Beach destinations lead preferences for Easter 2025

13-04-25

A recent report by ForwardKeys reveals a notable increase in flight searches for Easter 2025, highlighting a marked preference for sun and beach destinations. Flight searches for the period 7-21 April are up 36% compared to the same period last year. This increase is partly attributed to Easter 2025 falling later in the calendar, giving travellers more time since the Christmas holidays to plan their getaways.

Beach destinations have seen even more significant growth, with a 59% increase in flight searches compared to 2024. This boom reflects Europeans' desire to take advantage of the warmer weather in southern Europe before the high summer temperatures arrive.

Palma de Mallorca stands out as the destination with the largest increase in travel intentions, registering a 79% growth in searches and increasing its market share by 0.7 percentage points. Other destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean, such as Heraklion, Thessaloniki, Istanbul and Antalya, have also shown a strong performance, gaining between 0.4 and 0.5 percentage points in market share.

Although urban and shopping destinations have also gained traction, with increases of 28% and 26% respectively, their growth is below the overall trend of 36%. Some major European cities, such as Amsterdam, Geneva, London, Paris and Berlin, will see a decrease in their relative share of intra-regional visitors, albeit by less than one percentage point.

Luis Millán, head of research at ForwardKeys, points out that ‘changing traveller preferences, influenced by factors such as the delay of Easter this year, highlight the commercial importance of accurate travel intelligence’. It highlights that while classic holiday destinations continue to attract visitors, growing interest in beach and Mediterranean destinations reflects wider seasonal and behavioural changes.

It also notes that experiences are becoming increasingly important to travellers, especially among younger travellers. Two out of three European travellers aged 18-54 say that travel activities and experiences significantly influence their choice of destination. While iconic cultural attractions continue to top the list of things to do, more and more travellers, especially Generation Z and millennials, are looking for more active and immersive experiences, such as wellness, amusement parks, outdoor activities, festivals and events.

These findings underscore the need for tourism destinations and industry players to adapt their marketing and operations strategies to meet the changing preferences of travellers. Accurate travel intelligence and advanced forecasting tools are essential to anticipate market trends and seize growth opportunities.

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