In 2026, travel is shaping an entirely new landscape, where experience, authenticity, and personal identity take center stage.
From multi-day journeys on luxury trains to root-seeking trips, premium cruises, and alcohol-free holidays, global tourism giants and travelers alike are turning to ideas that combine culture, wellness, and connection with the local element.
At the same time, new habits are emerging, such as grocery store tourism, the enhancement of pre-security areas at airports, and the return of human travel advisory services over Artificial Intelligence.
Cond? Nast Traveller compiled the 18 dominant global travel trends for 2026.
Their common thread? In 2026, travel becomes slower, more mindful, and more personalized. The search for identity, wellness, cultural connection, and life-defining experiences prevails over simple movement from one destination to another.
What returns to the forefront is the human element the place, the stories, and our relationship with them.
The 18 trends that will dominate in 2026 are:
1. Luxury returns
to the rails
The golden age of luxury rail travel is being revived, with demand for multi-day luxury rail journeys soaring. High-income travelers are no longer satisfied with just a few nights, but instead stitch together routes between the Orient Express, Rovos Rail, and other premium brands, creating week-long or even multi-week experiential journeys.
2. Genealogy and roots travel
Travelers are using genealogical research and DNA tests to discover their roots and travel to their familys places of origin. Specialized advisors build family trees, extract data from archives, and design routes through villages, towns, and churches connected to family history, turning travel into a deeply personal homecoming.
3. Dry tourism alcohol-free holidays
As younger generations drastically reduce alcohol consumption, hospitality is shifting toward high-quality non-alcoholic beverages. Hotels and resorts are investing in curated alcohol-free menus, mocktail pairings, and alcohol-free minibars, ensuring holidays remain social and enjoyable without relying on alcohol.
4. Astro-cruising cruises for the Northern Lights and eclipses
Cruising becomes a platform for sky phenomena: the Northern Lights, periods of high solar activity, and total solar eclipses. Companies position ships at ideal locations, with onboard astronomers and experts, offering a hybrid of scientific expedition and once-in-a-lifetime travel.
5. More interactive, open museums
Museums are abandoning the image of the closed display case and opening exhibits and conservation labs to the public. New museum projects offer in-depth experiences with AR, access to collection storage areas, and extended opening hours, allowing visitors to experience culture more vividly and interactively than ever before.
6. Grocery shop tourism tourism in the supermarket
Travelers discover everyday life through local grocery stores: unique snacks, local brands, household items, and edible souvenirs. A large part of travel now includes cooking at accommodation and shopping at supermarkets as an authentic, low-cost experience.
7. Airports reinvent their spaces
Once-dead zones, pre-security areas at airports are being transformed into lively, accessible public spaces with local shops, green areas, meeting points, and dining. The goal is for airports to function as gateways to local culture, open to both travelers and non-travelers.
8. Seaweed as a valuable ally for wellness and sustainability
Marine seaweed is no longer seen as a nuisance on beaches but is highlighted as a valuable resource: from sustainable fertilizer and animal feed to superfoods on menus and ingredients in spa treatments. Hotels collaborate with local producer communities, draw on traditional knowledge, and integrate seaweed into a more circular, green hospitality model.
9. Five-star hotels at sea
Major luxury hotel brands are launching their own small, ultra-luxury cruise yachts, bringing the five-star city or resort hotel experience to the sea. Signature restaurants, high-end design, few suites, and very high staff-to-guest ratios target an ultra-luxe audience seeking hotel-level comfort afloat. Ritz-Carlton, for example, launched its third yacht in mid-2025. The 226-foot Luminara features 226 balcony suites, Michelin-chef restaurants, and a Cartier boutique.
10. Travel to classic literature settings set-jetting
A new wave of TV and film adaptations of classic works (Jane Austen, the Bront?s, etc.) is expected to spark a trend for set-jetting holidays to the UKs coasts, villages, and historic buildings. Mansions, farmhouses, and heritage stays are launching packages for visitors who want to experience the atmosphere of their favorite literary works firsthand.
11. Baths as social spaces
Modern urban baths are being reintroduced as social wellness clubs, where the experience is not purely individual. They combine silent areas with social zones, bars/restaurants, and programs with classes, creating meeting points for locals and travelers. With subscription-based models, regular members mingle with hotel guests, and access to wellness classes makes bathhouses feel more like neighborhood gatherings than spa visits.
12. The hotel boutique takes on a local character
Hotel boutiques are evolving into showcases for local artisans and traditional crafts at risk of disappearing. Instead of industrial products, they promote handmade items, textiles, ceramics, and inspired objects with a strong geographic identity, connecting visitors to the regions cultural heritage.
13. Grandma-style holidays
Trips taken with or inspired by grandparents, emphasizing slow rhythms, hands-on activities, and traditional hobbies (knitting, sewing, gardening, board games, etc.), counter digital overload and reintroduce old skills as experiences of wellness and connection.
14. Human intelligence > artificial intelligence
Despite the boom in AI, many travelers are returning to specialized travel agencies, niche creators, and experienced journalists for truly informed and reliable travel guidance. Human judgment, personal connections, and hidden addresses gain premium value over generic, automated recommendations.
15. Viking-style wellness
A more wild offshoot of the Scandinavian wellness trend, emphasizing thermal therapy, cold plunges, breathing, chanting, and group rituals close to nature. Hotels and spas adopt techniques inspired by ancient Scandinavian practices for experiences of physical and emotional release.
16. All eyes on Design Week as the new city break
Design fairs and weeks are moving beyond a purely professional framework and becoming magnets for creators, influencers, and travelers. Major events like Salone del Mobile in Milan and other European showcases serve as catalysts for city breaks centered on interior design, architecture, and the arts.
17. Wellness-centered cruising
Cruises align with the wellness trend, offering journeys where relaxation is the main destination: fewer port days, more onboard wellness programs, and special themes focused on detox, longevity, mindfulness, and connection with nature. The ship functions as a floating retreat.
18. Butler 2.0 is fully personal
The modern butler is no longer a formal, distant figure but a highly capable personal experience assistant. They know the guests habits, pre-arrange reservations, room customization, and take small surprise initiatives, acting as a single point of contact that makes the journey 100% personalized to the travelers tastes.
