I studied 20 travel trend reports for 2026 so you don’t have to. ABTA, Amadeus, Expedia Group, Airbnb, Black Tomato, Skift, Skyscanner, Mr & Mrs Smith… the full stack.
One pattern kept showing up that most operators are ignoring.
Travellers stopped asking « where should I go? »
They’re asking « where can I do [X]? »
The destination is becoming secondary to the interest.
Call it the Interest-First Economy. Here’s what’s driving it:
𝗙𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁.
Set-Jetting is an $8 billion industry. 81% of Gen Z and Millennials plan trips based on what they watch. Seoul bookings from Japan are up 33%—driven almost entirely by K-Pop and K-drama.
Stop marketing « Walking Tours of London. » Start marketing « Bridgerton Filming Locations. »
𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀.
WeTravel reports a 93% increase in immersive experience add-ons. 30% of operators say culinary tours (hands-on, not dining) are their top-booked product.
Travelers want to return home with a skill, not a souvenir.
𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.
Projected to hit $2.1 trillion by 2030. 66% of cycling operators reported revenue increases last year. 23% of Gen Z are planning trips specifically around sporting events.
The « General Sightseeing Tour » is dying.
What to do now:
• Audit your destinations against Netflix and HBO release schedules
• Use franchise names in your SEO (« White Lotus Sicily Tour »)
• Shift keywords from geo-based (« Italy tours ») to interest-based (« pottery classes Tuscany »)
• Add one hands-on workshop to every itinerary
24% of your bookings are now solo travelers joining groups. They’re not looking for singles trips. They’re looking for their people—fellow fans, fellow makers, fellow runners.
The operators winning in 2026 aren’t selling destinations. They’re selling access to a passion.
Starting this Monday, I will share one insight per week from the 2026 trend reports I reviewed.
Each post will focus on how this shift is changing how trips get discovered, priced, and sold.
If you want a data backed answer for your business or destination, ask me a good question in the comments. I will DM you a reply based on what the 2026 reports are actually showing for your niche.