Travel trend 2025: Thailand's Gen Z discovers the desire for short trips!

Travel trend 2025: Thailand's Gen Z discovers the desire for short trips!

The Thai travel world is experiencing an exciting change, particularly in terms of the preferences and habits of younger travelers. According to Klook's latest findings, published on October 16, 2025, there is a clear trend towards more frequent short trips, which are often only booked at short notice. Almost 50% of Thai Gen Z plan their trips less than two months in advance, with 18% booking as little as 4 to 7 days in advance. This development speaks for a growing need for flexibility and spontaneity in travel behavior. The days of the traditional “big trip” once a year seem to be over. Instead, younger travelers are looking for multiple, shorter trips that will help them de-stress from work life.

Kenny Sham, general manager for Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand at Klook, highlights that younger travelers are increasingly viewing international travel as a lifestyle experience. A four-day, three-night trip can be just as relaxing as a longer stay. To take this trend into account and motivate travelers to actually use their vacation credit, Klook is launching the “Pai Ma La Klook” (Go on Vacation with Klook) campaign. This initiative aims to encourage people to avoid burnout and create more time for recovery. The Klook Online Travel Fest, taking place October 17-20, 2025, aims to spread this awareness further.

Trends in travel behavior of the new generation

In parallel, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has identified interesting trends that will shape the travel behavior of Generations Y and Z. Younger travelers are turning to social media, particularly TikTok, to get real-time insights and recommendations when planning their trips. This shows the shift from traditional tourist attractions to local experiences and authentic activities.

Some popular activities preferred by Generation Z and Millennials include:

• Besuch von Sehenswürdigkeiten (31 %)
• Shopping (22 %)
• Besuch von Häusern von Prominenten (9 %)
• Besuch von Ausstellungen (8 %)
• Erkundung von Street-Art-Standorten (7 %)

Thanks to these new approaches, activities such as “gig tripping”, in which travel destinations are specifically selected based on concerts and music festivals, as well as visits to stadiums and sporting events, are also becoming increasingly popular. Sports tourism reached $567.7 billion globally in 2025, with direct spending of approximately $52.2 billion.

Social trends and culinary experiences

Another interesting aspect is the search for local gastronomic experiences. The so-called “gastronomic globetrotters” place great value on authentic food – from Michelin-starred restaurants to street food. Traveling together and strengthening social bonds – these group trips, also known as “tribe travel”, are also on the rise and are enjoying great popularity among travelers. This shows that it's not just the landscape and weather that matter, but also the social connections we make through travel.

In summary, tourism in Thailand is developing rapidly. The new expectations of Gen Z and Millennials demand flexible, spontaneous travel and deep immersion in the cultures of the places they travel. The industry is required to adapt to these changes in order to remain relevant and meet the needs of the new generation of travelers.

For more information on travel habits, Klook highlights the key trends in their report, which TAT also identified. Discover the details Nation of Thailand, Thailand Tip and Travel and Tour World.