5 Biggest Travel Trends for 2026

The upcoming year is set to change how we travel in a significant way, and we have identified 5 travel trends for 2026 to guide you.

According to a recent report from travel booking site Skyscanner, travelers’ priorities for what they want to get out of a vacation are shifting, and so are their booking habits.

From booking an entire trip just for the hotel and raiding the convenience store for snacks to escaping to the mountains and traveling to meet new people, here’s a closer look at 5 travel trends for 2026 from Skyscanner’s report:

Trend #1: Shelf Discovery

Skyscanner predicts that in 2026, more travelers will look to supermarkets, vending machines, and convenience stores when exploring a destination’s food culture. From Tokyo’s elaborate vending machines to pre-packaged snacks at local grocery store chains, travelers are looking beyond restaurants to get a sense of a place’s culinary tradition.

According to Skyscanner’s data, 55% of US travelers always or often visit local supermarkets abroad. Travelers who responded to the survey said they visit supermarkets and convenience stores in their destinations to discover new snacks and drinks, find global brands they can’t get at home, and get local takes on familiar food items. Travelers also said scoring snacks and food items from the market helps them feel more like a local.

Trend #2: Altitude Shift

Travelers’ affinity for mountain-based getaways won’t be dimming in 2026: a whopping 80% of travelers are considering or planning a mountain vacation for summer and fall 2026, Skyscanner says. The site also says hotel bookings using its “room with a mountain view” filter have jumped 103% year over year. Travelers surveyed said they’re drawn to mountain escapes for the peace and quiet (62%), clean air and cooler weather (60%), as well as beautiful and remote accommodations (57%). Mountain trails around the world have seen major jumps in activity from summer travelers in 2025, according to outdoor exploration platform AllTrails, including the Rob Roy Glacier Track in New Zealand, Palm Jungle Loop Track in Australia, and the Laguna Cinco Hermanos.

Trend #3: Bookbound

Literature-centric travel is also set to be a major trend in 2026, Skyscanner’s report says. Hotel bookings using the site’s “library” filter are up 70% globally year over year, and 55% of travelers have booked, or would consider, a trip inspired by literature. 

“Reading and travel are intrinsically linked – books inspire real-world journeys, which in turn create the space for people to lose themselves in books,” said Rebecca Sinclair, chief brand officer at Penguin Books U.K.

In terms of top literary travel experiences to pursue, travelers said that they’re most interested in visiting a destination mentioned in a book (33%), staying in a book-themed accommodation (21%), and going on a writing or reading retreat (14%).

Trend #4: Catching Flights and Feelings 

A growing number of travelers in 2026 will prioritize making meaningful relationships on their next trip. From dating on the road, to meeting new friends and exploring a destination with a local, the theme for many journeys next year will be all about connection, according to Skyscanner. According to the report, 53% of travelers have gone, or considered going, overseas specifically to meet new people, such as for dating or new friendships. 

Travelers said that when looking for connections in a destination, they prioritize meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures (28%), making meaningful friendships (18%), and exploring their destination with a local (14%). Overall, nearly half of travelers (42%) said they’re more open to meeting new people when they travel compared to their daily routine.

Trend #5: Destination Check-In

More than ever, hotels are becoming a reason to travel next year, not just a place to rest your head: 56% of travelers have picked a destination based purely on accommodation, according to Skyscanner’s report. The site says that hotel bookings using its “unique stay” filter have increased 60% year over year. The trend is even more popular among Millennial travelers, 70% of whom say they’ve booked a vacation just for the hotel. 

Travelers who choose a destination based on the hotel said that they did so because the hotel sets the tone for the entire vacation, they could relax in one place without moving around, and it lets them get a complete escape from everyday life.

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.

Contact My Journey Begins Travel to plan your 2026 trips.