Travel is booming: 88% are planning a vacation – this is how influencers influence decisions!

Travel is booming: 88% are planning a vacation – this is how influencers influence decisions!

A recent survey from Expedia Group shows that travel is a key part of life for consumers worldwide. The “Traveler Value Index 2025” is based on data from over 11,000 participants from eleven countries, including Germany. The results are promising: 88 percent of respondents plan to take a holiday trip within the next twelve months, with 68 percent of them considering international travel. Compared to 2022, this corresponds to an increase of 19 percent.

Another notable point is that around half of the participants experience travel as more important today than it was five years ago. This illustrates the growing importance of travel in today's society. This is also supported by the fact that 58 percent of respondents want to travel more price-consciously in the coming months.

Influence of reviews and social media

Trust also plays a crucial role when traveling. 75 percent of travelers said they were willing to pay more for better-rated accommodation. Online reviews are particularly important for younger travelers under 40, with 80 percent placing value on positive feedback. In addition, 61 percent of respondents use social media to inspire their trips, a significant increase of 35 percent compared to the previous year.

Influencers have established themselves as important opinion leaders: 84 percent of respondents under the age of 40 said that their recommendations influence their travel decisions. Overall, over 60 percent of travelers report that they pay attention to influencer recommendations when making booking decisions. This is also reflected in the wish that 83 percent of travelers would like to redeem loyalty points for travel.

Regional differences in travel trends

Interestingly, there are regional differences: German travelers value the refundability of their air travel, while Chinese travelers increasingly prefer contactless travel experiences. Germany, the United Kingdom and China top the list of countries with the highest planned foreign travel rates. According to the survey, 72 percent of participants in Germany are planning international trips, which underlines the importance of travel in the local culture.

Greg Schulze, Chief Commercial Officer of Expedia Group, emphasizes that despite global challenges, people's desire to travel remains unbroken. This insightful study was conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Expedia Group between February 14 and March 3, 2025 and provides hope for continued positive developments for the travel industry.

For more information about the study and its results, please visit the articles from Day ticket and Yahoo Finance.