Top travel trends for 2026: From Set-Jetting to Farm Charm
From movie-inspired adventures to farm stays and local sports escapes, 2026 is shaping up to be a year where travellers seek deeper stories and more meaningful connections in every journey.
With millions of daily visitors to its apps and websites, Expedia Group has plenty of data to predict what the latest trends and hottest destinations for 2026 will be. They even claim to be the first to spotlight the Set-Jetting trend back in 2022.
Expedia’s Unpack ’26 travel report claims that 53% of travellers say their desire to take a set-jetting trip to a film or television filming location has increased. And among Gen Z and Millennial travellers, 81% now plan trips based on what they have seen on screen.
Destinations they predict will tempt our wanderlust are Yorkshire for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, Samoa for the live action Moana film; and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey siren call will lead us to Peloponnese, Greece. The queer cast of Netflix’s People We Meet on Vacation, including Lukas Gage, Jameela Jamil and Miles Heizer, will be tempting us to Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast.
One of the new trends is Fan Voyage. More than half (57%) of travellers say they are likely to watch a local sport event when travelling. Expedia is suggesting that what people are seeking is localised sports that are unique and have strong connections to the local community. Think sumo wrestling in Japan, Australian rules football down under, capoeira in Brazil and the twist on baseball which is banana ball in America.
Expedia’s sister companies Hotel.com and Vrbo also have delved into people’s most popular searches and found Salvaged Stays to be a trend. Architectural relics that have been converted into astonishing hotel properties are all the rage.
And the report has listed five Salvaged Stays that opened this year or in 2026, they include the Rosewood Amsterdam, which was a former courthouse, Populus Seattle, a former warehouse, Admiralty Arch Waldorf Astoria, London was the First Sea Lord Residence, while Bank Piccadilly, London and Fairmont New Orleans were both banks.
The Hotel Hop is another trend with one in two (54%) travellers booking multiple hotels in a single destination to experience different neighbourhoods, max out deals and discounts or combining a lux stay with a budget-friendly option so you don’t break the bank.
The home rental site Vrbo has found that 91% of travellers are interested in trips centred around reading, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones. They are saying 2026 is the year of the Readaways with a 285% surge in mentions of reading-related terms in Vrbo guest reviews.
Finally, Farm Charm is a trend for the 84% of traveller rearing for stay near or on a farm. The most desired farm stay activities include nature walks or hiking (73%), the opportunity to interact with farm animals (62%), and harvesting produce or picking fresh fruit (42%).
For a deeper dive into the trends and find out Expedia’s ten destinations of the year, visit the Unpacked ’26 report here.