These Are the 10 Biggest Travel Experience Trends for 2026, According to Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor just released its 2026 Trendcast report, a data-packed look at more than a billion searches, bookings, and traveler reviews to see how people are actually traveling this year — and the big takeaway is clear: experiences are running the show.
Travel in 2026 isn’t just about pinning a place on a map and calling it a bucket-list win. According to Tripadvisor’s new Trendcast report, based on more than a billion reviews, searches, and bookings, people are planning trips around what they want to do, not just where they want to sleep.
The data points to a few big shifts: pet-friendly bookings are up a staggering 260% year-over-year, and extreme adventures like lava field hikes are surging too. But underneath all the buzzy numbers, there’s one clear theme: travelers want trips that feel personal, immersive, and actually memorable once you’re home again.
Here are 10 of the most interesting trends shaping how we’ll travel this year.
1. “Sweat Jetting” and the rise of the mara-cation
Active travel isn’t a side quest anymore… for a lot of people, it is the trip. Tripadvisor calls this “Sweat Jetting”, or “mara-cations” and “race-cations” built around big runs, cycling routes, and fitness events instead of pool time.
Chicago sees visitor numbers spike roughly 300% during its marathon, with Boston and Berlin close behind at +228% and +222%. Stadium tours and sports experiences are up about 25% year-over-year too, so even non-runners are planning trips around big games and team fandom. (There are a ton of fun things to do in Chicago and Boston after you finish races, too!)
If you’re the type who trains with a race in mind, this is your year: guided cycling in Marrakech, marathon packages in Tokyo, or small-group Olympic-style workouts in Athens are exactly the kinds of experiences travelers are booking.
2. Extreme… but accessible
Adrenaline is having a moment. Experiences that feel “on the edge”. Glacier hikes, lava field walks, heli-hiking, and cliff-jumping are all seeing serious growth. Tripadvisor’s data shows glacier tours up 29%, lava field excursions up 79%, and heli-hiking up 56% year-over-year as travelers chase those big “I can’t believe I did that” moments. (The photo above is from my husband and me hiking Perito Moreno Glacier.)
What’s interesting is how accessible these trips are getting. Instead of needing mountaineering skills, you can book guided glacier hikes in Iceland, trek for snow leopards in Ladakh with local experts, or explore underground cities and catacombs in Turkey and Italy with structured tours that keep the thrill while lowering the risk.
3. Kids in charge: “It’s a Kid’s World”
Family trips are getting flipped on their head. One of the biggest Trendcast themes is child-led travel, where kids decide what to do and often even where to go; parents just handle logistics and the credit card. Bookings for experiences with children’s tickets are up 19% overall, with heritage tours up 40% and cooking classes up 47% as families look for more meaningful ways to learn and play together on the road.
From Harry Potter walking tours in London to K-pop-themed outings in Seoul, or hands-on pizza-making in Rome that’s designed specifically for kids. There’s also growth in “pairenting” (one-on-one parent-child trips) and skip-gen “gramping” vacations where grandparents and grandkids get their own adventure.
4. VIP (Very Important Pet) tourism
The days of feeling guilty at the kennel gate are fading fast. Tripadvisor’s data shows dog-friendly experiences exploding, with bookings for activities where pups are welcome up 260% year-over-year.
Hotels are leaning in hard: some brands let pets stay free, others offer dog beds, gourmet room-service menus, and even canine spa treatments. Travelers are also building itineraries around experiences for animals — from farm stays with rescued horses and goats to cat cafés in cities like Tokyo and Harajuku-style chains across Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Even if you leave your pet at home, this trend says you’ll probably still be booking some kind of animal-centric stop.
5. “Future Foodists”: going way deeper on local food
Instead of just hunting for “best restaurant in X,” travelers are zooming out and looking at entire food ecosystems… where ingredients are grown, who’s preserving traditions, and how climate and sustainability play into what’s on the plate. The Trendcast report highlights surging bookings for food experiences: street-food tours are up about 36%, culinary and gourmet tours are up 25%, and visits to heritage markets are way up too (like a 466% spike for Seoul’s Gwangjang Market and triple-digit growth at other iconic markets in Asia).
That might mean combining a hike along Portugal’s fisherman trails with seafood tastings, visiting farms and fruit orchards in Hawaii, or heading into the Andes to learn how staples like cacao and corn anchor local cuisine. The big picture: people want to know where their food comes from and who’s fighting to keep those flavors alive.
6. “Investigative drinking” and zero-proof adventures
Classic wine and whisky tours aren’t going anywhere, but travelers are getting nosier (in a good way) about what’s in their glass. Tripadvisor flags a big jump in bookings tied to regional spirits and specialty drinks; matcha experiences in Japan are up 280%, agave-spirit tours in Mexico (beyond basic tequila) are rising, and Soju-focused tastings in South Korea are up around 55%.
At the same time, zero-proof “drink tourism” is moving into the spotlight. Kombucha breweries, alcohol-free cocktail bars, and tasting rooms built around local ingredients (instead of ABV) are drawing travelers who want the ritual and storytelling of a bar experience without a hangover.
7. The “Thrill of the Find”
Souvenir shopping is getting more personal. Instead of hitting the same global chain stores, travelers are booking guided vintage and artisan shopping tours that focus on hyper-local finds: hand-forged knives in Japan, cult-favorite butters in France, or one-of-a-kind ceramics in Portugal. Tripadvisor notes that bookings for local shopping and craft experiences are way up — vintage discovery tours have jumped 60%, hands-on local workshops 52%, and craft classes 75% year-over-year.
Hotels are in on this too, offering fragrance, candle, pottery, and other maker-led workshops where you create something you’ll actually want to pack and bring home instead of another dusty magnet.
8. “Flex-Lux”: luxury by the slice
Instead of blowing the budget on full-week splurges, 2026 is all about à la carte luxury. Tripadvisor calls it “Flex-Lux”: you buy just the expensive piece you care about, say a day pass at a five-star resort, a semi-private dinner pod, a single seat on a charter-style flight, and then skip the rest. Bookings for day passes at hotels, resorts, and beach clubs are up 80%, while private guided tours are up 53%, semi-private tours up 17%, and small-group tours up 14% year-over-year.
This is more pool-day access via platforms like ResortPass instead of an overnight stay, geodesic dining domes in Singapore, or a fancy rooftop cabin dinner in India that makes the night feel special without committing to an ultra-luxury hotel for the whole trip.
9. “Humanized hospitality” (with a little help from AI)
One of the more interesting trends is how AI is making human connections easier. Tripadvisor’s report highlights “humanized hospitality,” where the real star is a local host or guide, but a lot of the behind-the-scenes personalization is powered by tech. Experience bookings with local guides or hosts are up 38%, and reviews that specifically praise a guide are up about 20%.
In practice, that might look like a hotel concierge who already knows your coffee order and sends you to the neighborhood bakery instead of the Instagram line-trap, or translation tools that make it easier to cook with a nonna in Tuscany or learn weaving techniques from artisans in Peru. The whole point: using tech to actually talk to more humans, not fewer.
10. “Soft clubbing” and sober-curious nights out
Traditional nightclub scenes aren’t disappearing, but a lot of travelers are rethinking what a “night out” looks like. The Trendcast data shows bookings for DJ sets on the water up 29%, and mentions of listening bars (vinyl-focused, hi-fi spots where you go to really listen to music) up 64% in reviews and forums.
You’re seeing more booze-free dance parties, sunrise raves paired with yoga, sauna raves in cities like London, and listening bars from Tokyo to New York where the vibe is more “sit with a cocktail and obsess over the playlist” than “scream over the speakers at 2 a.m.” It’s nightlife, just with a softer landing.
How to use this for your own 2026 travel plans
If you’re plotting trips for this year, the big takeaway is pretty simple: start with the experience, not the postcard shot. Do you want to finally run a major race? Take your kid on a cooking-class-heavy city break? Bring your dog on a true pet-friendly vacation? Or test your comfort zone with an extreme adventure you’ll still be talking about in 10 years?
If you’re craving that kind of deeper connection, start by picking one big “anchor” experience and plan around it. Maybe that’s joining local guides to track black rhinos on foot in northern Kenya or spending a night at Nairobi’s iconic giraffe hotel, where the wildlife literally joins you at breakfast.
Those are the trips that stick — the ones where you remember the way the dust smelled on an early-morning game walk or the shock of seeing a giraffe head slide through the window while you’re still half-asleep. According to Tripadvisor, more travelers are finally building their itineraries around those moments, not just the map pins.
