Traveling is no longer just about the destination – or even the journey. It’s about the experience you go home with.
Since the end of the coronavirus crisis, experiential travel has evolved, moving away from checking off sights and toward meaningful journeys that help travelers connect with the people and places they visit.
CNBC analyzed 25 year-end trips reports and identified the five biggest trends that will shape the coming year.
1. The anti-tourist
To better experience local culture, avoid contributing to overtourism, and potentially save a few bucks, travelers are increasingly avoiding peak seasons and busy destinations.
45 percent of travel agency Virtuoso advisors say their clients are adjusting their plans due to climate change. According to the company’s 2026 “Luxe Report,” 76% of these advisors report increased interest in traveling in low season or off-peak times, while 75% say clients prefer destinations with temperate weather.
The report, The study, published in October, also revealed how travelers can best travel sustainably to reduce pressure on local communities and preserve authentic experiences.
This shift is driving the rise of so-called “secondary cities,” which are located away from major tourist centers and offer more immersive experiences.
Online travel platform Agoda has found that searches for accommodation in Asia’s secondary destinations are growing 15% faster than in traditional tourism hubs.
The Travel Outlook Report 2026 also showed that governments are catching up. For example, Indonesia has launched its “Tourism 5.0” strategy, which aims to further develop five “super priority” secondaries. Destinations that are set to transform tourism beyond Bali.
Japan is also relying on regional campaigns Keep visitors away from Tokyo and other major city centers.
2. “Decision Detox” vacation
Traditionally, all-inclusive travel was about efficiency, as travelers planned their itineraries to maximize their vacation time.
However, these days travelers are mentally exhausted before a trip and are increasingly outsourcing their planning to agencies or even hotels that offer all-inclusive packages, as Lemongrass Marketing’s latest travel report shows.
Essentially, “travellers want someone they trust to make good decisions for them so they can unwind properly,” said Tara Schwenk, senior director of digital strategy at Lemongrass Marketing, in an email response to CNBC’s inquiries.
“As cognitive overload becomes a defining feature of modern life, low-decision travel is no longer a niche wellness addition but is becoming a core expectation, especially among time-poor, high-stress travelers,” Schwenk added.
The trend has transformed high-end travel, replacing endless options with curated selections, said luxury travel company HunterMoss.
This allows ultra-luxury travelers to “not have to think about additional costs or logistics planning during their trip,” said Julie Hunter, director and chief operating officer of HunterMoss.
3. Wellness goes beyond spas
Another growing trend is wellness travel, which has evolved from spa packages to science-based longevity programs that focus on mental health Travel.
Offerings include Ayurveda programs in India, yoga and surf trips in Costa Rica and silent retreats in Canada.
Many travelers value wellness According to the Virtuoso report, travel represents long-term health investments.
The appeal of these trips transcends class boundaries, from budget-friendly nature trips to a “healthy wealthy” trend. It is also popular with solo travelers and couples, as well as older and younger travelers, the report added.
According to a separate report from tour operator Contiki, two-thirds of U.S. travelers under 35 say they prefer active travel that includes hiking, rafting and biking, and over 50% believe in maintaining a wellness routine while traveling.
4. Nostalgic travel
Younger travelers are looking for vacations that will make them reminisce.
According to the Contiki report, nearly eight in 10 Americans under the age of 35 say they have either taken a childhood trip or would like to take it again.
At the same time, new retirees – a group that includes the oldest members of Generation X – are enjoying their newfound freedom through “golden gap year” travel, according to consulting firm The Future Laboratory.
With no bosses to report to and no children in tow, they take extensive trips, both overland and on cruise ships, that are more adventurous than the trips of retirees of the past, their Future Forecast 2026 report said.
The report added that almost 25% of retirees have traveled or would consider traveling for a year, citing a study by UK retirement village operator Inspired Villages.
5. AI in hotel service
As more travelers turn to artificial intelligence to book trips, hotels are also using it to better understand their guests.
Next year is expected to mark a significant shift in hotels from responding to guests’ desires to predicting their desires – using predictive intelligence to personalize stays before guests arrive, according to the Oracle Hospitality report.
According to a separate report from the travel technology company, some hotels already allow guests to personalize every detail of their room, such as: B. installing a reformer Pilates machine and blackout blinds or choosing a room closest to the breakfast buffet Amadeus.
“As AI becomes faster, personalization will no longer be a nice-to-have, but rather the default operating system of choice,” the Amadeus report continued.
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