Virtuoso released its annual vault of client booking data and trends last week in Las Vegas at the 37th annual Virtuoso Travel Week.Taking a deep dive into the data, Misty Belles, Vice President, Global Public Relations for Virtuoso said the traveller profile for Australians in 2025 was gearing towards more active trips and that their interest in cruising continues to expand.The top 3 destinations Australians are travelling to are Oceania (39%), Europe (37%) and Asia (33%). The luxury consortia noted that the number for Oceania was down significantly from last year.
Other reasons Aussies are travelling were mental reset & refresh, curiosity & exploration, anticipation & excitement and awe & wonder of nature.Interestingly, more than half (57%) have an affinity with sustainability. That compares to 86% in Greater China, 76% from Latin America, 56% in North & South East Asia, 54% in Canada, 49% of Americans and 48% of Brits.Just over two-thirds of Australian travellers said what they seek most from their travel was to “relax and disconnect”. Other cited adventure, cultural experiences, celebrations or romantic getaways.
The leading types of trips for Australians were to: explore a city (52%), go to the beach (51%), culinary adventure (26%), staycation (21%) and to stay in a villa in the countryside (20%).For the festive season, which begins a few weeks before Christmas and extends the first few weeks into January, Virtuoso’s data suggests its travellers are leaning towards travel to the United States, as well as France, domestic trips, the UK and Japan.
Belles highlighted that safety and security popped up more this year than in previous surveys from both high-net-worth and Virtuoso clients in 17 countries. Three-quarters of Virtuoso clients were concerned about their safety and security, with Belles noting that it “really is factoring into their travel planning”. Almost two-thirds of clients were adding a layer of protection as a top benefit for using a travel advisor, to the point it surpassed perks, upgrades, exclusive access and VIP accommodations.More widely, Global future leisure sales (1-2 years out) for the luxury networ are up 24% in 2025, with bookings valued at over US$50K up 35 per cent and cruise bookings (also valued over US$50K) are up a robust 43%. Meanwhile, safari transactions (over US$50K) are 21% up compared to the corresponding period.For the second half of 2025, Virtuoso’s hotel sales are soaring 33%, with on-site (DMCs) rising 16.9% and cruises also up 15.9%.
