TROPICAL ESCAPISM’ TREND BOOMS IN THE UK AS HARSH WINTER CONTINUES

A new study by Colombian inspired non-alcoholic rum brand Caleño also shows that nearly 3 million adults are creating weekly ‘tropical escape’ moments to counter the harsh British winter and mounting cost-of-living pressures.

This tropical trend transcends more than just holiday planning. Just under one in seven (13%) Britons are considering permanent relocation to warmer climates, while 5%³ plan to work remotely from tropical destinations this year.

“We’re witnessing a fundamental transformation in British work-life philosophy,” says Ellie Webb, Founder of Caleño. “Tropical environments and all that they bring from food and drink flavours to interiors and warmer weather are increasingly viewed as essential to wellbeing rather than mere luxury.”

Key findings from Caleño’s research reveal a perfect storm driving this tropical exodus:

Brits are over 3x more likely to say this winter has been worse (compared to the previous 5 years) than say it’s been better (39% vs 10%)
Cost of living (56%), energy costs (56%) and weather conditions (44%) lead winter grievances and are impacting women more than men this year.
Social media influence fuels 6% of relocation interests
Gen Z leads the charge, with 10% actively researching overseas visa options.

The trend has sparked a broader cultural shift as 33% of those surveyed agree we are seeing a boom of ‘tropical escapism’ in the UK this year. Waitrose has reacted to this trend by listing new coconut flavoured products in January and advocating for “tropical flavours to become the drink trend of 2025″ (Sarah Holland, Drinks Buyer). Equally, National hospitality Chains such as Revolution Bars and Revolucion de Cuba have responded to this sales trend by increasing their selection of tropical non-alcoholic cocktails on menu by a staggering 160% in 2025 (to now feature Piña Coladas, Mojitos, Pineapple Spritz along with many others). With tropical cocktails at the top of mind, National café bar operator, Loungers 240+ sites) has also chosen to offer a dedicated Piña Colada in their non-alcoholic cocktail selection, something they didn’t offer in 2024,.

“This isn’t just about holidays – it’s about daily escapism,” says Caleño Founder Ellie Webb. “From tropical home offices to sunset cocktail rituals, Britons are reinventing their daily routines to bring tropical escapism into our daily lives. In fact, we could re-brand Blue Monday to Tropical Monday this year as so many people will be booking their holidays on this date. We have seen this trend in the drinks sector with the continual rise of the rum based cocktail during 2024 and the increase of flavoured rums such as White Coconut and fruit flavours.”

The movement particularly resonates with younger demographics:

A fifth of Brits (20%) are creating ‘Tropical Escapism’ moments as frequently as monthly
76% of Gen Z create regular tropical moments in their lives
Piña Colada is now the world’s 3^rd most popular cocktail and the UK has seen a recent rum explosion with rum now the 3^rd largest spirit category.
Rum-based cocktails have seen a 12% increase in popularity in bars and restaurants globally in 2024.
One in four (25%) of 16-34 years olds order tropical flavoured food when they go out to eat
Over half of 16-24-year-olds have ordered or made mojitos (55%), pina coladas (57%) and daiquiris (53%) in the last 30 days
22% of 16 – 34 year olds have bought Tikki themed or tropical interior items for their homes.
A further 17% of this age range buy tropical flavoured beauty products.

As workplace culture evolves to embrace remote work, this tropical transformation appears set to define 2025’s lifestyle trends across lifestyle, holidays, food and drink and design and interior trends. Caleño’s new White Coconut rum liquid is now available for example in over 100 Waitrose stores (RRP £18).

To mark the trend, Caleño is partnering with Revolucion de Cuba to bring ‘Tropical Escapism’ to life. Firstly, the brand is running a national competition to offer one lucky winner a holiday get-away (worth £1,000). * Throughout January, Revolucion de Cuba will also be offering a total of 8 ‘Tropical Escapism’ non-alcoholic Caleño Cocktails, and those on the newsletter will also be in with a chance of winning a free Caleño cocktail to redeem in their restaurants. Caleño is also partnering with Gen-Z travel brand Kilroy, who are offering one lucky winner the trekking trip of a lifetime to Colombia on Caleño’s social media platforms.

www.caleñodrinks.com