The new year is almost here, and travel predictions for 2026 are popping up left and right. Want to stay ahead of the curve? We’ve rounded up a handful of the most intriguing travel trends, backed by data and research, anticipated for the year ahead.
Romantasy IRL
“Romantasy” — the term used to describe the crossover between the romance and fantasy literary genres — is hot, hot, hot, and in 2026, travelers want to bring the spiciness they find between the pages to life with bookish adventures around the world. According to Booking.com, the year ahead will be a big one for “enchanted castles, mystical forests, medieval banquets, and masquerade balls” as vacationers yearn for escapes inspired by fantastical worlds. A survey from Booking.com revealed that seven in 10 global travelers are potentially interested in visiting a destination inspired by romantasy with over half saying they’d be open to role-playing retreats based on their favorite fictional book, game or film while nearly a quarter said they intend to include such activities in their upcoming travel plans.
Speedy Escapes
According to Airbnb, Gen Z is leading the charge when it comes to “quick trips,” two-to-three-day adventures inspired by the viral TikTok trend by the same name, and the style of travel is only expected to gain in popularity as we enter the new year. “Fueled by viral TikTok day-trip trends, young travelers are now crossing continents for high-energy, culture-rich escapes,” said Airbnb. “This group maximizes PTO by choosing vibrant cities filled with music, dance, historic sites, and authentic cuisine—swapping relaxing beach towns for lively urban experiences.” According to Airbnb, cities like Buenos Aires, Busan, João Pessoa, Ko Samui, Marrakesh, Mexico City, San Juan, Stockholm and more are all expected to benefit from the ongoing quick trips phenomena.
Inaccessible No More
Heading into the new year, The Points Guy predicts underrated and “off the beaten path” destinations will become even more accessible to travelers saying airlines are adding new routes to off-the-grid places and hotels are following suit with new openings. As an example, the website pointed to United Airlines which became the first U.S. airline to offer service to Mongolia in 2025. Similarly, United was the only stateside airline to launch nonstop flights between the U.S. and Greenland, instantly making a classically hard-to-get-to destination possible for the everyday traveler. On a related note, The Points Guy said hotels like Zemi Miches All-Inclusive Resort and Secrets and Dreams Playa Esmerelda point to a similar trend in Miches, a less-traveled region of the Dominican Republic, while Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa’s recent opening in South Caicos provides a more accessible future for travelers bound for the Turks and Caicos.
Touching Grass
Travelers are predicted to unplug like never before as they flock to U.S. national parks to “touch grass” — the internet term for getting offline and back into the real world, “you need to touch grass.” — in 2026. According to Airbnb, searches for places like Acadia National Park, Jackson Hole, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yosemite National Park and more are on the rise as we prepare to close out December with the corresponding TikTok hashtag #touchgrass perhaps playing a role in the emerging trend. Airbnb shared that searches for terms like “stays near a national park” are up 35% on the platform while nature and outdoors experiences are among the site’s top booked experience categories.
Silence is Golden
In some senses, life feels louder than ever, and in 2026, Hilton says vacationers will prioritize accommodations and destinations that help them dial down distractions. According to the hotelier, 56% of respondents featured in its 2026 Trends Report said their number one motivation to travel for leisure in 2026 is to rest and recharge. Similarly, spending time in nature was a big motivator (37%), while improving mental health and indulging in “me time” were close seconds at 36% and 20%, respectively. Further backing Hilton’s claim that silence is golden in the new year are some of Hilton.com’s top-searched cities with places like Cancun, Honolulu, Orlando, Bali and the Maldives sitting pretty in the ranks.
Events That Inspire
Events have always been a big motivator for travel, and 2026 has quite the lineup with epic gatherings like Carnival, Coachella, Mardi Gras, the 2026 Winter Olympics, 2026 FIFA World Cup and EDC Las Vegas all catching vacationers’ eyes. According to Airbnb, 65% of the most-searched dates and cities on its platform for next year correspond with these major happenings, confirming travelers’ continued interest in experiential travel in the new year. “Travelers are prioritizing these experiences, turning tickets into passports and seeking their own ‘mainstage’ moments through unique adventures and global journeys,” said Airbnb.
Ticket for One
It appears solo travel will remain a popular choice for vacationers with Hilton reporting more than one in four travelers (26%) plan to travel alone in 2026. In the same vein, 48% of vacationers told the brand they plan to add solo travel days to their itineraries before or after an upcoming family trip while 28% of people said they intend to seek more moments to themselves during group trips in 2026 whether that means grabbing a meal on their own, sipping a drink independently at a local bar or taking a walk unaccompanied to bask in that solo feeling.
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