Malaga in top ten most popular travel destinations worldwide this year
Travel platform eDreams has published its annual trends report, confirming Spain's popularity with four cities on the list
Malaga is among the top ten most popular travel destinations in the world in 2025, according to the annual trends report published by leading travel platform eDreams.
The 'A year in travel' study analyses the behaviour of millions of customers globally. This year's report highlights the popularity of Spain, which appears on the list with four cities, headed by Barcelona. The capital of the Catalan region is, in fact, the most popular destination in the world in 2025, followed by Paris, Palma de Mallorca, Madrid, London, Rome, Istanbul, Lisbon, Amsterdam and, in tenth place, Malaga.
"Spain continues triumphing among European tourists, with four cities in the list of the ten most popular destinations in 2025 and French tourists leading visits, followed by Germans and Italians," the eDream report says.
The analysis also reveals that the popularity of destinations in South America is growing, cementing its position as the emerging destination of the year. Rio de Janeiro leads with a spectacular 164% increase in bookings compared to 2024, followed by Santiago de Chile (102%) and Lima (54%).
As for the preferences of Spanish tourists, they have regained an interest in Asia and in medium-size cities, such as Bordeaux (+123%), Venice (71%), Malta (37%) and a strong upturn in Tokyo, with an increase of 60%.
The flexibility when it comes to bookings, following the generalisation of the absence of penalties for cancellations since the pandemic, consolidates Spaniards' tendency to plan their trips less in advance. In fact, according to eDreams, 52% of the bookings attributed to Spaniards are made less than one month in advance, while 21% book their trips one and two months before the departure date.
Trends
Overall, however, Spaniards prefer large cities and destinations that offer beach and sun. Paris maintains its leadership as the favourite destination for Spaniards in 2025, followed by Palma de Mallorca, Rome, Barcelona and Tenerife. "Looking ahead to 2026, Paris, London and Rome reign supreme among Spanish bookings," the report states.
According to CEO of eDreams Odigeo Dana Dunne, "2025 has been a pivotal year for travel, marked by a growing interest in more authentic, flexible and technology-powered experiences. Travellers are no longer simply booking holidays, they are designing itineraries that reflect their values, tastes and personal development desires. From the rise of transformative, wellness-focused travel to the growing popularity of culturally-charged city breaks, we see a clear shift towards a more personal way of travelling".
The study also states that "Artificial intelligence (AI) keeps revolutionising the way we travel". "Our proprietary technology is poised to deliver hyper-personalised experiences to our 7.5 million Prime members. Whether it's real-time itinerary updates, personalised recommendations or agile bookings, our six billion daily predictions allow travellers to take control of their journeys like never before," the study highlights.
AI is transforming the purpose of travel, driving self-care and volunteer experiences, wellness tourism and local regeneration, resonating deeply with young people. "96% percent of them rely on AI tools to plan their trips and 54% demand flexibility without penalties."
