What is the Intimate Journey: Experience Over Obligation Trend This trend captures the pivot by American travelers from predictable, obligation-driven travel (like large holiday gatherings or passive fine dining) toward intentional, high-engagement experiences  that foster deeper connections, primarily with immediate family, and offer authentic, hands-on cultural interaction. Prioritizing Primary Bonds:  There is a pronounced shift in holiday travel , with a growing share of

What Is the “From Scroll to Stay” Trend TikTok’s From Bucket List to Booking  study highlights a new era of travel behavior — one where inspiration, intent, and booking converge in a single scroll. Social discovery is no longer a top-of-funnel activity; it’s now a transactional ecosystem where emotion meets conversion. Inspiration Meets Instant Action. Travelers no longer bookmark destinations for later — they act on impulse. TikTok condenses the travel journey from months o

What Is the “Upscale Escape” Trend? – When Pricey Doesn’t Mean Foolish Luxury travel is not just surviving—it’s booming , even as inflation bites. High-end vacations are evolving from status symbols into deeply personal, purposeful escapes. Re-defined luxury:  No longer just private jets and gold-plated bathrooms—luxury now means unique experiences and meaningful connections. Beyond the elite club:  Younger travellers and aspirational travellers, not only the ultra-rich, are

What Is the “Passion-Powered Travel” Trend? – When Journeys Mirror Identity Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2026  report reveals that next year’s travel won’t just be about destinations—it will be about self-definition . With budgets tighter and values sharper, travelers are designing itineraries around personal passions, emotional priorities, and meaningful memories  rather than traditional tourism. Purpose Over Postcards:  In 2026, trips are becoming expressions of self rather t

What Is the “Konbini Culture” Trend? – Everyday Life as an Attraction The rise of “Konbini Culture” reflects a growing fascination with the ordinary as extraordinary . Travelers are finding joy and authenticity in Japan’s most ubiquitous spaces—places once overlooked by tourism. Cultural Immersion in Aisles:  Konbini offer travelers a microcosm of Japanese values: efficiency, hospitality, and design innovation. Local Life Tourism:  These stores let visitors participate in dai

What Is the “Reconnection and Renewal” Trend? – The Age of Intentional Travel The Reconnection and Renewal trend captures how travel has evolved from leisure to self-care — a powerful shift toward experiential healing and personal growth . Travel as Therapy:  Vacations now serve as active recovery time, helping travelers decompress and regain clarity. This includes wellness retreats, mindfulness escapes, and nature immersions. Purposeful Journeys:  Travelers want meaning, not

What Is the Trend: “Duty-Free Turns Snack-Up” The travel retail category is undergoing a transformation—from luxury-dominant mono-channel to an immersive playground for snacks and confectionery . The travel sweets & snacks market is now valued at US $4.8 billion , and projected to reach US $7.7 billion by 2030 , with a CAGR of about 8.3%. Airports, cruise ships, and other travel-retail venues are evolving from transactional zones into high-value brand touchpoints , especially

What is the “AI + Video Travel Surging” Trend: Imagery, Intelligence and Itinerary Intersect This trend reflects how travel planning is being transformed by video content and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, turning browsing into booking and inspiration into itinerary in seconds. According to the research, destination video content, social-media reels and AI-driven recommendation engines now play a central role in shaping where people go, how they plan, and what they expec

What Is the Bakery Tourism Trend: From Local Bakes to Global Icons Bakeries have evolved from neighborhood staples into cultural landmarks, attracting travelers eager to experience viral pastries firsthand. The implication: social media has turned culinary craftsmanship into a new form of tourism, blending taste, aesthetics, and digital storytelling. From Neighborhood to Landmark:  Once humble bakeries now draw global crowds, transforming local pastry shops into destination s

What Is the Healing Heritage Trend: Truth, Culture, and Connection Australia’s cultural tourism sector is being reshaped by First Nations women who merge storytelling, healing, and leadership. They’re redefining what authentic tourism means — transforming visits into journeys of truth, respect, and renewal. Cultural storytelling as healing Women like Iteka Urkala Sanderson Bromley and Rehanna Coulthard share ancestral stories that connect land, memory, and resilience — transf

What Is the Slow Luxury Trend: The Return of Purposeful Indulgence Luxury travel is being redefined by a desire for depth, mindfulness, and authenticity. Consumers are trading excess for experience, choosing to slow down and immerse themselves in meaning rather than motion. From speed to stillness Today’s luxury traveler no longer seeks to “do it all.” Instead, they want to feel it all  — valuing serenity and sensory engagement over packed itineraries. Presence as prestige Tr

What is the Sports Tourism Trend: A Catalyst for Tourism and Economic Growth Sports tourism in Australia is rapidly evolving from a niche segment into a significant driver of the nation's visitor economy, fueled by packed stadiums and a packed calendar of sporting events. Sporting Season Momentum: Australia’s back-to-back major events, including footy finals and world-class horse racing, are drawing substantial local and international attention, fueling tourism growth. The p

What is the Partnership Trend: Bridging Streaming Content with Real-World Experiences This collaboration exemplifies the rising trend of integrating entertainment and real-world engagement to deepen fan connection and unlock fresh consumer experiences. Experiential Tie-Ins: Airbnb offers immersive experiences tied to specific scenes from "Nobody Wants This," allowing fans to engage with the show's narrative beyond the screen. This includes a romantic pasta-making class and a

What is the Autumn Travel Experience Trend: Immersive Journeys Drive Demand for Depth and Connection A surge in demand for meaningful, sensory-rich travel is redefining how tourists engage with destinations during the autumn season. Autumn travel is marked by a growing demand for multi-sensory experiences blending cultural heritage, natural beauty, and culinary delight. This shift reshapes tourism into immersive cultural journeys. Seasonal travel encourages off-peak explorati

What is the (Phygital Exploration) Trend: Turning the Real World into a Digital Playground This trend analysis reveals the emergence of "Phygital Exploration," a rapidly growing category where digital applications use gamification and geolocation to transform real-world movement and discovery into an interactive, competitive, and measurable experience. Gamifying Reality:  At its core, this trend layers game-like mechanics—such as points, achievements, and progress tracking—o

What is the (Breakfast-Included) Trend: The Amenity That Became a Dealbreaker This trend analysis reveals that for a significant and growing segment of Asian travelers, complimentary breakfast is no longer a simple perk but a critical decision-making factor, transforming a basic amenity into a powerful booking driver. Filter-First Mentality:  A complimentary breakfast now ranks as the second most popular search filter on the digital travel platform Agoda, surpassed only by s

What Is the “Luxury Solo Travel” Trend: Self-Care Meets Sophisticated Exploration A quiet revolution is reshaping the world of luxury travel—led by affluent women embracing solo journeys  as acts of self-care, independence, and renewal. More than ever, female travelers are seeking personal transformation through curated, wellness-infused experiences that blend solitude, beauty, and cultural immersion. A movement of independence and intention.  Solo travel among women has surg

What Is the “Unpack ’26” Trend: Smarter, Slower, and More Meaningful Travel Expedia Group’s latest report, Unpack ’26: The Trends in Travel , unveils seven global travel movements redefining how we explore the world. Travelers are trading speed for substance, seeking authenticity, wellness, and emotional connection over bucket lists and busy itineraries. Sustainability meets soul.  Expedia’s new Smart Travel Health Check , developed with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WT

What is "The Curated Journey" Trend:  This trend describes the pinnacle of the luxury travel market, where a brand doesn't just sell a service (like transportation or a hotel stay) but instead packages a complete, end-to-end, multi-day narrative experience. It involves the seamless integration of opulent travel, five-star accommodation, exclusive excursions, and haute cuisine into a single, high-priced, frictionless product, where the journey itself is the primary destination

What is the "Co-Created Journey" Trend:  This trend describes a fundamental paradigm shift in travel retail, moving away from a user-led, search-and-filter model to a dynamic, AI-driven conversational one. Powered by "agentic AI," this new approach allows travelers to co-create complex itineraries through natural language dialogue, effectively collapsing the cumbersome planning process into a single, efficient conversation. From Search to Dialogue:  The trend marks the end of