Travel is no longer just about the destination, but also the journey itself. It’s about the experience you walk away from.
Experiential travel has continued to evolve since the end of the coronavirus, moving from checking out landmarks to meaningful trips that help travelers connect with the people and places they visit.
CNBC analyzed 25 year-end travel reports and identified the five biggest trends that will shape the year ahead.
1. Anti-tourists
To better experience local culture, avoid contributing to overtourism, and save a few bucks, travelers are avoiding peak seasons and heavily visited destinations.
45% of advisors at travel agency Virtuoso say their clients are adjusting their plans due to climate change. Of these advisors, 76% report increased interest in shoulder season and off-peak travel, and 75% say their customers prefer destinations with mild weather, according to the company’s 2026 Luxe Report.
The report, published in October, also highlighted the key ways travelers are seeking to travel sustainably, reduce pressure on local communities and maintain authentic experiences.
This change is accelerating the rise of so-called “secondary cities” that are located outside of major tourist hubs and offer more immersive experiences.
Online travel platform Agoda found that searches for accommodation in Asia’s secondary destinations are growing 15% faster than traditional tourist hubs.
The 2026 Travel Outlook Report also showed that the government is paying attention to this initiative. For example, Indonesia has developed a “Tourism 5.0” strategy. The strategy aims to develop five “super-priority” secondary destinations designed to shift tourism beyond Bali.
Japan is also leaning toward regional campaigns to draw tourists away from Tokyo and other metropolitan centers.
2. “Decision Detox” Vacation
Traditionally, all-inclusive travel has focused on efficiency, with travelers planning itineraries to get the most out of their vacation.
But now, travelers are feeling mentally exhausted before going on a trip, and are increasingly outsourcing their planning to travel agents and hotels offering all-inclusive packages, according to a new travel report from Lemongrass Marketing.
Fundamentally, “travelers want someone they trust to make good choices for them so they can make the right switch off,” Tara Schwenk, senior director of digital strategy at Lemongrass Marketing, said in an email in response to questions from CNBC.
“With cognitive overload becoming a feature of modern life, decision-free travel is no longer a niche health booster, but is becoming a core expectation, especially among time-poor and high-stress travelers,” Schwenk added.
According to luxury travel company Hunter Moss, this trend is changing the face of luxury travel, replacing endless options with curated options.
This means ultra-luxury travelers “don’t have to think about additional costs or logistics planning while traveling,” said Julie Hunter, director and chief operating officer of Hunter Moss.
3. Wellness extends beyond the spa
Another growing trend is wellness travel. This has evolved from spa packages to science-backed longevity programs and trips focused on mental health.
Our offerings include Ayurveda programs in India, yoga and surfing escapes in Costa Rica, and tranquil retreats in Canada.
According to a report from Virtuoso, many travelers view wellness travel as an investment in their long-term health.
From affordable nature trips to ‘healthy wealthy’ trends, its appeal transcends class boundaries. It is popular with older and younger travelers as well as solo travelers and couples, the report added.
A separate report from travel company Contiki found that two-thirds of U.S. travelers under 35 say they prefer active travel, such as hiking, rafting or biking, and more than 50% believe in maintaining healthy habits while traveling.
4. Nostalgic trip
Young travelers are looking for a vacation down memory lane.
Nearly 8 in 10 Americans under the age of 35 say they have taken a childhood trip or would like to relive it, according to the Contiki report.
At the same time, newly retired people (a group that is starting to include the oldest members of Generation X) are enjoying their newfound freedom through “golden gap year” travel, according to consultancy The Future Laboratory.
With no bosses to report to or children in tow, they are taking longer trips, both by land and on cruise ships, and are more adventurous than retirees have traveled in the past, according to the 2026 Future Forecast report.
The report cited research by British retirement village operator Inspired Villages, adding that nearly 25% of retirees have traveled or are considering traveling in the past year.
5. AI in hotel services
While more travelers are turning to artificial intelligence to book their trips, hotels are also using it to better understand their guests.
Next year, hotels are expected to make a major shift from responding to guest requests to anticipating what they want, using predictive intelligence to personalize guests’ stays before they arrive, according to a report from Oracle Hospitality.
Some hotels already allow guests to customize every detail of their rooms, such as adding Pilates machines or blackout blinds, or choosing the room closest to the breakfast buffet, according to another report from a travel technology company. amadeus.
“As AI accelerates, personalization will no longer be a nice-to-have, but will become the default operating system of choice,” the Amadeus report added.
