Sardinia (italy) Joins Savoie (france), Phu Quoc (vietnam), And More Among Europe’s Top Destinations For 2026 – Why These Hidden Gems Are About To Explode In Popularity

Published on October 18, 2025

By: Paramita Sarkar

As nan recreation world originates to look up to 2026, caller insights from Expedia’s “Unpack ’26” study item nan destinations group to predominate European tourism successful nan coming year. Sardinia and Savoie are among nan top-ranking regions for 2026, but these are not nan only destinations travelers should person connected their radar. From practice hotels to workplace stays, nan latest trends uncover that Europe is embracing a new, much sustainable and culturally immersive shape of travel. Here’s everything you request to cognize astir these emerging hotspots and nan recreation experiences shaping Europe’s tourism segment for 2026.

Who Are nan Top Destinations for 2026?

The “Unpack ’26” report, based connected some booking information and recreation surveys, reveals that Sardinia and Savoie are astatine nan forefront of European recreation for 2026. Both locations are experiencing a surge successful liking owed to a operation of earthy beauty, humanities significance, and innovative approaches to sustainable tourism.

Sardinia: A Blend of Heritage, Culture, and Nature

Sardinia, Italy, has seen a 63% summation successful recreation searches compared to nan erstwhile year, making it 1 of nan astir anticipated destinations for 2026. The Mediterranean land is renowned for its melodramatic coastlines, crystal-clear waters, and idyllic beaches, but there’s overmuch much to Sardinia than meets nan eye. Beyond its picturesque shores, nan land is location to ancient ruins, specified arsenic nan Nuragic analyzable of Barumini, and nan metropolis of Nora, offering travelers a unsocial blend of earthy beauty and rich | history.

The land has besides been focusing connected sustainable tourism, encouraging off-season visits and offering eco-friendly experiences, specified arsenic hiking successful pristine earthy reserves and staying successful eco-lodges. With its accent connected preserving some nan situation and section culture, Sardinia has go an perfect destination for those looking to recreation responsibly successful 2026.

Savoie: Alpine Charm Meets Culinary Delights

Savoie, a picturesque region successful nan French Alps, has witnessed a 51% summation successful recreation searches for 2026. The region is celebrated not only for its majestic upland landscapes but besides for its charming lakeside towns and accepted alpine villages. Savoie is simply a cleanable destination for outdoor enthusiasts, offering opportunities for skiing, hiking, and cycling.

However, it’s not conscionable quality that draws visitors to Savoie. The region is renowned for its culinary heritage, particularly cheeses for illustration Beaufort and Reblochon, which person go symbols of Savoyard culture. Visitors tin indulge successful accepted upland cuisine astatine rustic chalets while enjoying stunning views of nan surrounding Alps. The municipality of Annecy, often referred to arsenic nan “Venice of nan Alps,” is simply a peculiar highlight, pinch its quaint canals and humanities architecture.

What Are nan Emerging Travel Trends for 2026?

The “Unpack ’26” study besides highlights respective recreation trends that are shaping European tourism. These trends bespeak a displacement toward much meaningful, immersive, and sustainable recreation experiences.

Farm Stays: Embracing Rural Tourism

One of nan astir salient trends for 2026 is nan emergence of farm stays, pinch travelers progressively seeking authentic, agrarian experiences. A workplace enactment offers guests nan chance to unrecorded and activity connected a farm, participate successful cultivation activities, and bask locally originated meals. This inclination aligns pinch nan increasing request for sustainable travel, arsenic galore workplace stays beforehand eco-friendly practices and support section nutrient production.

For destinations for illustration Sardinia, workplace stays supply an opportunity for visitors to link pinch nan onshore and acquisition nan island’s cultivation practice firsthand. Similarly, successful Savoie, workplace stays let travelers to immerse themselves successful nan region’s agrarian life, wherever they tin study astir accepted farming methods and nan accumulation of section cheeses and wines.

Heritage Hotels: The Revival of Historical Stays

Another increasing inclination is nan emergence of heritage hotels. These accommodations impact nan repurposing of historical buildings, specified arsenic aged train stations, castles, aliases monasteries, into luxury hotels. The allure of practice hotels lies successful their expertise to harvester humanities charm pinch modern amenities, offering guests a unsocial and culturally immersive experience. In regions for illustration Savoie, wherever history and contented are integral parts of nan section culture, staying successful a practice edifice provides travelers pinch a deeper relationship to nan area.

Set-Jetting and Literary Tourism

Television and movie person a important power connected recreation trends, and set-jetting—tourism inspired by locations featured successful celebrated TV shows and movies—has gained immense popularity. Similarly, literary tourism, aliases “readaways,” is besides connected nan rise, driven by nan societal media inclination of #BookTok. Travelers are seeking destinations linked to celebrated books aliases authors, and Europe’s literate history offers countless opportunities to research iconic landmarks, bookshops, and libraries.

For example, cities for illustration Paris and Prague person agelong been literate hubs, but caller destinations, specified arsenic Sardinia pinch its rich | history of poesy and art, are starting to seizure nan imagination of book lovers.

Why Are These Destinations Gaining Popularity?

Several factors lend to nan increasing liking successful Sardinia, Savoie, and different emerging European destinations for 2026:

• Sustainable Tourism: Travelers are progressively prioritizing destinations that connection eco-friendly recreation experiences. Sardinia, for instance, has been promoting its earthy reserves and section sustainability efforts, encouraging visitors to clasp a much responsible measurement of traveling.
• Authentic and Immersive Experiences: The desire to link pinch section cultures and traditions is driving nan fame of destinations for illustration Savoie, wherever travelers tin bask everything from skiing successful nan Alps to sampling location cheeses. Farm stays and practice hotels are besides portion of this trend, offering much meaningful and immersive recreation experiences.
• Off-Season Travel: As highest tourer seasons go much crowded, travelers are opting to sojourn destinations during nan off-season to bask a much relaxed and authentic experience. Sardinia and Savoie, some offering stunning landscapes and taste richness, are cleanable examples of destinations wherever visitors tin research without nan hustle and bustle of nan summertime crowds.

Planning Your 2026 Getaway

For travelers looking to sojourn Sardinia, Savoie, aliases different apical destinations for 2026, present are a fewer tips:

• Book Early: Popular destinations for illustration Sardinia are experiencing increasing demand, truthful booking early will thief guarantee you get nan accommodations and experiences you want.
• Embrace Local Culture: Whether it’s participating successful a workplace enactment aliases eating astatine a family-run restaurant, embracing nan section civilization is cardinal to having a memorable trip. Don’t conscionable sojourn nan awesome attractions—make clip to research section neighborhoods, prosecute pinch residents, and support mini businesses.
• Travel Sustainably: Consider choosing accommodations that prioritize sustainability, utilizing eco-friendly proscription options, and minimizing your biology effect while traveling.

A New Era of European Travel successful 2026

As we look toward 2026, Sardinia, Savoie, and different emerging European destinations guidelines retired arsenic places wherever travelers tin immerse themselves successful unique, authentic experiences. Whether it’s done workplace stays, practice hotels, aliases exploring hidden gems, Europe is offering a caller and sustainable attack to travel. For those looking to acquisition nan champion of what Europe has to connection successful 2026, these destinations supply a cleanable operation of history, culture, and earthy beauty, making them basal stops connected your recreation itinerary.

As sustainable tourism continues to summation momentum, nan emergence of off-the-beaten-path destinations for illustration Sardinia and Savoie offers a refreshing replacement to nan overcrowded tourer hotspots. 2026 promises to beryllium an breathtaking twelvemonth for travel, pinch these destinations starring nan measurement successful shaping nan early of European tourism.