The Experience-First Travel Economy: Tourism Trends Defining 2026

With nearly 60 million more trips than the year before, all signs point to continued momentum into 2026. For brands in the travel and tourism industry, this demand doesn’t automatically mean they’ll be the ones attracting the attention. 

The discovery journey isn’t the same. Travellers have more platforms, and AI is beginning to change how people find, compare, and book experiences. They’re exploring destinations, cultures, and experiences in ways that look quite different from just a few years ago. We’ve got snapshots of where sectors within the travel and tourism industry stand today – from what they want, where they’re looking for it, and what brands need to consider for their 2026 marketing strategy. 

We’ll go much deeper into exclusive data and insights in our upcoming webinar, but consider this a starting point to get you thinking.

International tourism is finally making its way back to pre-pandemic levels, with a growth trajectory last seen before 2020, and we’re spending more when we’re away, with global receipts from international tourism hitting an estimated $1.9 trillion (+5%).

While Europe continues to dominate global arrivals with nearly 800 million, some of the fastest-growing destinations are emerging markets with distinct cultural identities.

At the same time, we’ve seen improved air connectivity and simplified visa processes, making it much easier to visit previously hard-to-reach destinations. 

From this, we know that travellers aren’t just returning to their ‘default’ destinations, but they’re seeking something more meaningful and exploring more, both with their destination and online – through new channels, new conversations and new technologies.

Cruises continue to break records, with a higher perceived value than flight holidays. However, there’s a stereotype with the cruise industry that needs to change, especially because the average age of cruise passengers is falling. 

Brands need to evolve the conversation around cruise to attract their growing younger audiences. In 2026, we expect to see 15 new ships across 13 cruise lines, which represent 31,905 additional lower berths. With the increase in new supply, generating demand for your cruise line is critical, with new brands entering the market.

As cruises become more popular among younger audiences, a wave of content creators is shaping how people perceive life at sea. UK-based creators like Trek Trendy focus on luxury travel content, sharing their experiences on major ships, with honest reviews of cabins, excursions, and onboard life, which will influence consumer decision-making and travel plans. 

At the same time, you’ve got creators like Cruise with Ben and David and Views and Queues, who offer engaging cruise vlogs that share ship features, excursions, food, and experiences in a way that’s relatable and fun for people considering their first cruise. With more of a lifestyle angle, you’ve got Griff and Alyssa, who blend ship tours, tips, and destination content in a format that resonates particularly with younger and solo travellers who are looking for adventure and community at sea. 

Because this type of content often ranks well across search results and social feeds, it can influence decision-making long before someone chooses to book a cruise. For brands within the sector, activating with these creators, whether that’s through partnerships, press trips, or UGC amplification, you can reach expanding, experience-driven segments of the market.

The site has been approved near Bedford and is forecast to attract 8.5 million visitors in the first year (2031), a third of whom are expected to come from overseas. To put this into perspective: Alton Towers, which is currently the most attended park in the UK, attracted 2.4 million visitors in 2024. 

There is clearly going to be a ripple effect on other tourist attractions in the UK, so brands within this space need to act now to build their niche, and the smart brands are planning now: investing in their proposition, positioning, and proximity to what will become a major tourism hub. 

Merlin Entertainment is focusing on its restructuring and sharpening its IP strategy to compete with the licensing deals that Universal will bring to the UK (to be confirmed!) through its new Bluey ride and area. Chessington is doing the same with Paw Patrol to improve its family-friendly offerings.

The lesson from Europe is instructive. Parc Astérix sits within reach of Disneyland Paris and continues to thrive, not by competing on the same terms but by offering something different. Clarity of your brand, strength of your offerings, and a clearly articulated marketing strategy will be the assets that hold value against the new industry giant. 

The scale of impact will be significant not only for theme parks themselves, but for hotels, restaurants, nearby attractions, and transport demand in the wider region. For UK tourism brands considering their long-term positioning, focus on becoming part of the compelling destination story the UK offers.

The appetite to explore the UK is real, and travellers are moving away from the most visited destinations to places with a strong local identity and cultural character. 

Rail data supports the bigger picture.

Countryside retreats and off-grid escapes, for example, Unplugged, are a growing sector, often being framed as premium holidays. 

They’ve achieved significant growth, with a 90% occupancy rate in the first year of their digital detox cabins. This is through a multi-platform approach through the likes of earned media from publications like Stylist and Glamour to help with brand positioning, gifted influencer stays with online content about analogue living, personalised user recommendations, seamless booking processes, and testimonials and reviews being fundamental to their success. With the news about phones affecting mental health, digital minimalism is becoming more and more popular.

For domestic stays, you need to entice people to your brand’s area, so the content needs to feel local. Consumers are seeking out experiences with a strong local identity and cultural character, so your content should answer the questions they actually search for. 

You should create content around hyper-specific local questions e.g., What to do in Northumberland in October, best walking routes in Hay-on-Wye, for example. 

Brands like Sykes Cottages are leading the way by collaborating with local content creators to show these regional areas in action, and in turn providing users with authentic, location-based content that highlights not just the cottages, but the surrounding attractions, restaurants, and some hidden gems. Positioning their cottages among the wider destination story means they’re strengthening their presence across channels whilst drawing users into the region itself.

The motivations and trends shaping travel in 2026 will shift in ways that have real consequences for how brands communicate with their audiences. 

However, some trends are consistent – cost consciousness being one. 51% of UK consumers say they’re more concerned about holiday costs this year, and 2 in 5 are planning fewer trips. You’d think this would mean people settle for lower-quality or less meaningful travel, but if anything, it’s made people want more bang for their buck. 

Search behaviour suggests that they aren’t abandoning inspirational trips, but instead are looking for ways to make traditionally expensive trips more affordable. 

Take skiing, a trip long associated with high costs. Searches for ‘cheap skiing trips’ have increased by 21% over the past year, generating 33.6k monthly searches on Google, including ‘how to ski cheaply’ and ‘how to have a cheap ski trip’, showing people actively seeking to cut costs without sacrificing their experience. 

The same pattern continues on social media, too, as seen in the table below. Imagine if you only relied on SERPs to read your audience demand…

Below are some keyword trends we’ve seen:

The demand for all-inclusive holidays has hit a 10-year high, with 65% of UK holidaymakers planning to book one – up 20% since 2015. It’s not just about the perceived value of this holiday; it’s also removing the added pressure and administrative overhead of considering restaurant options, places to occupy their children, or how much money to exchange. People want the upside of travel, without the administrative workload of planning it. 

All of this plays out more broadly with the holiday trends that Hilton’s 2026 research has captured perfectly:

Today’s traveller is increasingly motivated by intention. Whether that’s trips built around educational experiences, personal passions, or a specific emotional need, it takes precedent over a destination checklist.  66% of UK adults said they’d take time off work to pursue a personal passion, and 41% plan trips around learning experiences when with children to provide a culture-rich trip.

On the continued theme of culture, literary travel and ‘set-jetting’ (travel inspired by film and TV) are gaining serious traction, and will increase footfall in certain areas across the globe. A personal prediction for this is going to be Ireland, where a lot of the most recent Game of Thrones spin-off, ‘The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,’ was primarily filmed, but some predictions from Hilton refer to Wuthering Heights and the new Harry Potter Series.

Personalisation is a key factor for today’s traveller. There’s been an uptake in specialist tours built around life stages or interests, for example, marriage retreats, animal enthusiast tours, and racket sport holidays, with the likes of pickleball cruises, tennis academies, and padel holidays. 

With the increased personalisation also comes unique and authentic experiences, with UK travellers who take domestic holidays moving away from the popular Cornwall and Cotswolds, and more towards Devon, Wales, and Northumberland. 

Sykes Cottages has collated booking data from the past year to find out the most popular UK towns and villages with the biggest year-on-year growth. 

1. Brixham, Devon (+62%)
2. Teignmouth, Devon (+32%)
3. Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire (+31%)

For UK brands specifically, there’s an opportunity here. 39.6 million UK adults took a domestic break in 2025, and 36.6 million are already planning one in 2026.

The landscape is evolving quickly, from emerging destinations gaining global attention to major developments in the UK, like Therme Manchester, a 28-acre wellbeing resort and waterpark. The next few years will change how destinations compete for attention. 

With travellers becoming more intentional in their trips and how they find and compare, success will depend on more than just offering a beautiful destination or experience. They will need strong positioning, a clear sense of identity, and great storytelling skills. 

The brands that stand out will be the ones that understand not just where people want to travel, but how and why.