Put Down Your Phone and Pick Up Your Passport

Despite any 2025 resolutions that may have been made, for most, the time spent staring at screens is only increasing. Be it the rise in working from home, streaming shows or communicating through messenger apps, our expanding engagement with the digital world means real connections with people and places are diminishing. So, it’s no surprise that growing numbers are looking to enjoy digital detox trips in off-grid environments that force travellers to engage in more authentic ways.

Small group travel, where traditional connections are prioritised, is spearheading this trend, as are genuine cultural and nature experiences, which invite travellers to enjoy a more embodied approach to their time away. Centred around reducing digital fatigue – a phenomenon felt when screens dominate the day – digital detox trips offer a welcome silence. Forget socialising, streaming and scrolling, for many, putting the phone or laptop away on holiday signals truly switching off.

Travellers are being lured to more off-the-beaten-track destinations, like the vast deserts of Namibia and remote, mountainous Bhutan, where they can immerse themselves in boundless nature.

Stays in eco-retreats, like Cae Mabon in North Wales and Finca Can Martí in Ibiza, designed to support better mental health, sleep and creativity, are also surging in popularity. The same goes for wellness holidays, at destinations like Mountain Trek in Canada, SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain and Euphoria Retreat in Greece, where guests are encouraged to create healthier digital habits.

Be it OOD’s low-impact, mirror houses in Estonia, which offer views of untouched woodland instead of unlimited Wi-Fi or luxury resorts like BodyHoliday in St Lucia, which positions itself as the antidote to the pressures of modern life, the reduced stress and improved productivity that digital detox breaks invite is forging new travel paths.

Getting away from the screen also encourages travellers to look up and explore more, signalling why culturally authentic travel experiences are on the rise in 2025 too. Away from manufactured interactions, many travellers want to connect deeper with local communities, particularly through homestay or agritourism accommodation choices and by using public transport. Creating space for more genuine interactions in and with destinations, travellers are keen to get out of their comfort zone and adventure more sustainably.

A preference for local guides and tour operators is also on the rise in 2025, as visitors seek more unique experiences that create lasting, impactful memories away from overdone, Instagram famous spots. Through skill-learning opportunities like basket weaving in Tunisia, salt fish cooking in Barbados and rock climbing in Greece, authentic travel-seekers are also able to gain exciting new skills. We work closely with luxury tour operators that can curate deeply immersive travel experiences that invite visitors to explore destinations more deeply.

The desire to share more authentic travel experiences with others, as well as form new social connections, is also gaining traction in 2025, especially amongst younger generations. In a world of digital saturation, feelings of loneliness are rising, so small group travel, where travellers can meet like-minded people, is another growing trend. We are able to offer expert-designed adventures for small group tours, or can craft intimate journeys with as few as two travellers. Allowing visitors to explore foreign destinations more cost-effectively, whilst also benefitting from safety and support in numbers, small group travel balances opportunities for interaction with more reflective solo time. The desire to connect more deeply with people and nature is informing how many want to travel in 2025.

If you’re ready to step away from the screen and into a world of authentic travel experiences, get in touch with us, your local travel agent, today!