For decades, international travel has been closely associated with famous landmarks, major cities and destinations that appear repeatedly on social media and travel guides. Paris, Dubai, Barcelona, Tokyo and other globally recognised destinations continue to attract millions of visitors. However, a growing number of travellers are also showing interest in places that are less crowded, less well-known and often located close to major tourist hubs. This shift is increasingly being described as “quiet travel.”
Quiet travel is not a formal tourism category with a single definition. The term generally refers to choosing destinations, travel periods or experiences that offer fewer crowds and a slower pace. Recent travel research shows that this preference is becoming more visible in consumer behaviour.
The growth of international tourism is one reason this trend has gained attention. According to UN Tourism, international tourist arrivals reached approximately 1.4 billion in 2024, marking a recovery to pre-pandemic levels. The organisation also reported that most destinations received more international tourists in 2024 than before the pandemic. As visitor numbers have recovered, overcrowding has remained an important issue for popular destinations.
UN Tourism has identified the concentration of visitors in traditional tourist destinations as a challenge for the sector. Overtourism can place pressure on infrastructure, mobility, natural resources and local communities. The organisation has recommended strategies such as spreading visitors across different areas, encouraging travel at different times and developing new itineraries and attractions.
This provides part of the background behind the growing appeal of less crowded destinations. Instead of spending an entire holiday in a heavily visited city, travellers can choose a nearby town or region that offers a different experience while remaining accessible.
Expedia’s 2025 travel trends report provides clear evidence of this behaviour. After analysing its own travel data and research involving 25,000 travellers, Expedia identified “Detour Destinations” as a major travel trend. These destinations are less well-known and less crowded than nearby tourist hotspots. Expedia found that 63% of consumers surveyed said they were likely to visit one on their next trip.
The destinations highlighted in the report demonstrate how travellers are moving beyond conventional tourist centres. Reims was identified as a detour from Paris, Brescia from Milan, Girona from Barcelona, Fukuoka from Tokyo and Krabi from Phuket. Other destinations included Santa Barbara, Waikato, Abu Dhabi and Canmore. Expedia selected these locations based on increases in flight searches.
Booking.com has reported a similar preference. Its 2025 Travel Predictions research, based on more than 27,000 travellers across 33 countries and territories, found that 67% of respondents were interested in discovering less crowded destinations. This suggests that avoiding crowds is not simply a niche preference among a small group of travellers.
Another factor connected with quiet travel is the growing interest in travelling outside conventional peak periods. Booking.com’s research found that 54% of travellers planned to pursue more nighttime activities, partly because of concerns about rising temperatures. The same research found that 42% preferred to vacation in cooler locations. Choosing different times of day or year can therefore allow travellers to avoid some of the busiest and hottest periods without necessarily changing their destination completely.
Quiet travel can also benefit destinations when visitor numbers are distributed more evenly. UN Tourism has promoted the dispersal of visitors as one approach to managing urban tourism. Spreading tourism beyond a small number of highly visited attractions can reduce pressure on crowded areas while allowing other communities and businesses to participate in tourism-related economic activity.
Several destinations are already using this approach. Japan’s Koyasan, for example, provides visitors with congestion information and encourages travel during quieter weekdays. The initiative is designed to reduce overcrowding while protecting the area’s environment and preserving its peaceful character.
However, the rise of quiet travel does not mean that popular destinations are disappearing from travellers’ plans. Expedia’s research shows that many people are adding less crowded destinations to trips that still include major tourist locations. A traveller visiting Paris, for example, might add Reims to the itinerary rather than abandoning Paris altogether.
Social media also plays a complicated role in this trend. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have made travel inspiration more accessible, but viral content can also concentrate visitors in particular locations. Expedia’s research found that social media influences travel decisions, while its “Detour Destinations” trend indicates that travellers are increasingly discovering alternatives to famous hotspots.
Ultimately, quiet travel reflects a broader change in how some people approach tourism. The emphasis is shifting, at least for a growing segment of travellers, from simply visiting the most famous places to considering how crowded a destination is, when to visit and what other locations are nearby. With global tourism now back at pre-pandemic levels, managing visitor numbers has become increasingly important for destinations and local communities.
The rise of less crowded destinations therefore represents more than a search for peace and quiet. It is also connected to the wider challenges of managing global tourism. As international travel continues to grow, spreading visitors across more destinations and travel periods could help reduce pressure on heavily visited locations while giving travellers opportunities to explore places that have traditionally received less attention.
