The 7 megatrends that will shape the travel industry in Latin America in 2025 and beyond

By: Aleix Rodríguez Brunsoms, Strategy Director at Skift Advisory.

Skift Megatrends have long been recognized as one of the travel industry's most trusted annual forecasts, capturing essential insights and the shifts shaping global tourism and hospitality strategies. Leveraging rigorous research and expert analysis, Skift Megatrends illuminate the critical forces driving industry evolution and are widely trusted by travel leaders, policymakers, and businesses around the world.

This reflection paper adapts Skift's globally influential Megatrends specifically to the Latin American context, a region at a pivotal moment. As the global tourism industry undergoes a rapid transformation, driven by changing consumer expectations, technological advancements, and the urgent need for more sustainable and inclusive growth, Latin America finds itself at a crossroads of unprecedented opportunity and complexity.

With international visitor arrivals in the Americas projected to reach 94% of 2019 levels by 2025 (Skift; Travel Health Index; 2025), and global travel intent stronger than ever (Skift; Global Travel Trends; 2025), the region's unique assets—from its vibrant cultural heritage and biodiversity to its dynamic cities and growing aviation networks—position it not just to recover, but to lead. But this leadership won't happen on its own. It will require strategic vision, bold innovation, and a willingness to disrupt outdated tourism models.

The big question we seek to answer: What will define Latin America's next chapter in global tourism? Through seven defining megatrends, shaped by global perspectives and grounded in local realities, this report offers a roadmap for destination marketers, tourism boards, airlines, and investors across the region to reimagine growth and seize the future in their own way. Let's dive deeper:

1. Live tourism takes center stage: From festivals to football: big moments are the new tourist magnet

In 2025, travel is not just about location, but about presence. The future belongs to destinations that offer unforgettable moments. Live events, from music festivals to soccer matches and celestial spectacles, are the new currency of tourism.

Latin America is uniquely positioned to dominate this space. Buenos Aires is a world capital of nightlife. São Paulo's festivals rival any in Europe. And with the Copa América, World Cup qualifiers, and international concert tours crisscrossing the region, the potential to ignite "collective tourism energy" is enormous.

In the words of Skift: "If it's not live, it's dead." Cities must reimagine their tourism calendars as platforms for year-round cultural expression. Airlines, hotels, and local businesses that bundle experiences around these events will generate significant economic momentum. Live tourism is not an add-on, but a driver.

DMOs should shift from campaign-based marketing to event-driven destination design: think about planning the visitor experience that begins with the concert date, not with hotel check-in.

According to Skift (Experiential Travel Deep Dive; 2024), 62% of global travelers now plan trips around specific events or cultural moments. Lollapalooza São Paulo attracted 310,000 attendees in 2024, 19% of whom came from abroad.

2. The premium push: Understated luxury and first-class travelers are transforming regional travel

Luxury in 2025 doesn't shout, it whispers. As post-pandemic travelers seek meaning over materialism, Latin America's most exclusive experiences aren't gated resorts, but private haciendas in the Andes, jungle lodges with cutting-edge design, and slow-food sanctuaries helmed by local chefs.

This shift aligns with a powerful demographic movement: the rise of the post-luxury traveler. They're not impressed by opulence, but by intentionality, sustainability, and deep stories. According to Skift, "they gravitate toward independently run hotels where the owner's presence and passion are palpable."

Meanwhile, demand for premium travel is booming, and Latin American airlines are investing accordingly. Avianca is reinventing its business class experience, LATAM is expanding lie-flat seats, and niche airlines like Azul are innovating in comfort for short-haul travel.

According to Skift (The Future of Luxury Travel; 2024), 73% of affluent travelers now prioritize unique and culturally immersive experiences over traditional five-star hotels. Destinations should stop chasing the "five-star" label and start developing products that offer emotional resonance, provenance, and slow indulgence. The future of luxury in Latin America will be discreet, select, and deeply personal.

3. The New Geopolitics of Air Travel: Airlines, Climate, and Governments Are Rewriting the Route Map Air travel is no longer just a business decision, but a geopolitical strategy. 

Latin American governments are increasingly involved in tourism planning, whether by investing in airport infrastructure (e.g., the expansion of Terminal 2 at El Dorado in Bogotá) or by designing national aviation policies to promote connectivity, sustainability, and inbound tourism. 

Climate considerations are also transforming demand. As heat waves intensify in Europe and Asia, cold-climate regions of Latin America, from the Patagonian steppe to the Andean highlands, are preparing for a boom in seasonal tourism. This climate advantage could become a key pillar for competitive differentiation. 

According to Skift (Aviation Trends Report with CAPA; 2025), regional air traffic in Latin America is projected to grow 9.7% year-over-year, outperforming global averages. 

Visa regulations, political risk, and airspace negotiations will affect how, where, and when people travel. Regional cooperation (e.g., Mercosur visa agreements or the Pacific Alliance air travel agreements) could be key to multi-country itineraries. 

DMOs and airlines must collaborate with policymakers not only to promote destinations, but also to facilitate access through open skies, simplified entry, and significant infrastructure investment. 

4. The algorithm is the itinerary: Social media and AI inspire and book the next trip 

In 2025, travelers won't be asking "where should I go?"; they'll be asking TikTok, Instagram, and, increasingly, GenAI copilots. From visual inspiration to hyper-personalized planning, the traditional marketing funnel has disappeared. Travel discovery now happens in the feed, in the moment, and by the algorithm. 

Latin American destinations already have an advantage in this regard: their visual richness and emotional narrative are tailor-made for short videos. Cartagena, Oaxaca, and Mendoza are becoming viral tourist destinations, not because of advertising, but because of their creators. 

According to Skift (How Social Media Shapes Travel Discovery; 2024), 54% of Gen Z travelers in Latin America discover destinations through social media rather than search engines. 

AI-powered travel planning tools are booming, and Google's dominance in travel search is eroding, with social and conversational platforms becoming the new travel agencies. Destinations must stop treating social media as a distribution channel and start treating it as infrastructure. Collaborate with creators. Invest in AI-native content formats. And create digital experiences that connect with travelers before they even know they're travelers. 

5. Purpose-driven travel becomes the norm: regeneration, culture, and community are the driving factors. 

Purpose-driven travel isn't a niche, it's the norm. From Generation Z to baby boomers, today's travelers choose experiences that feel real, responsible, and relational. And Latin America has the narrative, the community fabric, and the ecological wealth to lead the way. 

According to Skift (Purposeful Travel Sentiment Study; 2024), 61% of travelers say community benefit is one of their top three factors when choosing a destination. 

Whether it's an Indigenous-led hike in the Andes, a nature restoration program in the Brazilian Cerrado, or a food sovereignty tour in Chiapas, regenerative models are finding fertile ground. But visitors are also more discerning than ever: they can detect performative sustainability from miles away. 

There is a strong incentive for operators and destinations to develop strategies around net positive impact, supporting product development by local and Indigenous communities, and ensuring that the sustainability narrative is transparent, not transactional. 

6. Digital nomads find a home: Latin America emerges as a global teleworking hub 

Teleworking isn't a trend, but a radical change. As more professionals around the world swap office cubicles for coworking cafes, Latin America has become one of the most attractive areas for digital nomads on the planet. 

According to Skift (Remote Work and Travel Economy; 2025), Latin America saw a 62% increase in the number of long-stay digital nomads in 2024. Mexico City, Medellín, and Buenos Aires are now among the top 10 global digital nomad hubs. 

It's not just about freelancers with laptops. It's about transforming destinations into lifestyle ecosystems that combine productivity, belonging, and exploration. 

Destinations should embrace nomads as a strategic segment, investing in long-stay infrastructure, creating inclusive spaces, and providing technologically advanced tourism services. The next frontier isn't those who come for a week, but those who stay for six months and become a promoter. 

7. Psychedelic wellness is no longer taboo: From sacred to chic: conscious travel is radically transformed

Once considered marginal, psychedelic experiences are emerging as a premium wellness category, and Latin America is already at the center of this global resurgence.

According to Skift (Wellness Travel Futures; 2024), the global psychedelic wellness market is projected to exceed $7 billion by 2027, with Latin America a key driver of demand.

From ayahuasca retreats in Peru to psilocybin journeys in Mexico, the region is home to ancient healing practices that are gaining popularity.

But with growth comes ethical complexity. These experiences address Indigenous knowledge systems, mental health regulations, and sensitive cultural dynamics. Responsible development, not commodification, must be the mantra.

What next? Turning megatrends into meaningful action

The megatrends shaping Latin America's tourism future are not abstract concepts, but strategic signals that demand bold responses. From in-person events to digital nomads, from the reinvention of luxury to regenerative models, the region finds itself at a rare crossroads: it can passively adapt to global changes in travel or actively lead the next era of tourism transformation.

But seizing this moment will require more than optimism. It demands cross-sector, data-driven, and unwaveringly forward-thinking leadership. Here's our Skift perspective on how key players can lead Latin America's tourism landscape:

1. Governments and DMOs: Defend the long-term vision over short-term visits

• Move from promotional campaigns to comprehensive destination management, balancing economic gains with livability and sustainability.

• Adopt "in-person tourism" and event calendars as a core element of the visitor strategy, investing in scalable infrastructure for the event. • Support visa facilitation, regional air agreements, and smart nomadic policies to facilitate access and mobility.

• Integrate Indigenous, community-based, and regenerative tourism into the core product offering, not just as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.

2. Airlines: Invest in premium, flexible, and forward-thinking air travel.

• Respond to the growing demand for high-performance business and leisure (bleisure) segments with more flexible schedules and a better selection of cabins.

• Strengthen regional connectivity by focusing on underserved secondary cities and cold-climate destinations.

• Invest in sustainability narratives and carbon emissions transparency: Younger travelers and governments will demand it.

• Collaborate more closely with DMOs and event organizers to create experience-based air packages, linked to live tourism demand.

3. Hospitality and tourism operators: Design for depth, not just volume.

• Rethinking the hotel offering to align it with "quiet luxury," personalization, and emotional resonance, not with outdated five-star standards. • Developing long-stay products, hybrid hospitality models, and localized services for the digital nomad economy.

• Infuse narrative and provenance into every guest touchpoint, especially in wellness and cultural tourism.

• Ensure sustainability initiatives are operational, not ornamental: Greenwashing will backfire with increasingly savvy travelers.

4. Investors: Bet on emerging patterns, not legacy paradigms.

• Prioritize funding for state-of-the-art infrastructure: event-capable spaces, nomad-focused accommodations, mobility solutions, and technology experiences.

• Look for secondary cities and non-traditional destinations poised for exponential growth, especially in nature, wellness, and digital work ecosystems.

• Support initiatives at the intersection of tourism, culture, and wellness, including regulated psychedelic retreats and Indigenous-led initiatives.

• Understand that future ROI is not limited to occupancy or ARR, but to community impact, repeat visits, and the power of global storytelling. 

Latin America doesn't need to adapt to global tourism trends; it holds the key to leading them. But leadership involves making deliberate decisions: designing to connect with life, serving with intention, building with balance, and welcoming tomorrow's traveler instead of chasing yesterday's visitor.

At Skift, we believe the future of travel will be shaped by regions that understand their unique power and wield it with imagination and responsibility.

Latin America is ready. It's time to act.

By: (*) Aleix Rodríguez Brunsoms, Strategy Director at Skift Advisory