Non-cookie cutter hotels, local sporting events, supermarket hauls, literature highlights, and shared family discoveries will inspire travel decisions this year
Flavourful stays
Travellers are increasingly demanding that hotels are more than just a place to rest their heads.
Hotels.com’s contribution to Expedia Group’s Unpack ’26: The Trends in Travel report notes a rise in bookings for restored abbeys, schoolhouses and even prisons. Travellers in 2026 expect “culturally rich experiences by staying in places that tell a story through their architecture and past”.
Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2026 report states that “hotels are the main event”, with immersive stays becoming more common among travellers who are choosing where to go based on where they want to stay.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts has also seen the rise of unique stays. The Luxury Travel Report, published in May 2025 by Preferred Hotels & Resorts in partnership with The Harris Poll, identifies travellers’ dislike for “sameness in design, service, and experience”.
Seventy per cent of surveyed luxury travellers find that modern luxury hotels have lost their soul to standardisation, and nearly three-quarters of them will not pay for luxury accommodation that feels generic.
Philipp Weghmann, chief development officer of Preferred Travel Group, said demand for independent hotels that offer creative guest experiences is, therefore, on the rise.
“Independent hotels have the flexibility to deliver unique experiences that are not tied to signature programming that comes with being part of a global hardware,” he said.
The power of unique hotels is also influencing travellers to book multiple hotels in one destination to allow them to explore different neighbourhoods, chase better deals, and keep things flexible, according to Hotels.com.
Sporting magnets
Major sporting events are big tourism drivers, but this trend will intensify this year. More travellers are seeking out local sport experiences – not just soccer, cricket, hockey or tennis, which are the world’s most popular sports with billions of fans – that offer a deeper connection to local culture, community, and tradition.
Expedia Group projects a surge in uniquely regional sporting experiences, with 57 per cent of respondents saying they are likely to attend one while on a trip. From capoeira in Brazil to sumo wrestling in Japan, travellers want front-row seats to the traditions, energy, and stories that make each place unique.
Fans of Thai kick-boxing, Muay Thai, can apply for a 90-day Muay Thai visa to stay and train in authentic Muay Thai camps across the country. The special visa was introduced in 2024, and a website, Now Muay Thai, was created to guide foreign fans to the best places in Thailand to train.
Supermarket safaris
Travellers are swapping restaurant reservations for supermarket safaris, claims Skyscanner’s travel outlook. In its study, 38 per cent of Asia-Pacific travellers say they plan to explore local supermarkets or grocery stores while on holiday. They also look forward to picking out local favourites from the snack aisle and vending machines.
Skyscanner notes that how people travel for food is now part cultural deep-dive, part budget hack.
Literature inspiration
Respondents to studies conducted by Skyscanner and Vrbo holiday rentals have expressed a desire to go on a trip that is inspired by literature as well as to slow down and include time to read while travelling.
Skyscanner’s trend report finds that people are choosing travel and literature to escape, reconnect and restore, whether by tracing the footsteps of fictional heroes, planning a slow holiday around a reading retreat or chasing the world’s most beautiful bookshops and libraries.
Similarly, Vrbo reveals that 91 per cent of travellers are seeking getaways focused on reading, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones. The Booktok social media trend is fuelling interest in literary-themed travels, with reading-related terms in Vrbo’s guest reviews nearly tripling.
Family time
Quality time with the family on trips has risen in importance post-lockdown, but Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report has identified an interesting development.
Skip-generation holidays are coming up strong, where grandparents and grandchildren are travelling together.
Six in 10 respondents across Asia-Pacific say they have taken or plan to take a skip-generation holiday. The trend is most pronounced in China (86 per cent) and India (79 per cent), where it has moved from novelty to mainstream. In China, more than three-quarters expect to book at least one to two skip-generation holidays in 2026, suggesting such trips may soon rival traditional family vacations.
Families are choosing experiences that encourage shared discovery. Culinary exploration (69 per cent) and visits to historical and cultural landmarks (63 per cent) are the top activities, particularly in destination Singapore, where more than eight in 10 families cite food-related exploration as their preferred activity.
