We’ve had ‘workations’ (working while on holiday), ‘babymoons’ (pre-baby romantic getaways) and ‘coolcations’ (travelling to colder climates).
But it seems our holidays could be based on even more obscure trends next year.
Skyscanner has launched its annual ‘2026 Travel Trends Report’ in which it identified emerging behaviours and destinations set to define travel for next year.
The flight search engine surveyed 22,000 global travellers about their plans and curated seven key trends.
These include ‘glowmads’, a beauty trend in which travellers take part in in-flight beauty routines and shop for local beauty products.
Similarly, interest in food has sparked the ‘shelf discovery’ trend, according to Skyscanner, in which travellers will be seeking out authentic supermarkets while abroad.
‘Altitude shift’ is another to make the list, with travellers booking mountain breaks not just for skiing but for peace and serenity.
According to the report, 71 per cent of UK travellers are considering or planning a mountain escape for summer or autumn 2026.
The flight search engine surveyed 22,000 global travellers about their plans and curated seven key trends. These include ‘glowmads’, a beauty trend in which travellers take part in in-flight beauty routines and shop for local beauty products
‘Altitude shift’ is another to make the list, with travellers booking mountain breaks not just for skiing but for peace and serenity
Perhaps more surprisingly, reading is due to be another key influence, with ‘bookbound’ travel set to take off, in which holidaymakers follow in the footsteps of literary heroes or track down top bookshops.
‘Catching Flights and Feelings’ is the fifth key trend, with solo travellers seeking friends and relationships through travel.
The other two key trends listed are ‘Family Miles (multigenerational travel) and ‘Destination Check-in’, in which hotels, rather than locations, are now the main event.
According to the report, 61 per cent of Gen Z have selected their holiday destination based purely on the accommodation.
The report also analysed the destinations that have seen the most increase in flight searches and found that under-the-radar destinations are on the rise for 2026.
Salerno, the gateway to Italy’s Amalfi Coast, has seen a 211 per cent increase in flight searches between 2024 and 2025, according to the report.
The Western Pacific island of Koror, Palau, was the second most popular destination, with searches for scuba-divers’ paradise up 156 year on year.
Also at the top of the list were Koror in Palau, Kochi in Japan, Bilbao in Spain and Rabat, Morocco.
The other two key trends listed are ‘Family Miles (multigenerational travel) and ‘Destination Check-in’, in which hotels, rather than locations, are now the main event
The report also analysed the destinations that have seen the most increase in flight searches and found that under-the-radar destinations are on the rise for 2026
The report also analysed destinations with the biggest year-on-year drops in flight prices.
Cologne in Germany took top spot, with a 44 per cent price drop, closely followed by Goa, India (34 per cent price drop) and Kauna, Lithuania (31 per cent price drop).
Bryan Batista, CEO of Skyscanner, said: ‘Next year will see travellers choose destinations and build itineraries that feel less like an escape and more like an expression of self.
‘The shift is clear: it’s not about getting away from real life – it’s about bringing who you are and what you love along for the ride.’
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