Birdwatching has moved from a quiet retirement-age pastime to one of the fastest-growing leisure activities among younger travelers, according to new booking data released by travel platform GetYourGuide. The company reported that bookings of GetYourGuide birdwatching experiences are up 65% compared to the same time last year , with the sharpest gains coming from an unexpected source.
Bookings surge among younger travelers
British travelers are proving to be the real highfliers with GetYourGuide birdwatching bookings among Brits up 130 percent annually.
The company’s data covers global bookings for birdwatching experiences between January 1 and August 27, 2026, compared with the same period a year earlier , pointing to a demographic shift long associated with an older crowd now drawing in Gen Z and millennial participants.
Research published by the U.K.’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) earlier this summer showed a 1,088 percent increase in 16-29-year-old birdwatchers since 2018, making it the fastest growing outdoor hobby for Gen Z in the U.K.
Across all generations, interest in birdwatching is up 47 percent in the last eight years.
GetYourGuide research found that 45 percent of travelers say they now consider birdwatching “cool,” a notable reversal for an activity once associated with pocket guides and early morning silence rather than social currency.
The shift is visible online as well. Birding continues to enjoy an image revamp thanks to pop culture moments, including #BirdTok which has racked up more than 1 billion views on TikTok , the company said.
A free app is doing some of the heavy lifting
Much of the hobby’s accessibility boost traces to a free smartphone tool built by researchers rather than a travel brand. The Merlin Bird ID app, developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has become a common entry point for new birders.
As of 2025, the Merlin Bird ID app has 10 million users , and the app has now been downloaded more than 40 million times across 240 countries . Cornell’s lab has reported strong growth in international usage, including in Europe, as the app’s identification features have widened its audience.
The app’s ability to identify species just by recording a bird’s song removes a major barrier that once kept the hobby feeling technical or exclusive, similar to how texting has replaced phone calls for many Americans.
Birding guides and tourism operators say the shift in who is picking up binoculars is real and visible in the field, with several British outfitters noting more young travelers inquiring about guided trips.
Travel operators see a new market forming
GetYourGuide executives describe the activity as crossing over from niche pursuit to mainstream travel category.
Anne Wallin, the company’s global trends and experiences expert, said: “Birdwatching as a travel experience has flown well beyond being a ‘Hidden Trend.’ It’s growing in popularity every month as travelers rediscover ways to connect with nature and disconnect from the daily hustle, whether that’s among a flamboyance of flamingos in southern France or spotting rare sightings in your own city.”
The pattern mirrors other leisure shifts GCN has tracked this year, including the rise of secondhand shopping as a routine habit rather than a niche pursuit, suggesting consumers broadly are gravitating toward low-cost, screen-free or sustainability-minded ways to spend free time.
Market researchers project continued growth
The broader birdwatching tourism sector backs up the booking surge. Industry analysis from Grand View Research estimated the global birdwatching tourism market size at USD 70.0 billion in 2025 and projected it to grow from USD 74.2 billion in 2026 to USD 117.2 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2026 to 2033.
Grand View Research’s analysis also tracks demographic breakdowns within the market, including traveler type, age group and group segments , pointing to a diversifying profile of birdwatchers worldwide.
For an activity once defined by quiet solitude and specialized gear, the combination of viral social media moments, free identification apps and growing travel demand has pushed birdwatching into a markedly more mainstream, younger and commercially significant corner of global leisure life.
