After years of restricted travel, Asia is ready for rediscovery – and driving innovation and growth in tourism in 2025 and beyond. The latest Amadeus Travel Trends 2025 report forecasts what’s on the horizon for next year that advisors need to know now.
If you’re looking at forward bookings, you’ll probably already know that Asia is more popular than ever before.
Over the next 15 years, IATA predicts Asia Pacific will record the fastest rise in passenger numbers and contribute to more than half of the net increase in global pax by 2043.
In 2025, inbound and outbound travel to and from Asia is expected to finally reach pre-2019 levels and fully open this market to global tourism.
China is the pivotal piece in the global tourism recovery puzzle. While domestic travel within China has been booming, outbound travel is still sluggish.
Australian business and leisure travellers have embraced Asia again en masse to fuel the tourism recovery, particularly the perennially popular destinations of Bali, Japan and Singapore.
Global tourism recovery trends in Asia
Amadeus attributes the upward trend to momentum from visa-free travel and set-jetting.
China has extended visa-free inbound travel until the end of 2025 (including for Australia) and Thailand also expanded visa-free entry to 93 countries and introduced digital nomad visas.
The region also attracts travellers seeking cultural immersion and unique experiences as well as affordable holidays.
Popular TV shows such as The White Lotus, set in Thailand for the next series, South Korea’s Squid Game season two and Shōgun in Japan are powering the set-jetting trend with travellers keen to see the destinations in real life.
New luxury hotel openings in China and Thailand and across Asia will also enhance tourism offerings while Hong Kong Tourism Board is also investing HKD$971 million (around AUD$192 million) over two years to boost its tourism recovery plans.
Read the full report here.
