Winter travel is taking off with new precision. After a year of evolving habits, travelers are wrapping up 2025 more intentional and tech-savvy than ever before. They’re using AI to plan smarter, booking with purpose, and redefining what value means in an uncertain economy.
According to insights from Criteo’s Winter 2025 Travel Pulse, a new kind of traveler has emerged: The “algorithmic traveler” embraces technology as a trusted co-pilot, using digital tools to make every choice feel more personal, seamless, and rewarding.
In this post, we unpack five key insights shaping winter travel across the globe and explore how brands can use Criteo’s data to connect with high-intent audiences, anticipate behavior, and turn curiosity into conversion.
When retail cools, travel takes off
Once the gifting season wraps, shoppers quickly turn their attention to getaways.
From January through early spring 2025, travel bookings outperformed retail sales across every region—by 17 index points in EMEA, 14 points in APAC, and 27 points in the Americas, where demand accelerated steadily after the holidays.
Marketers who shift early, from December awareness to January activation, can capture travelers when they’re most receptive. Extend campaign learnings from Q4 into Q1, retarget high-intent audiences who browsed during the holidays, and highlight experiences that feel like a reward for getting through the busy season. Refresh creative to move from “gift-giving” to “self-giving” narratives that turn post-holiday intent into bookings.
Travelers are optimizing for value
Today’s travelers aren’t cutting back. They’re simply traveling smarter. Nearly half (42%) book early to lock in savings, while 38% choose off-peak travel dates to make budgets go further.
Even as prices rise, 52% still consider travel as essential, signaling that the desire to explore is as strong as ever, just managed with more intention.
Booking early, traveling off-peak, and seeking flexible deals all point to a shift toward optimization. Marketers who respond with dynamic pricing, AI-powered recommendations, and always-on messaging can align perfectly with this mindset. Position your brand as a partner in smarter travel with transparent pricing, flexible booking, and bundled perks that make value feel premium.
AI enters the itinerary
Algorithms are fast becoming the traveler’s co-pilot, shaping inspiration long before a booking is made. More than four in ten travelers now use AI to plan their trips: 42% for destination ideas and 41% for accommodation suggestions.
AI adoption continues to climb across regions, becoming a natural part of how people plan their journeys. In the US, usage rose 6 points for full trip planning and 8 points for air travel year over year. Travelers in the UK showed even greater momentum, with increases of 6 points for activities, 10 points for dining, 7 points for full trip planning, and 13 points for air travel.
In the APAC region, AI usage in Japan climbed 7 points for dining while South Korea saw gains of 6 points for activities, 5 points for air travel, and 4 points for dining.
To stay visible in this new AI-enabled discovery phase, marketers should design for algorithms as much as for audiences. Use structured creative data (e.g. clear metadata, location tags, and contextual themes) to help your content surface in AI-driven recommendations. Pair that with AI-powered personalization and dynamic creative to adapt offers in real time.
Premium travelers spend with purpose
This winter, premium travelers aren’t chasing luxury for luxury’s sake; they’re investing in experiences that feel intentional and rewarding.
Travelers from colder climates were 23% more likely to book warm-weather destinations in December than in June, even as ticket prices ran 12% higher. These sun-seekers travel 3x farther and spend twice as much as those staying in winter destinations while niche explorers, those heading to less-visited locations, spend 3x more than average tourists.
And they’re spending more across retail categories too. Sun-seekers are 72% more likely to buy handbags than winter travelers, signaling a broader, more affluent lifestyle mindset that connects travel with self-expression and reward.
The algorithmic traveler sees travel and lifestyle as one connected ecosystem. Premium intent opens the door to deeper storytelling as these audiences invest in experiences that reflect who they are. Reach them through Criteo Audiences to identify sun-seekers and niche explorers who are primed to spend more across categories. Pair travel offers with complementary cues in fashion, beauty, and wellness to position travel as a form of personal reward. And craft creative that celebrates indulgence and individuality, the feeling of treating yourself while discovering somewhere new.
Intent compounds over time
Intent builds consistently after the holidays. Travelers who browse in December are 4x more likely to book in Q1 than those who booked during the holidays. On average, they view 25 hotel listings before making a decision, taking on average 9 days to complete an air travel booking and 12 days to complete a hotel booking.
This slow, deliberate path to purchase reflects the algorithmic traveler’s mindset: patient, curious, and confident in using digital tools to refine choices over time. Every search, scroll, and saved listing adds clarity, nudging them closer to conversion.
Consistency is key to capturing compounding intent. Keep your brand visible through consistent, full-funnel engagement that mirrors how travelers browse and book. Extend attribution windows to capture longer decision cycles and use dynamic retargeting to re-engage audiences with offers that evolve as their plans take shape. The key is to stay present, from first inspiration to final booking, so your brand becomes part of the traveler’s journey.
Meet the algorithmic traveler where they plan, browse, and book
This winter’s travelers are informed, intentional, and increasingly influenced by AI. They’re curating every part of the journey with precision and expect the same intelligence from the brands they choose.
With Criteo’s Travel Audiences, marketers can connect with these high-intent travelers at every stage, turning signals into bookings through real commerce intelligence and AI-driven personalization. Get in touch with our dedicated Travel team today at travelsolutions@criteo.com to activate Travel Audiences.
For more global trends and regional insights, read the full Winter 2025 Travel Pulse report and register for our travel webinar for a deeper dive into the report’s findings.
