Global travel leader Expedia Group has unveiled its Unpack ’26 report, spotlighting the destinations and traveler behaviors set to shape tourism in 2026. Based on insights from more than twenty four thousand travelers across eighteen countries, alongside booking data from Expedia, Wotif, and Stayz, the report identifies emerging travel trends, from sportcursions to salvaged stays, and introduces cutting-edge technology like Smart Trip AI to empower sustainable, personalized travel experiences.​

Rising Travel Hotspots for 2026

Among Expedia’s Destinations of the Year, ten standout locations are expected to attract record visitor interest next year. Leading global growth are Big Sky (Montana, USA) with a ninety-two percent surge in searches, Okinawa (Japan) up seventy-one percent, and Sardinia (Italy) up sixty-three percent. Phu Quoc (Vietnam) follows closely with a fifty-three percent rise, while Savoie (France) climbed fifty-one percent, underscoring the appeal of both coastal and alpine experiences.

Other fast-rising destinations include Hobart (Australia) (plus twenty-five percent), Fort Walton Beach (Florida, USA) (plus forty-five percent), Ucluelet (Canada) (plus forty-four percent), The Cotswolds (UK) (plus thirty-nine percent), and San Miguel de Allende (Mexico) (plus thirty percent). These destinations reflect travelers’ growing desire for balance, mixing adventure, culture, and serenity, while avoiding traditional tourism crowds.​

Smart Travel Health Check: Sustainability in Focus

Expedia’s 2026 outlook emphasizes sustainability, introducing a first-in-travel program called the Smart Travel Health Check, developed in partnership with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). This initiative evaluates destinations using six pillars of sustainable tourism management: community engagement, balanced growth, resource conservation, cultural preservation, visitor management, and equitable economic benefit.

Six of the top-trending destinations, Big Sky, Okinawa, Savoie, Ucluelet, The Cotswolds, and Hobart, were identified as meeting sustainability standards under this framework. The recognition encourages travelers to choose destinations that actively manage overtourism, empower residents, and promote environmental stewardship. WTTC Vice President Policy Christopher Imbsen praised the initiative as a “positive model for destination collaboration and responsible visitor growth”.​

Trending Travel Behaviors Defining 2026

Expedia’s Unpack ’26 report outlines several experiential travel movements that will define tourism over the next year:

1. Sportcursions:
With the global calendar full of major sports events in 2026, travelers are combining destination exploration with athletic inspiration. While global gatherings like the FIFA World Cup dominate headlines, regional sporting experiences such as sumo in Japan, baseball in South Korea, muay thai in Thailand, and curling in Canada are propelling cultural travel linked to live sports.​

2. Set-Jetting:
The trend of visiting locations featured in popular films and TV shows continues to grow. Expedia highlights examples from 2026’s cinematic destinations, including Yorkshire, UK (Wuthering Heights, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale); Samoa (Moana); Dalmatian Coast, Croatia (The People We Meet on Vacation); and Wellington, New Zealand (Avatar: Fire & Ice). Set-jetting demonstrates how entertainment continues to inspire global wanderlust, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials.​

3. Salvaged Stays and Characterful Lodgings:
Travelers are increasingly attracted to distinctive accommodations that tell a story. Expedia reports rising demand for repurposed spaces like restored abbeys, converted schools, and even historic prisons that offer immersive stays rich with heritage value. These salvaged properties reflect a wider movement toward meaningful travel and sustainability through adaptive reuse.

4. Conscious Escapes and Farm Stays:
Australians, in particular, are driving growth in upgraded holiday parks and farm stays, with Wotif noting a thirteen percent annual increase in searches for such experiences. Smaller regional towns across Australia are seeing surges in visitation as travelers seek slower-paced, community-based experiences.​

Smart Trip AI: A Technological Leap in Personalized Travel

Complementing insights from its data-rich surveys, Expedia Group has launched Smart Trip AI, a conversational B2B tool designed to revolutionize trip planning and booking. Combining Expedia’s travel supply network with artificial intelligence, Smart Trip AI provides personalized recommendations in real time, helping travel advisors and B2B partners design customized itineraries that align with traveler preferences.​

Additionally, Expedia is introducing a suite of next-generation APIs to streamline operations and elevate the digital travel ecosystem:

• Lodging Sponsored Listings API enables hotels to advertise directly within Expedia’s ecosystem.
• Merchandising API improves the display of promotions and dynamic packages.
• Typeahead API offers predictive destination and lodging suggestions based on typing behavior.

These tools represent a strategic move to integrate technology-driven personalization into every stage of the travel process, converting “inspiration into action,” according to Expedia’s B2B Chief Product & Technology Officer Karen Bolda.

Impact on Global Tourism

The Unpack ’26 report promises to shape both consumer travel behavior and trade strategies in the coming year. By blending sustainability with smart technology, Expedia aims to guide travelers toward more responsible choices while helping industry partners adapt to evolving market dynamics.

Expedia’s approach reflects its growing influence as a travel sustainability advocate, partnering with global organizations to drive innovation in tourism management. The combination of data transparency, artificial intelligence, and destination stewardship positions Expedia as a major driver of the ongoing evolution of global tourism post-2025.​

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