Travel Trends 2025 #1: Sport Mode (according to Skyscanner)

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Every year, Skyscanner releases its Travel Trends report.

For 2025, the platform identified seven imaginative, hybrid, and often surprising ways people will travel next.

In this series, I take a closer look at each trend through the lens of tourism innovation, experience design, and destination strategy.

Source: Skyscanner Travel Trends 2025 > https://www.skyscanner.net/travel-trends/sports

“Sport Mode” Trend Overview

What is “Sport Mode”?

“Sport Mode” refers to the rising demand for travel experiences that blend physical activity with cultural discovery.

According to Skyscanner, travelers in 2025 are not just seeking rest—they want to move, sweat, and explore destinations through action.

Think trail running in the Dolomites, surfing in Portugal, or urban hikes across Tokyo.

Why is it emerging?

Several forces are converging to make active travel more popular than ever:

  • A growing awareness of the mental health benefits of movement
  • The influence of fitness-focused social media communities
  • Post-pandemic lifestyle shifts that favor wellbeing and personal transformation
  • A new generation of travelers seeking meaningful, health-aligned leisure time

Who is adopting it?

While Millennials and Gen Z are at the forefront, “Sport Mode” spans multiple demographics.

It resonates especially with those who already incorporate sport into daily life and are looking for holidays that align with their values and routines.

Where and how does it show up?

Destinations are increasingly positioning themselves as “playgrounds” for outdoor enthusiasts.

From yoga retreats in Andalusia to gravel biking in Tuscany, offerings are diversifying.

Skyscanner notes a significant spike in search interest for sports travel terms, and emerging products include trail maps, self-guided tours, and endurance events embedded in scenic landscapes.

Implications for Destinations and Tourism Operators

What does this trend suggest for tourism professionals?

“Sport Mode” invites destinations to rethink their value propositions—not as passive landscapes to be consumed, but as terrains to be physically experienced. This trend:

  • Encourages a move from static sightseeing to dynamic interaction with place
  • Opens space for hybrid tourism formats: half-marathon + heritage, surf camp + sustainability workshop, etc.
  • Requires infrastructure (e.g. trail signage, bike rentals, hydration points) and narrative integration (storytelling around terrain, local champions, rituals)

Practical opportunities and challenges

Opportunities:

  • Destinations can reposition off-season or lesser-known areas as active hubs
  • Partnerships with local trainers, sports clubs, or gear brands can enhance authenticity
  • Personalization becomes key: different fitness levels, interests, and accessibility needs must be addressed

Challenges:

  • Over-tourism on fragile natural routes (e.g., Cinque Terre, coastal paths)
  • Safety, liability, and insurance considerations for active travelers
  • Risk of “sportwashing” a destination’s identity without embedding it in place-based culture

How could this be localized in different contexts?

This trend lends itself well to places with layered landscapes and strong regional identities.

For example:

  • Create multi-day active itineraries that follow ancient pilgrimage routes, shepherd trails, or resistance paths—combining physical challenge with historical storytelling
  • Offer wellness-oriented sport experiences for all generations, like morning e-bike tours ending in thermal baths, or forest yoga walks designed for families and seniors
  • Blend activity with local food and agricultural heritage: think trail running through olive groves with tastings at hilltop farms, or ski-touring routes that end in alpine dairies with guided cheese-making sessions
  • Partner with local athletes or guides to create immersive experiences that mix training, culture, and community—such as running clubs that double as language exchanges or climbing schools based in historic quarries

Conclusion

“Sport Mode” isn’t just about movement—it’s about movement with meaning.

For tourism professionals, it raises important questions:

  • How can we design active experiences that are both inclusive and distinctive?
  • What does it mean to explore a destination “in sport mode”—not just as a location, but as a lifestyle setting?
  • Can we shift from product to performance, letting the terrain shape the journey?

As fitness and travel continue to merge, destinations that combine landscape, story, and sport will stand out.

Only a truly intentional design approach—one that starts from the real needs and desires of people—can create active experiences that are authentic, sustainable, and memorable.

It’s time to move beyond labels and standard packages: destinations need a new kind of direction, able to integrate movement, storytelling, and a sense of belonging.

It’s not enough to follow trends: we need to anticipate and interpret them in a unique way, adapting them to our own identity and the needs of travelers.

If you’d like to explore how to turn emerging trends into real opportunities for your destination, get in touch for tailored advice or new ideas.

And what about your experience? Which active experiences or sports activities are working well in your destination, or what would you like to experiment with?

Share your thoughts in the comments—fresh perspectives are always welcome.

Sources:

Master report: Skyscanner Travel Trends 2025 > https://www.skyscanner.net/travel-trends/summary

Sport Mode travel trend > https://www.skyscanner.net/travel-trends/sports

Image: Andrea Rossi with Dall-E

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This is post #1/7 in the blog series “Travel Trends 2025 (by Skyscanner)”

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