Asian cities shine in Mastercard Economics Institute's 2025 travel trends report

Travel Weekly

12-05-2025

Japan again is a hot travel destination in 2025, even more so than in 2024, according to the Mastercard Economics Institute.
Tokyo and Osaka top the list of destinations with the largest gains in worldwide flight bookings for this summer, according to Mastercard's annual travel report, which uncovers trends through data analysis. The top 15 was dominated by Asia -- eight on the list, including three in Japan and two in China:
1) Tokyo
2) Osaka
3) Paris
4) Shanghai
5) Palma de Mallorca
6) Seoul
7) Beijing
8) Madrid
9) Rio de Janeiro
10) Singapore
11) Nha Trang, Vietnam
12) Reykjavik, Iceland
13) Fukuoka, Japan
14) Hurghada, Egypt
15) Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
"Last year was a really meaningful shift where Tokyo climbed higher in terms of one of the top markets traveled," said Michelle Meyer, the Mastercard Economics Institute's chief economist. "I think there was a fear that as we entered this year, demand would dry up. … But from our calculation, it is a market that continues to grow in popularity."
Weak currencies continue to make several Asia destinations -- including Japan and Vietnam -- relative bargains for many travelers. The presence of two Egypt resort destinations on the list perhaps reflects their value for European and Arab travelers, plus Egypt's relative stability in the Middle East region.
Wellness and national parks
Namibia, South Africa and Thailand ranked as the most popular destinations for wellness-related travel experiences. Mastercard's wellness travel index tracks cross-border spending at vendors such as spas and detox programs. Namibia tops the list with 3.5% growth.
South Africa, Zambia and Finland have the highest share of travelers specifically seeking out national parks. In South Africa, guests are specifically seeking out nature, with 23.3% of cross-border visitor spending happening at national parks. Zambia, Finland, Argentina, Switzerland and Canada are the other countries where national parks rank highest for cross-border spending.
Sporting events also draw international visitors. When Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani competed in his first World Series game last October, Japanese travelers came to see him, indicated by 91% growth in Japanese spending in the five miles surrounding Dodger Stadium, Mastercard found.
International business travel is trending slightly more local but for longer durations. For U.S. corporate Mastercard holders, travel grew in Canada and Latin America in 2024 compared to 2019, while it shrunk by more than 6% in Europe. The average business trip is now 10.2 days compared to 8.8 in the year preceding the pandemic.