Like fashion, travel trends change with the season. This year saw an increase in trends such as using artificial intelligence for travel i...
Like fashion, travel trends change with the season.
This year saw an increase in trends such as using artificial intelligence for travel inspiration, as well as more people focusing on multi-generational trips.
It comes as Expedia has released their annual global report, Unpack ’26, which highlights shifts in traveller behaviour and the destinations set to dominate itineraries next year.
From Destinations of the Year to salvaged hotels and reading retreats, to Sumo Wrestling and farm stays, the seven trends look at the future of travel.
Each trend is backed by first-party data and insights from 24,000 global travellers.
Expedia’s 2026 Destinations of the Year list revealed a 92 per cent increase in searches for Big Sky, Montana, US, a 71 per cent increase in searches for Okinawa, Japan, and a 63 per cent increase in searches for Sardinia in Italy.
The list highlights where global interest is rising fast, even in destinations that haven’t yet gone viral.
Six of these hotspots also meet the criteria for Expedia’s new Smart Travel Health Check- a first-in-travel framework from Expedia, inspired by the World Travel & Tourism Council.
The Smart Travel Health Check recognises destinations that offer meaningful travel experiences and proactively manage tourism in a sustainable way, helping to ease the strain on the world’s most overvisited cities.
Expedia noted that 2026 is a huge year for international sports, and there’s a new wave of fanaticism about immersive, local experiences.
Expedia’s Fan Voyage trend reveals a surge in uniquely regional sporting experiences, with 47 per cent of Brits saying they're likely to attend one while on a trip.
From sumo wrestling in Japan to Muay Thai in Thailand, travellers – particularly Gen Z and Millennials (68 per cent) – are seeking front-row seats to learn about timeless traditions.
Next year, travellers are predicted to check into hotels that combine historical architecture with modern amenities.
Hotels.com’s 2026 Hotels of the Year list spotlights a surge in demand for upcycled retreats such as former schoolhouses, train stations, and banks that offer guests a comfortable stay filled with unique character and cultural relevance.
Bodmin Jail Hotel in Cornwall has seen a 110 per cent increase in searches and Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu, a former school in Kyoto, Japan, has seen a 194 per cent increase.
It has also been revealed that more than half of British millennial travellers (59 per cent) are booking multiple hotels within a single destination.
City breaks, island escapes, and event-driven travel such as concerts and festivals are key motivators.
The Hotel Hop trend is especially popular among Gen Z and Millennial travellers, with one in four seeing 'bleisure' trips as the perfect opportunity to hop from one stay to the next.
Another trend which is set to take off is literary-themed travels.
Pinterest searches for 'book club retreat ideas' up 265 per cent, according to Vrbo.
The slow travel movement is also gaining ground, with 84 per cent of travellers expressing interest in staying on or near a farm.
Mentions of farm-related experiences in Vrbo guest reviews have also surged 300 per cent year-over-year, signalling how travellers are searching for starlit skies over busy city lights in 2026.
First spotlighted by Expedia in 2022, a trend of travelling to destinations inspired by TV shows and movies is now projected to become a potential $8billion industry in the U.S. alone.
Expedia predicts an increase in travel to Yorkshire ahead of Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights, based on the work of Emily Brontë, as well as trips to Samoa, Polynesia, ahead of the release of the live-action Moana film.
Read more- Is your next holiday destined to be a cultural adventure, with book-inspired trips and enriching activities set to dominate the 2025 travel scene?
- Could 2026 be the year of 'glowmads' and 'shelf discovery' in travel trends, with beauty and food enthusiasts redefining their holiday experiences?
- Why is 2025 being hailed as the 'Year of the Travel Maximizer' and how are global travel trends shifting?
- What stunning Scottish locations are film and TV enthusiasts flooding to, fueling a jaw-dropping 1.14 million overnight stays in 2023?
- Is opting for a serene, child-free paradise at your favorite hotel the next big travel trend?
COMMENTS