In 2025, American travelers are looking for more than just ticking off famous landmarks. According to the latest booking data from GuruWalk, a platform for free walking tours, there’s a growing trend toward exploring local neighborhoods, uncovering hidden histories, and experiencing destinations in a more meaningful way.
GuruWalk looked ad its data for bookings made between September and December 2024 travel travel from that point through 2025. It found that while "essential tours"—those covering a city’s most iconic sights, which have dominated travel itineraries—still make up 28 percent of all bookings, their share has slightly declined from 30 percent in mid-2024. The same trend applies to history-focused tours, which dropped from 16 percent to 14 percent in the last quarter. This signals a shift that travelers are diversifying their experiences beyond the mainstream.
One of the fastest-growing categories is neighborhood-focused tours, now making up nearly 25 percent of total bookings. Travelers are increasingly drawn to exploring hidden corners of cities in depth, discovering local culture and engaging with communities beyond the classic tourist hotspots.
What’s trending for 2025? GuruWalk’s latest data reveals that American travelers are prioritizing these seven types of experiences for 2025 beyond the essential tours:
- Neighborhoods & Local Culture (25 percent) – Travelers want to experience the heartbeat of a city through its local districts, markets and lesser-known streets
- History & Political Tours (15 percent) – Stories of wars, revolutions and iconic historical figures continue to captivate travelers, with demand for niche topics such as the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement on the rise
- Gastronomic Experiences (5 percent) – Street food, market visits and local delicacies are becoming a must-do, signaling the rising influence of culinary tourism
- Afternoon & Night Tours (4,5 percent) – Discovering the nocturnal side of cities is also on trend. Almost five of every 100 travelers choose moonlit destinations to immerse themselves in the nightlife and see the monuments from a different perspective
- Street Art & Architecture (4 percent) – Travelers are increasingly drawn to art-filled streets, modernist architecture and the underground creative scenes of major cities
- Experiences & Alternative (3 percent) – Recently, three out of every 100 bookings on GuruWalk were for experiential tours designed to immerse travelers in the environment, or for tours where the guide promises to reveal aspects of the destination that are typically only known to locals
- Mystery & Paranormal Tours (2 percent) – From haunted histories to unsolved crimes, dark tourism is still making its mark
The data suggests that travelers are moving away from "one-size-fits-all" tourism and are looking for authenticity, local perspectives and storytelling-based experiences. This shift fits with the tastes often expressed by Gen Z travelers, who prioritize unique, immersive and hyperlocal experiences over tourist visits to more crowded areas.
As this trend continues to grow, the demand for unique and personalized travel experiences is set to increase. Destinations and tourist players adapting to this shift by promoting local experiences, cultural immersion and themed storytelling tours will likely see a boost in tourism engagement.
Source: GuruWalk
Related Stories
IMG Survey Predicts Top Destinations and Travel Trends for 2025
New Survey Shows Strong Optimism Among Advisors for 2025