Top travel trends for 2026

New year, new ways of travel! In 2025 the Gen-Zs and Millennials were all about taking their holidays slow by embracing different methods of transportation (trains!) and deep diving into the culture and getting to know the people. But in 2026, things are starting to pick up.

We’ve consulted with industry experts, looked at the results of our 2025 Voice of a Generation survey, and browsed through the numbers to bring to you what we think will be the leading travel trends for 2026.

1 – Curious travellers

Overtourism has been a concern of the travel industry for a while, particularly in Europe, but it seems to have really come to a head in 2025, and moving into 2026, with popular destinations like Venice and Kyoto taking actions to manage tourism numbers more effectively. 

Counteracting this rise in overtourism is the curious traveller who is happy to skip popular destinations in favour of the road less travelled. Not only is this a way to combat overtourism, but it’s also a way for travellers to discover new places and support local communities. 

According to our research survey, 23% of respondents said they would absolutely skip a bucket list destination to combat overtourism, and 45% said they would try to look for an alternative. 

Furthermore, Gen-Zs and Millennials have shown an interest in exploring the world in general, regardless of the actual destination. 35% of respondents said they would love to book a ‘mystery’ trip with zero information given about the destination or type of holiday, showing a curiosity about the world, and faith in the travel industry (aw!).

2 – Keeping active: For the mind and body

In 2025 we saw the rise of holidays which had a little more sweat in store – and not just because of days spent at the beach under the sun. In our VOAG survey we found that 58% of travellers are keen on maintaining a wellness routine and/or engaging in wellness-based activities while on holiday.

Which ones? The most popular kind of active trip was hiking, with 65% noting interest, followed by rafting with 42%. And where would these active holidays take place? Scotland (48%), the Italian Dolomites (46%), and the French Alps (49%) – sounds lush!

Contiki trips like Active New Zealand and Active Alps have become popular items, according to Natasha Lawrence, Director of Product Strategy at The Travel Corporation (Contiki’s parent company), and this has inspired a boost in more activity-led itineraries. So, if you’re interested in active holidays, just know we’ve got you covered.

3 – Ambitious out of office

In 2025 we saw that Gen-Z and Millennial travellers are looking to truly disconnect from work while they are on holiday, sometimes even placing world exploration as a higher priority than career advancement. And it’s clear that this is something continuing in 2026, though in a different form…

Young travellers are starting to take longer and more ambitious holidays, dipping into the full bandwidth of their annual leave. This could be a response to retirement ages being pushed later and a general feeling of burnout, which 63% of VOAG respondents noted as a common reason for travel, resulting in younger generations deciding to take full advantage and really get their adventure on.

The days of lazy sun-soaked days by the beach won’t disappear altogether, but expect to see more friends taking on challenging hikes in Machu Picchu or travelling to complete a marathon abroad.

4 – Authenticity over everything

When planning new travel destinations, it seems that Gen-Z and Millennials are really focused on one main thing: making their journey as authentic as possible.

This starts with where they get their inspiration from. Influencers may have been the leaders in what’s trending, but not anymore. When asked what kind of trip they would prefer in our VOAG survey, only 24% said they would pick a trip designed by their favourite influencer, and it turns out that recommendations from friends (56%) and authentic content on TikTok (51%) and Instagram (67%) were what fed most destination inspiration! 

Moreover, of the 57% of respondents who said they enjoy posting about their travel on social media, only 10% said they spend time editing their content to make it look good before posting, showing a rise in the younger generations’ preference for non-curated and realistic photo dumps. 

5 – Pop-culture inspired holidays

It’s no surprise that the magic of Hollywood has inspired many. You may be inspired by a movie to change your career or your entire life path, or, like many of our travellers, you may be inspired to visit certain corners of the world. 

There is a significant interest in jet-setting holidays based around TV shows and filming locations which has been rising over the years, especially with popular shows such as The White Lotus and Game of Thrones sending globetrotters to Thailand and Croatia respectively.

This is supported by evidence found in our recent research survey in which 67% of travellers had been influenced by films and TV shows to go travelling abroad. Popular sources of influence include Mamma Mia, The Lord of the Rings, as well as Harry Potter and the previously mentioned Game of Thrones. 

6 – Group travel > solo travel

While 2025 saw a steady rise and continuation of a lust for solo travel – young professionals ditching the failed group chat trips and seizing the day themselves – it seems that Gen-Z and Millennials have had enough of alone time and want to reconnect with their friends, and even strangers, again!

Lifestyle Magazine Stylist has mentioned research which points to a ‘human connection deficit’, perhaps due to social media and doomscrolling or the demands of corporate life. But either way, there is definitely a need to come back together again, and travellers are finding a happy middle ground.

With group travel there’s no need to hurry the group chat. You can book on to a trip and meet new people aboard the same journey as you! When asked if they would be interested in travelling solo but in a group, or if they had already done this, 38.8% said they had been there done that, and 35.5% said they had not but would like to!

That being said, it seems there is a preference for smaller groups. 56.4% of respondents said their ideal group size would be between 8-12 people – perhaps pointing to a desire to connect more deeply with fewer individuals rather than briefly chatting to a whole pack of globetrotters. 

7 – Eurasia at the top

In terms of destinations that’ll be skyrocketing to the top of the charts next year, we’re predicting a lot of Europe. Why? Well, first of all, what’s not to love about Europe! Many European destinations like Italy and Greece have made the top of the list when asked ‘which country is at the top of your bucket list?’ in our VOAG survey. This is further evidenced by the fact that our top selling trips for 2026 so far include the iconic Greek Island Hopping, as well as European Trail and European Whirl.But it’s not just the western part of the Eurasian continent garnering interest! The east is rising quickly! Thai Island Hopper West is the 5th most booked trip so far for 2026 and Japan was the most popular choice for ‘top of your bucket list destination’ in this year’s VOAG survey coming at number 1 with 14% of mentions! 

Now, if only the continent weren’t so enormous, then we could have one big road trip from France to China…