Ahead of the curve
Jenny Southan, founder of travel trend forecasting agency
Globetrender, explores seven ways Asia is setting the agenda
for globetrotting this year
2025
The Year of the Snake, is a big year for travel and tourism in Asia, with countries such as China offering visa-free travel to citizens from dozens of countries around the world and simplifying entry restrictions to attract international tourists. Thailand is expected to be top of many people’s lists, due to season three of popular TV drama The White Lotus being filmed there. South Korea may also receive a boost after the airing of season two of Squid Game. Beyond set-jetting, what trends will be shaping the future of travel in Asia?
Otherworldly Museums
The big news for Japan is the hosting of Expo 2025 in Osaka, a futuristic showcase of planetary wellbeing that is expected to attract 28 million visitors from around the world. Highly Instagrammable and interactive, it signals how cultures of today are increasingly seeking out otherworldly museums that stimulate the senses as well as the mind by blending technology with experiential installations. A good example is the popularity of trippy Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama whose exhibitions of mirrors and lights attract crowds of thousands on a daily basis. Her latest show (on until April 21, 2025) is at the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia. Meanwhile, the TeamLab Planets Tokyo features four immersive artwork spaces that allow you to ‘become one with the flowers’.
Weird Wellness
Whether it’s cannabis massages at Beach Samui in Thailand, or silent retreats in India, destinations across Asia are pioneering weird wellness rituals that bring together ancient knowledge with zeitgeisty innovations. A hotbed for betterment is the Indonesian island of Bali. Here, acolytes are increasingly gathering for sunset ecstatic dance sessions, kambo frog medicine (imbibing the poisonous secretions of tree frogs), theta healing (a form of meditation) and Melukat ceremonies (water purification in natural pools such as the one at Goa Giri Putri Temple). Sometimes described as the ‘last paradise’, Bali promises transformative rituals for body, mind and soul. There are also many incredible spas dotted around the island, delivering everything from flower baths to chakra cleansing, including Fivelements Retreat Bali and Soori Bali.
Digital Nomad Visas
The ability for many professionals to ‘work from anywhere’ has spurred a handful of Asian countries to incentivise remote workers to relocate there for the short or medium term by selling digital nomad visas. Leading the way is Thailand, which debuted its digital nomad visa last summer. The visa costs 10,000 baht (about €280) and allows stays of 180 days. After that, you can exit the country and extend for another 180 days, up until five years. Indonesia also offer a one-year temporary residence permit for remote workers, while Japan started selling a six-month digital nomad visa in spring 2024, however, you need prove you have an annual income of at least ¥10 million (about €62,000). Indonesia also launched its Remote Worker Visa programme last year, making it easier than ever for digital nomads to work from the beach in Bali.
TikTok Tastehunting
From bubble tea to fruit sandos, TikTok Tastehunting is taking culinary touring to the next level. It all started with ‘mukbang’, a South Korean obsession with watching other people eat large quantities of food on social media. No longer purely voyeuristic, consumers are not only avidly watching food influencers as they eat their way around cities, but following in their footsteps and seeking out viral dishes for themselves. Often, people are willing to queue for hours to be able to sample – and stream – themselves eating too. Spicy ramen noodles are proving particularly hot – especially Cho Yonsoon’s knife-cut noodles served at Gwangjang Market in Seoul, which featured in Netflix series Street Food: Asia.
Mega Attractions
Big-ticket blockbuster attractions across Asia are proving a powerful lure for both domestic and international travellers. In China, the Legoland Shanghai Resort will be opening this summer, complete with 75 interactive rides. Arriving in early 2025, Minion Land will come to Universal Studios Singapore, while later in the spring, Rainforest Wild Asia at Mandai Wildlife Reserve will become Singapore’s fifth zoological park. Also opening in 2025 will be SkyCity in Malaysia’s Selangor, which will feature an exhilarating 600-metre glass slide. Meanwhile, Nuanu Creative City is taking shape in Bali over 44 hectares, combining beach clubs, sound healing spaces and alpaca farms with Aurora Media Park, a 5,000 sqm immersive AI-powered art venue.
Kung Fu Fighting
As people around the world become increasingly interested in exploring traditional practices rooted in ancient history and philosophy, kung fu offers a pathway to understanding Chinese culture, meditation and discipline. The release of the upcoming movie Kung Fu Panda 5 will likely boost mainstream awareness – with martial arts fanatics willing to travel for first-hand experience of training sessions with Shaolin monks. Whether it is watching highly choreographed displays of mastery at Shaolin Temples or signing up for warrior schooling, the appeal lies in elevating physical and mental strength. The YunTai Shan International Culture and Martial Arts School in Xian offers intensive all-inclusive programmes. Taking place in Chengdu from August 7th to 17th, The World Games 2025 will include competitive Wushu (aka kung fu) among its roster of 35 sports beyond those typically showcased at the Olympics.
Asia Uplift
The trend for ‘Asia Uplift’ was highlighted in a recent report produced for travel IT company Amadeus by Globetrender. Etihad is one of many airlines expanding their wider Asia network – in this case with the launch of flights between Abu Dhabi and Singapore from February 1, 2025, and increased frequency of flights to Thailand. At the same time, Taiwan’s EVA Air plans to add four additional flights from 15 January to 29 March, 2025, bringing the airline’s Bangkok-Taipei route to 32 flights per week. Boosting connections between the Maldives and China, Maldivian Airlines will operate flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Xi'an from January 2025. In May 2025, Alaska Airlines will schedule daily nonstop flights between Seattle and Tokyo Narita. Japan’s ANA will start three new direct flights from Tokyo to Milan, Stockholm and Istanbul.
Catering to increased demand for travel in and out of Indonesia, flag carrier Garuda Indonesia plans to buy 15 to 20 new aircraft in 2025, with the addition of four new routes by the end of January. A reciprocal partnership with Singapore Airlines (SIA) also means it has expanded its daily flights to Singapore from four to six from December 1, 2024, while SIA has added two additional daily services to the country.
