Scott Dunn reveals trending destinations for 2025

Luxury tour operator Scott Dunn has unveiled a list of emerging destinations it predicts will be popular for 2025.

Speaking at a press briefing, the brand said it had seen “major growth” in enquiries for China, with bookings up 400% globally and 600% in the UK market in 2024. 

Global product and strategy director Simon Lynch said clients were “increasingly looking for alternatives to Japan”, adding that the province of Yunnan, its capital city Kumming and the Yangtze River were “leading the trend, bolstered by new infrastructure and investment in high-speed rail routes along the Yunnan-Tibet Railway, cutting down regional travel times significantly”.

Mexico has also jumped 53% for the operator, driven largely by “families with teenagers seeking adventure, great food and relaxation all in one trip”. The brand tipped Baja California Sur Peninsula as a “lesser-explored region”, adding that the area was expecting an influx of luxury hotel developments, including Amanvari in 2025 and Chablé Sea of Cortez in 2026.

Scott Dunn was the latest operator to claim ‘coolcationing’ as a trend for 2025, outlining a 26% rise in bookings for Finland and Norway this summer.

The operator said it had also seen an emerging trend of so-called ‘eclipse-chasing’, predicting Greeland’s High Arctic to be the new ‘coolcation hotspot’ for the 2026 Total Solar Eclipse.

Sardinia was also labelled a popular European spot for 2025 thanks to upcoming luxury hotel openings such as Cheval Blanc Pitrizza and Rocco Forte’s Porto Cervo.

In Africa, Scott Dunn tipped Morocco, northern Kenya and the islands of East Africa as “destinations to watch”, with the latter poised for an “exciting year” with the opening of the newly renovated andBeyond Mnemba Island in Zanzibar and Voaara in Madagascar, as well as Aqua Expeditions’ new luxury yacht due to set sail around the Seychelles’ Aldabra island next December.

The peak safari travel month has shifted from December to March, the operator added, as affordability and unreliable weather render seasonality “less relevant than ever”.

In Australasia, the brand predicts the Kimberley and the Northern Territories to sell well in 2025. 

Cruise also continues to perform well for Scott Dunn. The operator will launch Journeys By Land & Sea in early 2025, which combines the brand’s “end-to-end logistics with a small selection of handpicked, boutique luxury cruises” and includes private guiding in ports.

Lynch said: “The ultra-luxury cruise sector has undoubtedly boomed in the last year. At Scott Dunn, we’re prioritising the best in class – notably Ponant, Explora Journeys and Silversea. We’re taking away the sector’s overwhelming choice, we’re skipping group activities in exchange for totally exclusive experiences at each port, and we’re ensuring the standards expected in the hotels we partner with are reflected in the vessels we’re chosen.”