Crete will become the most luxurious travel destination in the summer of 2025 for German travellers – customers of airtours, TUI’s tour operator specialising in luxury holidays, according to airtours’ briefing at the ITB in Berlin.
Crete is becoming a top choice for luxury holidays in the Mediterranean in the German tourist market in the coming summer season, thanks to its high quality hotel potential, with the five-star Daios Cove Resort in Agios Nikolaos being a favourite hotel for both couples and families.
Meanwhile, among the favourite destinations for the tour operator’s German customers this coming summer are Kos, Athens and the Athenian Riviera, as well as the Peloponnese.
Luxury favorite destinations in the summer
The USA tops the ranking for long-haul holidays, followed by the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, Dubai and Bangkok recorded the biggest increase in bookings, up 70% and 60% respectively.
Thailand’s capital is increasingly establishing itself as a centre for exclusive experiences. New luxury hotel projects such as Dior Gold House, which opened late last year, and The Ritz-Carlton One Bangkok, due to open soon, are attracting more and more luxury visitors.
“Luxury is constantly evolving – our guests expect the highest level of luxury combined with authentic and personalised experiences,” said Steffen Boehnke, Managing Director of airtours, at ITB 2025. He added: “We continue to focus on the upper end of luxury and offer an even more exquisite collection of selected hotels and exceptional travel formats.” This clear positioning demonstrates sustained success and establishes airtours as the leading luxury travel brand in Europe.
Top luxury destinations in winter
The Maldives remains the number one luxury holiday destination, because nowhere else are there so many luxury hotels relative to the number of residents. The United Arab Emirates and Thailand follow in second and third place.
Qatar, Sri Lanka and Oman top the rankings in winter, each of which is experiencing strong growth.
Families are also drawn to the United Arab Emirates in winter. Abu Dhabi is the most popular destination and the Waldorf Astoria Doha Lusail in Qatar is the favourite hotel for families in the luxury category.
Trends in luxury travel in 2025
Personal preferences and unique experiences are at the heart of travellers’ focus in 2025. More and more discerning travellers are looking for personalised, tailor-made travel experiences that are perfectly tailored to their needs. “Our exclusively curated circular journeys and luxury safaris precisely meet the expectations of guests seeking maximum individuality and uniqueness,” explained Boehnke. The expanded portfolio for the summer of 2025 now includes private guided tours.
According to him, luxury does not only stand for glitz and glamour, but increasingly for authenticity and a sense of genuineness. “A return to authentic and unadulterated experiences will characterise luxury travel in 2025,” he said.
As tour operator trend researcher Oliver Kreipe, who identifies new trends in the luxury travel sector long before they become established, said personal development, stress reduction and social connection, which are the cornerstones of happiness, are also at the heart of the new trends. “If we understand what people are really looking for when they think about holidays, we can contribute to well-being with our offerings,” Kreipe pointed out.
Longevity is a trend of our time and is playing an increasingly important role in the wellness concept of luxury hotels. After all, staying healthy and efficient is an essential element of happiness and technological advances are helping to measure the results of treatments.
The Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie, at One&Only One Za’abeel, offers state-of-the-art scientific and therapeutic methods that guarantee longevity.
Also, unlike twenty years ago, yoga and meditation are now included as standard in luxury travel and hospitality. However, new offerings are constantly being added for conscientious holiday travellers. For example, during nightly spa rituals at Four Seasons Resorts in the Maldives or Koh Samui, guests can relax under the starry sky, with the sound of the sea as background music.
The magic of travel lies in shared experiences and inspiring encounters. Today, experiences should be as special as possible. For example, searching for extraterrestrial signals on Swan Hellenic expeditions with researchers from the SETI Institute, or getting to know the new “temples” of fashion in Bangkok through guided tours of Louis Vuitton The Place with its adjacent museum and Dior Gold House, with its Instagram-friendly magnificent facade.
