This is an excerpt from VOLT, our premium trends platform, in which we explore 'Spellbounding', the trend towards mystic and astrologically-divined trips and spiritual travel experiences that is holding Gen Z and Millennial travellers in thrall. Subscribe now to read the full industry deep dive.

As long-held institutions falter and fail – democracy, the economy, higher education, legacy media – people are seeking spiritual guidance, and they're finding it in unorthodox places. Gen Z is leading the charge (64% identify as "spiritual" according to Belief in Britain, compared to just 35% of Baby Boomers) embracing everything from mindfulness and sobriety to apps that calculate birth charts. Even Etsy has evolved beyond handmade crafts: it's now the go-to marketplace for spell-casting services, with "Etsy Witches" offering personalised occult consultations via video call.

This spiritual starvation is transforming the travel industry too, under a trend Globetrender has termed "Spellbounding" - where mysticism determines destinations and experiences. Indeed, almost half of travellers (47%) say they would consider changing or cancelling their plans if a spiritual advisor suggested it was not the right time, whilst 43% would reconsider trips based on a horoscope warning and 39% would adjust if Mercury was in retrograde. (Booking.com)

One specific brand of astrology - astrocartography - exemplifies the marriage of travel and mysticism perfectly. This spiritual travel practice positions the planets at the moment of one's birth on a world map, showing where different locations align with their personal astrological energies. The idea is that certain destinations can amplify themes such as love (Venus), ambition (Mars), growth (Jupiter) or transformation (Pluto), helping people choose where to live, work or travel based on the type of experience or outcome they seek. In practice, travellers use astrocartography to select destinations that support self-development, emotional alignment or life goals - turning trip planning into a form of cosmic navigation.

Gen Z (53%) and nearly half of millennials (46%) are particularly attuned to this type of spiritual travel, proving that for younger generations, the path to self-discovery might just be written in the stars (Booking.com). The Standard London's Zodiac Escape package, a collaboration with psychic intuitive Chris Corsini, meets this need, offering guests curated in-room gifts tailored to their zodiac energy - fiery Aries get a grab-and-go bag with Ouai dry shampoo and metallic red lipstick for spontaneous nights out, for example.

The package includes access to Corsini's digital content via in-room QR codes: a 2025 Tarot Forecast, Cutting Cords Workshop, Abundance Activation Workshop and Love Forecast. Most notably, each guest receives a bespoke...

To explore the full trend — including insights from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Soho House's resident astrologer, Clarisse Monahan, and Charlotte Church's mystical wellness retreat, The Dreaming — subscribe to VOLT. Annual subscribers receive twice monthly trend reports, a library of 200+ more, plus direct support from Globetrender's in-house trend strategists.