goals: “I love using Google My Maps or the new “Guides” option on my iPhone Map app to organize places I want to visit. These tools allow you to create personalised maps by pinning destinations, attractions, restaurants, and more. It’s a great way to visually plan your itinerary and see how everything connects geographically.”
Her top planning techniques include:
- Creating themed travel lists, like “Top Foodie Destinations” or “Historic Cities to Explore.”
- Building a master list of dream trips and categorizing them by timeframe (e.g., weekend getaways, one-week trips).
- Blocking out planning days in your calendar for researching, booking, or refining itineraries.
5. Set unique milestones
“Set travel milestones that go beyond just booking trips. For example, aim to learn a few key phrases in the local language before visiting or try one new cuisine from your upcoming destination at home before you go.”
