Welcome to Travel Trends 2026
Beyond escape: Travel as an expression of self
Step into our lobby, where global travel trends meet, conversations spark, and every corner hints at where travellers are headed next.
This is the story taking shape, of shifting habits and fresh horizons, backed by Skyscanner’s data, consumer insights and trusted experts.
In 2026, travel isn’t about escaping real life – it’s about bringing your whole self along for the journey.
The 2026 trends:
The Mountain Trend
Altitude Shift
From snow to stillness, travellers are chasing year-round alpine escapes.
The Solo Trend
Catching Flights and Making Connections
Catching flights and making connections on the go.
Biggest flight price drops
Best Value Destinations
Budget-friendly places with the biggest flight price drops
2026 Saudi Arabian Traveller snapshot
What are travellers planning next year? Our survey of 1,000 KSA travellers1 reveals that:
Planning highlights
will travel with their family, including multi-generational journeys
will stay in accommodation that’s part of the experience or destination
will embark on a hiking adventure
will explore local supermarkets or grocery stores
will shop for local skincare and beauty products
will meet new people on the road, either making friends or making new connections
will lose themselves in a good book
The era of made-for-me travel
In 2025, travellers have searched for shared stories and collective experiences. But next year? It’s getting personal.
From the destinations they pick to the rituals they pack, travellers are curating trips that feel more in tune with who they are and what they love.
With the cost of living still top of mind, trips in 2026 are being built with purpose – shaped around passions, priorities and a personal sense of ‘worth it’.
Whether it’s incorporating a beauty routine into their travel itinerary, choosing a destination based on the accommodation they want to stay in, or making unexpected connections on the road, travel next year won’t be an escape from real life – it’ll be a way to feel more connected to it.
Bryan Batista
CEO of Skyscanner
“Creating trips that feel less like an escape and more like an expression of self.”
“Skyscanner’s 2026 Travel Trends report shows how travel is about to get more personal than ever. Next year will see travellers choose destinations and build itineraries that feel less like an escape and more like an expression of self.
Whether it’s building a trip around a must-stay ‘destination hotel’, getting lost in a new favourite book on a reading retreat, or bringing the whole family along for the journey, travel will become more curated, grounded and uniquely personal.
Price, though, is still a factor and travellers are continuing to spend carefully. They’re planning with greater purpose, shaping trips that reflect who they are and what matters most, at a price that’s right for them.
The shift is clear: it’s not about getting away from real life – it’s about bringing who you are and what you love along for the ride.”
Trending Destinations
The 10 most buzzing places for 2026
From under-the-radar to suddenly everywhere, these destinations are on the rise.
Best Value Destinations
Some of the biggest YoY flight price drops
Where savvy travellers can make their budgets go further.
The Future of Travel
Looking ahead to what’s next
From AI to over-tourism, travel habits and booking behaviours are shifting.
Discover the trends yourself. Search now.
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Why us?
Skyscanner is a world-leading travel app. We search billions of prices every day across flights, hotels and cars to help travellers on our app and website book their next trip with ease and confidence – making us perfectly placed to share the latest and greatest travel trends.
Travel Trends is built using Skyscanner’s proprietary search data, insights from over 20,000 global travellers, and trusted partner contributions. We’ve mapped the patterns that matter most, so you can spot the movement before it becomes mainstream.
“Personal journeys help travellers tune into what truly matters.”
“In a world shaped by algorithms, AI and unpredictability, tailored travel offers something rare: familiarity wrapped in novelty. It’s a way to feel stable while exploring something new – less friction, more feeling. Amid the noise, these personal journeys help travellers tune into what truly matters. Purposeful. Meaningful. Deeply their own.”
Lee Chambers
Travel Psychologist and Essentialise Founder
“A new kind of traveller is emerging.”
“As global travel becomes more accessible than ever, a new kind of traveller is emerging, one who craves more than just sightseeing. Conversations in Reddit communities reveal there is a growing desire for more personalised travel experiences with more time being spent on researching specific activities. Rather than selecting the destination and then assembling activities, today’s travellers begin their search with individual passions, hobbies and interests, leading to more meaningful trips.”
Rob Gaige
Head of Global Insights, Reddit
Insider insights
“Travellers are planning with greater purpose, shaping trips that reflect who they are and what matters most, at a price that feels right for them.”
Bryan Batista
CEO of Skyscanner
- These are the local results from a global survey of 22,000 travellers, conducted by OnePoll in June–July 2025. ↩︎