From chasing the upcoming total solar eclipse to bagging tickets for major sporting events and from going solo and quiet to seeking ultra-personalised experiences, there’s loads to look forward to on the travel calendar over the coming year. If you’re looking for inspiration for your next big trip, we take a look at some of the top trends to bear in mind when you make that all-important booking.

HUSH NOW – SEEKING THE SOUND OF SILENCE

According to data from leading hotel groups and trends reports, 2026 is the year of switching off. We’re all going to be looking for quiet comfort, finding a way to check out of today’s 24/7 digital culture where work never seems to stop and we’re constantly checking emails and phones.

Dubbed Hushpitality, a new movement is fast gaining popularity with organisers such as theoffline-club.com regularly booking out its digital detox retreats in France, Spain and Netherlands. ‘The programme is no programme. We believe our lives are too busy and planned out already. You can do whatever, whenever – all activities are spontaneous and optional so you can go your own way and do as you please.’

Visit Skåne’s Map of Quietude is a network of places ranked by decibel in the south of Sweden so you can seek out peace and quiet or, if you really want to embrace the silence, Oregon’s Skycave Retreats offer guests the chance to stay for three days in cabins in complete darkness.

According to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report almost 60% of U.S. travellers surveyed by Morning Consult said they would be interested in attending a quiet/silent retreat, including 53% who expressed interest in a reading retreat specifically.

Check Out: unplugged.rest – cabins across the UK promising ‘no screens, no stress, no scrolling. Just offline cabins in nature.’

GOING SOLO – GETTING AWAY FROM EVERYONE

Tying into the trend for seeking quieter spaces, solo travel – the ultimate getaway from other people’s noise – is also on the increase with Hilton reporting more than a quarter of travellers planning to go it alone in 2026 and almost half planning to add solo days to their family travel plans.

In recent years, women have taken the lead in popularising the independent glamour of solo travel – social media has numerous groups where lone female travellers can exchange stories and information. But now, more men are also expressing a desire for solo getaways, leading to a slight rise of the ‘Mancation’ in 2026 for those in Saudi Arabia, China and Türkiye, compared to 2024 data.

Shetravelledtheworld.com rates Bali, New Zealand and Budapest as its top three spots for solo female travellers in terms of safety, ease of access and affordable options.

It’s also worth noting that, thanks to this trend, many hotels and restaurants are making a special effort to accommodate solo travellers – call ahead to reserve a spot for one and make sure they know you don’t want to sit by the toilet – and look out for accommodation options with minimal single person supplements.

Check Out: Norwegian Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages and MSC Cruises offer special rates for single travellers going solo on the high seas.

WHEN ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL

Already spotted in 2025, in 2026, more and more travellers will be seeking ultra-personalised options. Gone are the days of the package tour where everyone gets the same experience. These days the travel industry is moving towards hyper individuality with specialised options available, often geared to life stages, such as menopause retreats or divorce breaks, which concentrate on wellness and recovery.

Another aspect of the personalised travel experience is tours geared towards special interests. Grape tasting certifications and culinary escapes have been around for several years but now there’s a special break to suit almost any and every specific interest from battlefield tours and history breaks to whale watching and volunteering holidays.

And one newish option that feeds into several trends at once – hushpitality, solo travel and hyper-personalisation – is reading breaks (a chance to finally catch up on that ‘to be read’ pile). BookRetreats.com offers reading retreats in France, Greece and Hungary, among others, where visitors can enjoy local culture alongside plenty of time to curl up with a good book.

Check Out: Indusexperiences.co.uk for numerous special interest tours across India.

ADDING THE EXCLUSIVITY FACTOR

According to elitetraveller.com, access rather than ownership is becoming the new currency with bespoke private members’ clubs seeing a rise in popularity. Particularly aimed at high-net-worth individuals, they can offer curated experiences that are not available to the general public.

Following on from the growth in demand for experiential travel over recent years, this is a trend for travellers who seek the unusual and have the means to pay for it. Think cruising on a hired super-yacht at the Monaco Grand Prix, spotting the ‘Big Five’ at a private African wildlife reserve or tickets with meet and greets to sold-out events and concerts.

Companies specialising in this kind of travel are likely to offer various benefits from personalised experiences to VIP hotel benefits, on-call concierges and the opportunity to connect with like-minded travellers.

Exclusive travel is certainly not for everyone but, according to trends predictors, it’s something more people are saving towards as an experience in itself.

Check Out: 360privatetravel.com, xoprivate.com, littleemperors.com to see how the other half live.

TOURISM FOR THE ANTI-TOURIST

Yes, it sounds like a misnomer and, with anti-tourism protests now quite common, it’s perhaps not the best way to describe this trend. But, what it simply means is heading away from the tourism hotspots and taking the opportunity to better experience local culture in less popular but no less interesting locations.

It also feeds into another less-known trend: destination dupes – swap Saint-Tropez for the less well-known but equally gorgeous Carry-le-Rouet or Capri for neighbouring island Ischia.

Much of the anti-tourist trend springs from a wish to journey more sustainably with travel agency Virtuoso saying 45% of its clients are adjusting plans due to climate change. Respondents also said they wanted to reduce pressure on local communities and preserve the authenticity of experiences.

This change in mindset has led to the rise in popularity of destinations outside major tourism hubs with online travel platform Agoda experiencing a significant rise in the number of searches for non-traditional locations.

The company’s 2026 Travel Outlook Report noted that governments and tourism authorities are very aware of the trend with countries such as Indonesia and Japan adopting strategies to drive visitors to alternative destinations, aside from Bali and Tokyo.

Check Out: Notjustravel.com and net-a-porter.com for alternative travel ideas.

OF ROADS AND RAILWAYS

According to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report, more of us will be taking to the highways in 2026 – it’s no surprise that the hashtag #RoadTrip has racked up more than 5.9 million tags globally!

And explore.co.uk says more travellers are choosing epic rail journeys over short-haul flights – making the journey part of the holiday – in fact, the company has seen a 25% increase in rail bookings over the last year.

While Hilton’s report finds some travellers are taking to the roads to save cash, others are seeking out the more luxe option with specialist companies turning the road trip into a curated journey built around Michelin-starred dining and one-off experiences.

In rail too there are dual purpose journeys. The appetite for slow, scenic travel is on the rise but rail with its student and multi-journey perks can also prove a cost-effective option. While luxury rail travel too is experiencing an upsurge with the likes of Saudi Arabia’s soon to be launched ultraluxe train, Dream of the Desert, due to offer various routes reminiscent of the golden age of rail travel

Check Out: The Society of International Railway Travelers irtsociety.com for information on the world’s top luxury trains.

OFF-SEASON BREAKS

ABTA – The Travel Association says a major emerging trend is September Travel. In terms of both favourable weather and good value, booking a break outside the regular school holidays is growing in popularity. In fact, ABTA’s most recent report found one in four people (24%) said they planned to holiday in September, up seven percent on previous years.

While older people aged 55–64-years (29%), and 65+ year olds (35%), said they were most likely to travel in September, there was also an increase in intention to travel during this month across all ages. In particular, the biggest increases were for 18–24-year-olds from 11% to 17% and 35-44-yearolds from 12% to 20%.

September is not the only time proving popular – other trends such as the desire for quiet, slow journeys and travelling outside main tourist hubs are also feeding into the growing trend for off-peak travel. And, of course, there are the financial implications of travelling outside the main tourist seasons with greater value for money often available and many hotels and visitor facilities offering special deals.

Check Out: Eastern European destinations such as Prague, Budapest, Krakow, Sofia, Tirana and Sarajevo are booming due to low-season costs and abundant culture.

ON THE HIGH SEAS

Micro-cruising is this year’s buzzword, describing a distinct move away from the giant 5,000-berth super liners to much smaller vessels that can access restrictive ports and offer a more sustainable travel style.

As with many of the other trends, voyagers are seeking greater cultural immersion with longer port calls offering the chance to explore destinations more fully. There is also a move towards shorter cruises of three to five days as opposed to the recent norm for voyages of a week or longer.

Many travellers are seeking experiences at sea with small-ship voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic on the rise and numerous vessels due for delivery over the coming months. This type of journey not only plays to the sustainability agenda but may also allow participants to engage in ‘citizen science’ along the way as part of an expedition-type voyage.

Passion-driven activity cruises are also on the up offering a full range of activities from fitness to literary journeys featuring author meet and greets and port calls in literary settings.

Check Out: Bargeladycruises.com for super micro journeys along France’s inland waterways.

CHASING THE SUN… OR NOT

2026 is set to see the first total solar eclipse visible from Europe in almost 30 years. An eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the sun, obscuring the view of the sun, either partially or fully, from a small part of Earth.

This year will be the first time it has happened over Europe since 1999 and, understandably, there’s a lot of excitement for the event. Astro-curious travellers are plotting the course of the event, which will start in Greenland, cross the Atlantic via western Iceland and then progress south to northern Spain and the Balearics.

During a total eclipse, the Moon completely covers the sun, revealing the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, in a breathtaking display. The sky darkens suddenly, stars and planets become visible and the temperature drops, creating an almost otherworldly atmosphere. So, it’s no wonder there are numerous tours and travel options catering to those who want to witness the event. Visiticeland.com even has a whole section dedicated to it. The date to mark on your calendars is August 12 and get planning if you don’t want to miss it.

Check Out: You can track the event at NSO – National Solar Observatory nso.edu or timeanddate.com.

THE NEXT BIG THING – HOT TICKETS

2026 will be a huge year for international sports with the FIFA World Cup, Winter Olympics and Paralympics and the Commonwealth Games all taking place over the next 12 months. And these are such big events that travel around them is not restricted purely to sports fans, they’re things everyone can get excited about and involved in.

In fact, Airbnb said 65% of the top-search travel dates so far for 2026 fall around major global events.

Being staged across the US, Canada and Mexico, the World Cup offers multiple trip options. And the Winter Olympics, taking place during February at more than half a dozen venues in northern Italy, will give the dual opportunity of a skiing break coupled with the chance to catch some of the Olympic action.

But, it’s not just the big matches that are attracting travellers. With a growing awareness of sport worldwide, visitors are also connecting with local culture via events such as catching a spot of sumo wrestling in Japan or watching Muay Thai on trips to Thailand. Expedia even says almost 60% of travellers are likely to watch a sport while travelling.

Check Out: Roadtrips.com has a comprehensive calendar of all the big sporting events coming up in 2026. ✤