Skyscanner’s 2026 Travel Forecast: What Will Shape Travel Next Year?

Published on November 1, 2025

By nan clip it is 2026, nan recreation request will beryllium mostly for nan experiences that fresh their virtues, interests, and ways of living. Sky Scanner, nan apical recreation level globally, pointed retired nan 7 important trends influencing recreation tomorrow, focusing connected personalisation, meaningful relations, and much immersive experiences. The trends person shown that recreation is not simply a measurement retired anymore, but a intends done individualism, wellness, and taste exploration to get deeper inside.

Trend 1: Destination Check-in

For galore travellers successful 2026, nan travel doesn’t extremity erstwhile they get astatine their destination, it’s portion of nan experience. Hotels and accommodations are becoming nan main attraction for much and much travellers. Around 29% of world travellers scheme to take their destination based connected wherever they’ll stay, prioritising unsocial and immersive properties that double arsenic portion of nan recreation adventure. With an expanding number of options, from boutique hotels pinch world-class creation to off-the-beaten-path stays successful stunning locations, nan thought of accommodation arsenic nan destination itself is reshaping nan measurement travellers scheme their trips. This displacement is driven by younger travellers, who are progressively influenced by societal media and trends successful unique, photogenic stays.

Trend 2: Glowmads

Beauty civilization is nary longer confined to nan beauty counters, it’s influencing really group travel. In 2026, nan emergence of Glowmads, travellers who incorporated beauty routines and wellness rituals into their journeys, is expected to grow. About 33% of world travellers are eager to research section beauty cultures, and nan emergence of TikTok and societal media is amplifying this trend. Whether it’s indulging successful skincare while connected a long-haul formation aliases visiting iconic beauty stores abroad, this inclination is elevating nan recreation experience, making it not conscionable astir nan destination but astir individual well-being and self-care on nan way.

Trend 3: Shelf Discovery

Culinary tourism has evolved from accepted eating retired to much immersive, hands-on experiences. In 2026, travellers are swapping edifice reservations for visits to section supermarkets and market stores. About 35% of world travellers are readying to shop astatine section markets during their holidays, pinch an expanding liking successful learning astir section ingredients and snacks. From Tokyo’s vending machines to Iceland’s geothermal-baked bread, travellers are seeking authentic, affordable culinary experiences that supply a existent sensation of section culture. This “Shelf Discovery” inclination combines nutrient pinch culture, offering a much personal, budget-friendly measurement to dive deeper into a destination’s flavours.

Trend 4: Altitude Shift

High-altitude destinations are becoming much popular, not conscionable for skis slopes, but for serene getaways year-round. With complete three-quarters of travellers considering a upland flight for summertime aliases autumn 2026, nan inclination is clear: group are looking for bid and escapade successful elevated locations. The Dolomites, Canadian Rockies, and Annapurna are immoderate of nan apical spots gaining traction. Skyscanner information reveals a 103% year-over-year summation successful edifice bookings for rooms pinch upland views, indicating a increasing desire to link pinch quality and bask nan quietude and beauty of alpine environments, moreover successful nan off-season.

Trend 5: Family Miles

Multi-generational recreation is connected nan rise, pinch 31% of world travellers readying trips pinch extended family. This inclination is much than astir splitting costs; it’s astir creating lasting memories together. Whether it’s a family reunion successful a tropical paradise aliases an acquisition travel to historical landmarks, nan attraction is connected shared experiences crossed generations. The increasing inclination of younger group surviving astatine location and nan budget-conscious quality of modern recreation are besides contributing factors to this emergence successful multi-generational holidays. Family recreation is nary longer conscionable astir nan parents and children; it’s astir grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins each coming together to enslaved complete caller experiences.

Trend 6: Bookbound

In 2026, recreation will progressively align pinch individual interests, including literature. Over half of travellers (57%) opportunity they’ve either booked aliases would see a travel inspired by a book aliases literate destination. Whether it’s pursuing successful nan footsteps of fictional characters, spending clip successful a quaint reference retreat, aliases visiting nan world’s astir beautiful libraries and bookshops, group are combining recreation pinch a emotion for literature. This inclination is besides influencing really travellers hunt for accommodation, pinch Skyscanner’s “library” select seeing a 70% summation successful usage year-over-year, showing really lit and recreation are merging for a much thoughtful, restorative vacation experience.

Trend 7: Catching Flights and Feelings

In 2026, recreation will go a intends for societal relationship successful a measurement ne'er seen before. About 55% of travellers person either gone overseas aliases scheme to, pinch nan volition of gathering caller people. This could beryllium for dating, forming caller friendships, aliases moreover uncovering recreation companions. As recreation becomes much personal, immoderate are shifting from integer interactions to face-to-face connections. The emergence of solo travel, mixed pinch making love apps and societal media platforms, is encouraging group to activity much organic, real-world connections. Skyscanner has already noted an 83% summation successful edifice bookings utilizing nan “solo” filter, suggesting that much group are consenting to recreation unsocial to meet others and research caller relationships.

The Future of Travel: Personal, Purposeful, and Profound

The 2026 recreation trends bespeak that nan early of recreation is each astir curating experiences that align pinch individual passions, taste immersion, and deeper connections. With 84% of travellers intending to recreation overseas arsenic overmuch aliases much successful 2026 than successful 2025, nan request for meaningful and enriching recreation experiences is group to increase. The emergence of AI and smarter recreation devices will further heighten nan expertise to personalise and streamline nan recreation readying process, offering tailored recommendations that meet nan unsocial needs of each traveller.

A New Era of Travel Personalisation

According to Skyscanner’s 2026 forecasts, nan early of recreation will beryllium highly personalised, pinch trends specified arsenic experiences tailored to one’s preferences, self-care, and connecting pinch others. Mountain retreats, literate escapades, and glowmad beauty rituals will beryllium immoderate of nan ways done which The Year 2026 will beryllium marked by recreation that is curated and elegant. Travel suppliers will person to alteration and invent caller ways to pull customers pinch different and valuable experiences arsenic nan passing of clip makes travellers desire richer and rewarding journeys.