This year, travelers sought out alternative trends, like ‘forest bathing and ‘noctotourism’ and explored places off the beaten path. Very little will change in 2026, experts say.
Early this month, Airbnb released its travel predictions for 2026. “Travelers will seek to make the most of their time away, rooted in authentic and immersive experiences,” the company said.
″[There is] a desire for people to get out, get away from their phones, unplug, immerse in culture and really connect with people on a local, personal level,” Natalie Shalk, Senior Editorial Lead at Airbnb, tells CNBC Make It.
“A lot of these we have seen in the past, but I think we’re seeing the trends rooted in authentic and immersive experience-based travel. It speaks to people’s desire to get back out into the real world and make those real-world connections.”
Airbnb found that Gen Z is taking one- to two-day international trips and that’s thanks in large part to the viral TikTok “day trip” trend.
