Skip to content
Become a partner
Login

Horizons 2025-2026

Beyond escape: Travel as an expression of self 

Travellers are bringing their whole selves along for the journey

Person relaxing in a hammock by a calm forest lake, surrounded by rocks and trees.

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.

Horizons is created alongside our annual Travel Trends report, our consumer media-facing lowdown on the latest trends shaping (and shaking up) the travel world in 2026.

We’ve identified seven trends for next year, plus one overarching theme tying them all together: Travel won’t be an escape from real life – it’ll be a way to feel more connected to it.

The seven trends shaped around passions, priorities and a personal sense of ‘worth it’

Glowmads

In 2026, skincare routines and beauty rituals won’t just live on social feeds – they’ll shape real-world travel plans and behaviour.

Think in-flight skincare routines, shopping for local beauty products and detours to cult-favourite retailers. Travel beauty isn’t just about where to go – it’s also about beauty shaping how we explore. 

Person relaxing in a hammock by a calm forest lake, surrounded by rocks and trees.
Bananas and fresh produce inside a small convenience store, with drinks and snacks on display.

Shelf Discovery

To “eat like a local” now means heading to the snack aisle. From Tokyo vending machines and 7-Eleven Slurpees to Iceland’s geothermal baked bread, gastro-tourism is changing.

How people travel for food is now part cultural deep dive, part budget hack, offering a unique glimpse into local life that’s affordable and authentic. 

Altitude Shift

Travellers are heading to higher ground – not just for the ski slopes, but for serenity too. From the Dolomites to Annapurna to the Canadian Rockies, alpine escapes worldwide are luring people year-round for off-peak peace. 

Person wearing a wide hat looking out at rugged desert mountains under a clear blue sky.
Woman in a pink dress and straw hat standing among curved shelves filled with books in a modern library.

Bookbound

Whether it’s tracing the footsteps of fictional heroes, planning a slow holiday around a reading retreat or chasing the world’s most beautiful bookshops and libraries, people are choosing travel and literature to escape, reconnect and restore. 

Family Miles

Multi-generational travel is on the rise – not just to share costs, but to reclaim time together and create long-lasting memories between parents, kids and grandparents.  

With budget a factor and many 20-somethings living at home, families – especially younger generations – are getting creative about how and where they travel. 

Elderly man sitting on the sand watching children play with inflatable floats in the sea.
Two friends smiling and laughing together in warm indoor lighting with colourful reflections.

Catching Flights and Feelings

As dating habits shift and “catch-up friends” become a thing, more travellers are swapping swipes for real-world sparks – from meeting matches in faraway cities to dating overseas to finding a travel buddy on the road.

Destination Check-in

More than ever, travellers are choosing where to go based on where they want to stay. Hotels are no longer a place to just bed down – they’re the destination itself. From stunning architecture to transportive design to the overall vibe, travellers are prioritising unique stays. 

Panoramic view of Barcelona from a tall building, with La Sagrada Família visible in the distance.
Profile image of Bryan Batista, CEO of Skyscanner

“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.” 

Bryan Batista
CEO, Skyscanner

Explore the report

Horizons

Horizons

2025-2026 Spending, Planning and Destination Trends

 

Read more
2026 Spending Trends

2026 Spending Trends

How travellers are planning and budgeting compared to 2025.

 

Read more
2026 Planning Trends

2026 Planning Trends

AI adoption, cost factors and sources of trip inspiration.

 

Read more
Destination choice and tourism dispersion

Destination choice and tourism dispersion

Travellers are changing how – and where – they’re going.

 

Read more
Top trending destinations

Top trending destinations

The most popular and fastest trending hotspots for each region.

 

Read more
AMER travel trends-Thumb

AMER Travel Trends

Find out the most popular destinations and the fastest trending destinations for 2025 as searched for by travellers from across the Americas.

APAC travel trends_Thumb

APAC Travel Trends

Find out the most popular destinations and the fastest trending destinations for 2025 as searched for by travellers from across Asia-Pacific.

Sign up for the latest content and insights, straight to your inbox.