Joy of missing out drives holidaymakers seeking alternatives to ‘tourist traps’ in 2025

As popular destinations get crowded and their residents protest over poorly behaved visitors and “overtourism”, holidaymakers increasingly look to veer off the beaten track.

According to travel website Expedia, internet searches suggest next year’s tourists are looking at “detour destinations” such as Reims in France, Brescia in Italy and Waikato in New Zealand.

Another travel website, Booking.com, reckons Trieste, Italy, Houston in the United States and Sanya – “China’s Hawaii” – could be popular among holidaymakers.

More than half the people surveyed by Booking.com said they wanted to get out of the sun and avoid “tourist traps”. Expedia says “the hunt for the less crowded and less well-known” is driving people to look for new destinations as they plan ahead for 2025.

Hobbiton Movie Set in Waikato, New Zealand, was used in the filming of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. According to Expedia, the area looks set to be a “detour destination” for tourists next year. Photo: Ginny Wong

Nocturnal tourism looks set to become more popular, with people keen on locations that offer cool evenings and things to do at night other than drink or dance, according to Booking.com, whose survey results were published after two eye-catching displays of the aurora borealis in the skies over regions of Europe and North America where the lights are not usually clearly visible.

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