Travelling is no longer a blur of flights, schedules and tourist menus. The travel trends in 2026 predict that it will only become more personal, raw and honest. Less "where am I going?", more "who will I be there?".
This is the year in which we want to lose our way, preferably with a breeze in our neck and an unfamiliar spice jar in our bag. I dived into the latest research to put down for you the travel trends of 2026.
What Skyscanner sees - Travel as adventure and connection
1. Shelf Discovery
No more fancy restaurants; it will be a travel trend to wander through local supermarkets and markets in 2026. People will hook up on flavours, snacks and ingredients you can only find locally. A supermarket safari will become the ultimate dish - not only because it is cheaper, but also because it gives people a unique insight into local culture.
2. Altitude Shift
It's not that the Dolomites have suddenly become more beautiful, but people aren't so much looking for crowds anymore.
Mountain areas are gaining ground fast, and not only for winter sports. Summer and autumn are becoming quieter seasons where travellers opt for serious altitude and mental descent. Think: fresh air, endless silence, and no one pulling your towel away from the pool or beach.
3. Bookbound
Travelling with a book in your bag. Maybe you want to relive your favourite novel, visit a special bookstore, or just read in the middle of silence. Travelling with books becomes a little adventure in itself.
4. Catching connections
2026 is the year when travellers seek real contact. Not superficially, but deeper. Travelling will become a way to find new friends, dates or like-minded people.
Conversations at the market. Walking with locals. Having a coffee with someone you just met. The world becomes a tad softer when people find the courage to say hello.
5. Destination Check-in
The destination? No, first the stay. Travellers increasingly choose their trip based on one simple question: ''Where do I want to wake up?''
A tree villa, a design hotel in the dunes, a wine barrel to sleep in. The sleeping place becomes the journey. Everything around it is secondary.
6. Trending destinations
Unexpected places increasingly grab the spotlight. According to this travel trend for 2026, travellers are throwing their darts beyond Barcelona and Bali. They are diving towards Scandinavian cities, forgotten Mediterranean coastal towns, African inland gems and places where you don't get menus in six languages.
Think of Trollhätan in Sweden, Trieste in Italy, Skukuza in South Africa and Evenes in Norway. What will be your next destination?
Source: Skyscanner.nl
What Booking.com predicts - Travel as a mirror of who you are
1. Romantic Retreats
Fantasy travel becomes deadly serious. For those who love myths, castles, dragons or medieval scenes: imagine living for a few days as if you were in your favourite book or film. Booking.com sees that many travellers are open to such fantasy experiences.
2. Shelf-ie Souvenirs
Edible souvenirs are the new gold. According to this travel trend for 2026, you will no longer drag magnets home, but olive oils, spice mixes and ceramic pots that will make you happy for months to come. Souvenirs that turn your kitchen into a reminder of your trip. Everyone wants a kitchen shelf that whispers: I've been on an adventure.
3. Destined-actions
Whether you believe in it or not: astrological travel is increasing enormously. People tailor trips to moon phases, astrological advice and energetic places on earth. It's spiritual pragmatism: if you're travelling anyway, why not with a little cosmic tailwind?
Source: Booking.com
What NBTC concludes - Travel with meaning, peace and balance
1. Extreme Performance
Travellers will increasingly seek out extreme challenges: survival trips, ultramarathons, expeditions. Not to show off, but rather to grow as a person. So see it more as a journey to push your limits and develop yourself. You will come home with blisters and pride.
2. Off-grid escapes
Remote places attract more people than ever, but the modern traveller wants comfort. Think: sleeping under stars, but on a good mattress. Showering in an outdoor shower while a hot bath awaits somewhere. It's escape without abandon; detox but luxurious.
3. Living with the ecosystem
This travel trend shows that by 2026, people will want more than just to consume. Travellers want to contribute to nature, ecosystems and local communities.
It’s all about reciprocity. About travel that leaves something behind, other than just footprints.
Source: NBTC
So the travel trends for 2026 predict less perfect pictures and more real stories. We will travel into the world to discover new sides of ourselves, taste, get lost and land again. The future of travel feels more human, softer and at the same time much wilder. Wherever you go, one thing seems certain: the most surprising destination is still yourself.
Love,
The most important travel trends in 2026 are slow travel, off-grid escapes, unique accommodations and travelling with meaning. Travel is less about known destinations and more about personal experiences and being consciously on the move.
According to the travel trends of 2026, the place where you sleep will become more important than the destination itself. Travellers will choose their trip based on where they want to wake up. Take, for example, a tree villa, designer hotel or off-grid abode. The stay has become the journey.
Off-grid travel in 2026 means staying in remote places with few stimuli, but with comfort. Think sleeping in nature, stargazing, outdoor showers and silence, combined with a good bed and luxury amenities. Escape without abandonment.
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