Birdwatching is seeing a rise in popularity among UK travellers, according to a survey conducted by Toluna for excursion booking platform GetYourGuide. The research found that 55 per cent of 1,000 UK travellers are keen to try birdwatching on their next trip, with nearly half (47 per cent) now considering the pastime "cool again".
British Millennials appear to be driving this trend, with 85 per cent indicating an interest in birdwatching during their holidays. Jean-Gabriel Duveau, vice president of brand at GetYourGuide, suggests that birdwatching is moving into the mainstream in 2026, influenced by popular culture figures and social media trends like #birdtok.
Dan Free, general manager and tour guide at Wildlife Worldwide, noted a shift towards younger people engaging with birdwatching, attributing this to social media awareness and programmes such as Springwatch. He also suggested the Covid pandemic may have contributed to increased interest in local wildlife.
For those new to birdwatching, Free recommends visiting local nature reserves or wetlands, and considering dedicated birdwatching tours. GetYourGuide's research also indicates a surge in popularity for international birdwatching experiences on its platform, with destinations like Oman's Daymaniyat Islands and Vietnam's Cat Ba National Park seeing increased searches in 2025.