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2026 Travel Trends: 10 Ideas You Can Build a Trip Around
Need some travel ideas for 2026? We review Flight Centre's list of the top 10 travel trends for 2026, and how we might adapt them for our own travels.
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We are travel enthusiasts who do not claim to be professionals! Instead, we are two Halifax, NS natives with travel blogs who somehow found one another on the internet, and now, we have a podcast!!
Join us every week as we talk about our favourite destinations, travel tips, travel fails, and all things travel!
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Disclaimer: All episodes are based on our opinions and experiences. Always do your research and make travel plans based on your budget and comfort levels.
Hey everyone and welcome back to the Travel Mug Podcast. Here we are, just a few weeks into 20 26 6. 2026. Oh my gosh. mouthful. is. It is. Okay. How are you feeling about this year, Meggan? I mean, there's so much stuff happening, like good bad. Hmm. would say. Like I'm just trying to take it a day at time. Yeah. do turn 50 this year and I don't feel bad about it. Like it is what it is. It's a privilege to be here. So overall, I'm, I'm just gonna try to be optimistic Yeah, PO yeah. And you have a big exciting trip to celebrate turning 50, so that makes it easier. I, oh, about you? yeah. Let's not forget Let's not forget me. Um, I feel good. Yeah, we've got a couple of trips on the books, which is really exciting. Yeah, I'm just kind of like moving slowly into this year. Don't make any sudden movements, you know, That's best. so our friends at Flight Centre Canada have declared 2026, the year of R and R travel that is reconnection and renewal, which sounds lovely. So they note that they're seeing travel evolve from something people do to get away to something that people do for recovery mentally, emotionally, and socially. Uh, which I get. Like we all need, we all need to recover at this point. We do. So we're gonna break down Flight Centre's top 10 trends for 2026 and how we might adapt them, how you could adapt them for your own travels. I love it. So let's kick us off, Yeah, so the first one that they uh, noted is called Canada Strong. So they note that 81% of Canadians say that exchange rates drive their travel choices. And that makes sense for me. It, it, it really, it really It really, really do. The exchange rates can really suck. Like seeing that happen, uh, really, really sucks and it definitely contributed to our decision last year to only travel within Canada. And I think this also aligns with something that we always say that like local travel is also travel. Obviously, we're in Canada, it's a huge country. There's a lot of it to explore, uh, but even in your small little area, like local travel still counts and you don't always have to travel internationally. And it also helps keep your travel dollars local, especially if you try to spend your money at locally owned spots. I'm sure Meggan and I are gonna keep doing this in 2026. Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. We've already got a few of these planned. We're very big into traveling locally for our smaller trips. We really, really love it. So that's a great one to kick things Yeah. Yeah. And now it doesn't have to be Canada. No matter where you're listening from, just travel around your local area and, uh, see what you can find. whatever local means Yeah. Alright, number two. Uh, let's talk Wellness revolution. So 2025 Wild ride, let's Mm-hmm. And that means different things for different people. But if 2025 was a rough year for you, but really even if it wasn't, you might be like 58% of Canadians who use travel to de-stress to get away from it all. And that also means different things for different people. So wellness tourism is truly booming and supposed to reach 9 billion US dollars by 2028. Yeah. Whoa. like 18 billion Canadian or something. Um, so things are only going to get more stressful apparently, is what they're I mean, listen, the, the evidence suggests. The evidence doesn't indeed suggest. So wellness travel could mean a digital detox, burnout, retreats, sound baths, and more. So I had to like for myself like what is a sound bath? Just in case you were wondering, well, a sound bath is an immersive experience where you are literally bathed in sounds surrounding you from like gongs or tuning forks or chimes, just to name a few that are supposed to induce relaxation and stress relief. Personally, noises irritate me. I'm not gonna lie. So I'm not sure that one is for me, but honestly, I think a digital detox would be very interesting. I hope I don't need a burnout retreat. Hmm. Anything's possible, but I think the digital detox would be interesting. What do you think about this trend overall? Jenn? That's really interesting. I did do once a sound bath at a Nordic spa, um, and it was, it was outside, so there's like other noises. I don't know, I don't know how you would feel about it, but I did find it relaxing and I love this idea. I really love like Nordic spas and saunas and that sort of thing. So I could definitely see myself planning an entire like weekend getaway around relaxing. I don't see myself doing like a full like week or two week trip on this, but it's a weekend getaway thing for sure. Yeah, definitely. And I think even for myself, I think when I'm gonna do this coming years, I think I'm actually going to book a weekend away myself. Ooh, interesting. Peter and I have talked about it, so, and I think that is something I would like to experience, so making my sort of way out to like a stay and just being on my own for two days. So I'll, I'll get back to Yeah, I actually have a yearly like women's wellness retreat that I go on, and it's more like, active, then relaxing, I guess it's also relaxing, but, um, it's, you know, we're doing like archery and trying new things and like doing workouts together and going out on a lake and it's, it's a really fun weekend and it, it's actually basically in the middle of nowhere, so your phone doesn't really work. So it does do a bit of a digital detox as well. It's got all kinds of things combined Yeah, just combine them all together. All right, so the next one is Adventure Rising. So globally, adventure and active exploration now accounts for 55% of Flight Centre bookings. So over half and uh, many travelers are looking for wilderness stay, arctic cruises and treks from Patagonia to the Australian Outback. Uh, they note that people are looking for outdoor experiences that reward growth over excess. I certainly would not call myself an adventurer enthusiast. You, no, you are not gonna find me skiing or doing like a multi-day hike or anything like that. But I can say that I'm probably enjoying more outdoor experiences than I have in the past, we did a few short walks. I'm, I'm gonna hesitate to like, call them hikes. When I was in the u when I was in the Yukon, I was wearing hiking boots, so maybe that counts as a hike. I'm not sure. I think we're gonna say yes. If you've got the apparel, I mean, exactly. it? it was really fun. And, uh, yeah, I'm more into like hobbit hiking, you know, like just like going for a leisurely stroll, looking at things and then coming back and having brunch. Like that's my, that's my jam. But I also really love cities and it might be because I live in a small town and I have access to the outdoors, like basically all the time, like we have a lot of parks and beaches and stuff close by. So Meggan, what do you think? Are you looking for more adventurous activities lately? Um, I'm pretty a, a lot like what you've described. I definitely have to say. I don't even know if I have the hiking boots, but, yeah, like I think like my body's creeky Mm-hmm. so I think my spirit is adventurous, but my but my body cannot keep up. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. that's not my jam as of right now. Yeah, that's fair. I, you know, I have one of my friend's, parents, and they're in their like seventies. They do these like multi-day hiking trips or walking trips where they go, like, they went to the UK to do like the West Highland Way, and it's like several days of walking and I'm like, okay, well they're in their seventies. Like, if, if they can do it, I'm sure I could do it, but like, do I wanna do it, I guess is the question. But that's the question and, and I think that that is absolutely amazing, but you also have to wanna do it, not just do it. Just to do Yeah. Yeah. I would say like my husband is a lot more adventurous than I am. He would, yeah, he would do the hikes and the Peter would do it in jeans because you know. jeans and probably dress shoes for all I know. Um, but no, you're exactly right. He is more adventurous than me as well. They could maybe do that and we could go to brunch. Yeah, that sounds perfect. Okay. I love that deal. It's a Yeah. Alright, next up we're gonna call something that, it doesn't sound right, but it's Roots Routes. Hmm. I know companies like Ancestry and people wanting to find out where their ancestors came from is a huge booming business, and it's also sparking a tourism trend. Mm-hmm. so people are anxious to travel and find out where their family history comes from. As more people become interested in their origins is driving a lot of travel to Italy, Ireland, and Eastern Europe, just to name a few. Peter and I have Irish roots, so I have to say it was cool to go to a country where I knew some members at some point of my family had history. And it was the same when I went to the uk. And yes, looking at me, I am a stereotypical European, UK, as you can imagine. But Jenn, does this kind of travel interest you in terms of like, of course I'm sure it interests you, but would you like make a whole trip around it, I Yeah. That's really interesting. I don't know, I, I haven't actually planned a trip around it specifically. A large part of my family is from, um, the Scottish Highlands. And so it was really great to get there a few years ago. And I also found out that I am 3% Icelandic. Pardon me. so maybe that's why I love Iceland so much. I really, I actually really loved Reykjavik because I'm like, maybe I just feel at home here.'cause my body's like, you belong here. I also really hate the cold though. So that's, uh, doesn't really jive., But this year we're going to Copenhagen, which is where part of my husband's family is from, uh, so that'll be super interesting to see, um, what, how he feels when we're there. Our last name, or my husband's last name is like the most common last name in Denmark. It's like the Smith of Denmark. Oh been, he hasn't really been able to trace his family history very well because it gets lost. You just kind of lose the line. So that's kind of. Too ma. Too many to There's too many. Yeah, so, so it'll be really interesting to go there and, uh, and explore it anyway. Cool. That's awesome. Yeah. All right, so next up, Meggan is one you're gonna be interested in it is the solo surge. So in 2025, solo travelers meet up 37% of all Flight Centre bookings. The solo travelers are heading out on adventures. It sounds like, and many of these are women, so I love that women aren't waiting for anyone to get out there and explore. I personally haven't really ever traveled by myself. I've flown somewhere by myself, but I've always like met up with people that I already know, like at the other end. Right. And I'm a pretty extroverted person, so I don't know. I'm an extroverted, shy person. I don't know if that makes sense, but like meeting new people can be difficult, but I also need the people, so it's hard. Um, I think I would struggle with it, but I do have it on my bucket list, but it feels like so far outside my comfort zone that I feel like I would have to travel solo to somewhere that I'm already comfortable. Like going to Disney kind of thing. Um, also people at Disney in general are like really friendly. Like you end up talking to people in the lines, um, for the ride sometimes. So I feel like that could be a good way to do it. Like you said, Meggan, you're thinking about trying this this year. Where do you think you would go? Like how far do you think you would go? Oh, we're just talking like somewhere within a drive of Mm-hmm. an Airbnb or something. I did spend a month by myself in France Right. in right, it's 22 years ago now. And that, that was a huge adventure Mm-hmm. figuring out things in another language, et cetera. So I have done it, but it's been a while. Like Peter and I enjoy going places together and it's just one of those things, but I feel like. I think it would be cool for me to spend that time by myself. So yeah, I'm just thinking something local weekend away where I don't have to like get on a plane or anything. That's kind of my goal. Yeah, that sounds great. Yes. Uh, next up we wanna talk legacy journeys. So, boomers, listen up. This one is for you. Did you know that nearly one in three, so 27% of people will use retirement savings to do a once in a lifetime trip. I love this one because please go and do it. Like live your life. Experience all you can see really, no matter your age. And I'd like to expand on this one though, because if you have the ability and the means, and like I said, no matter the age, why are you waiting? I know for us, we have hope to be able to do something like this. But before retirement. As mentioned, um, this body is creaky already and I'm not, I'm gonna be 50., So I can't imagine what I'll be like in 10 years, hopefully better, but I just don't know., So I wanna be able to be fit and able. Uh, nothing is guaranteed. So I think if people are able to do this at any stage of their life, why wait. So what are your thoughts on Yeah, I love this. I, I definitely mentioned before, , you know, my stepmom passed away four or five years ago now, and there was a lot of trips that she waited to take and unfortunately waited too long, um, and never got to take them. So I think that, you know. Don't go into like, crippling debt to go on these like lavish legacy journey vacations., But also like, don't keep putting them off. Don't say I'm gonna do that in, you know, for my case, like in 20 years when I'm retired, like I. I wanna do stuff before then. And so for Christmas this year, I actually told my mom that I have started a savings account for her and I to take a trip together. Um, 'cause we've never, I mean, we do like local getaway type trips together, but we've never been on a, like a, a trip, just like a mother and daughter trip, just her and I. So I wanna do that with her and, you know, we're all not getting any younger, so we gotta do that stuff. I love that. I can't wait to to see that Yeah. Yeah. I'm letting her choose the destination, so we'll see where we end up. how adventurous. Who said you're not adventurous? I know, I mean, I guess I told her she could choose, but I had final say. I think so. Well, I told, I'm like, we're not going to Australia, so you gotta be reasonable here. Right. Well, let's Yeah. reason. I get I got the power of veto, so. Excellent. Alright, what's up Okay, so family edutainment. What is edutainment? You ask. Apparently millennials traveling with children are trading beach resorts for culturally rich experiences to help teach their kids about the world. So Flight Centre notes that families are exploring places like the Galapagos Islands or Berlin's art scene to instill wonder and curiosity. I definitely love this trend, and it's great for parents to instill that sense of like being a global citizen into the next generation of travelers. So, Meggan, neither of us have, uh, children. So we're, we're not going to participate in this trend exactly, but it is always great to learn about the place that you are visiting and have culturally rich experiences, whether you have kids or not. And I think this is another great one that can be applied to your hometown or home area as well. Like, visit your local museums, take local tours. There's so much to learn out there. I love that instead of just like going and sitting on a beach with them. And don't get me wrong, there's a time and a place for that. But I think if you are able to also mix in something that's going to teach them about other cultures, about the world, I love that Yeah, and I mean, you can sit on the beach for a couple of days and then go out and do some culturally rich experiences. You know, we can blend it together. Do all the things. Alright, next. Hooked on hobbidays. Another word that you're like, pardon? Hmm. I did not stutter though. hobbidays. So what is that? Well, it is right there in the word. People are using their adult money and free will to travel based on a favorite hobby. Mm. Mm-hmm. well. So whether it's pickleball, another sport. Birdwatching, like, sign me up for that. Or books., This kind of travel now apparently accounts for 10% of tourism. Hmm. I mean, I love birdwatching and I love reading and I do that while I'm traveling, but I hadn't really, honestly considered doing an entire trip yet around that. And I'm not sure I would want to peg myself in like that. Hmm. It's just my feelings about it.'cause I think I could do all the Mm-hmm. Jenn, I know you don't like birds as an example, but you have hobbies of course. What are your thoughts around this kind of travel? I'm definitely not bird watching, but that's okay. Um, my, my main hobbies are crafting, so like particularly cross stitch and I'm learning to knit and then reading. I would really love to go on a reading or crafting retreat. One day recently I actually outlined hosting my own, um, because as my friend Audra says, I hate free time. Yeah. don't have enough to No, no, no. Uh, yeah, no., I don't know if that'll ever actually happen or if it'll just stay a dream, but, uh, I'll, I should look into what other people are hosting before I try to host my own. You know, Yeah. Yeah, I think that, look at you go, I'll just, I'll just sit back and see how that I, you know, you know, everyone knows I got too much going on, but That's okay. That's okay. is. It is indeed. And speaking of too much going on, what's the next Yes, work meets play. So Flight Centre says that nearly two in three Canadians, 63%, are blending business with leisure to improve work life balance, uh, save money or to bond with colleagues turned friends, AKA frolleagues. Listen, Flight Centre loves making up some words. They're, I don't like that one. You don't like frolleagues? I don't like, I don't wanna fr, I mean, I like a frolleague, but I don't wanna call them a frolleague Oh yeah, we might need to workshop that one a little bit, but that's okay. Um, the result is growth in short stay add-ons near conference hubs like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Las Vegas, and New York. This makes perfect sense to me, like if you have to travel for work. You might as well enjoy some of the time you were there. I personally don't have to travel for work, but my husband has before and the next time he takes a work trip, I try, might try to tag along so that I can, uh, spend some time enjoying wherever he is. I took this trend in a little bit of a different direction. I worked remotely from the Yukon in 2025 and it was a great way to travel without taking too much time off. I took one day, I took a Friday off to fly up. So then I had Saturday, Sunday, and then I had all week after work. And then I had the next Saturday before I flew out. And it's really amazing how much you can see and do like on those like weekends and after works if you really try to, uh, to plan it. And if anyone out there listening, if you work for a company that offers a temporary work abroad policy and it works in your life, uh, I would recommend you take advantage of that. Like go, go spend a couple of weeks working from another city, like amazing. Agreed. I couldn't agree Mm-hmm. Excellent. Last trend we're gonna talk about is respectful roamings. as Canadians, this seems like a big concern for us according to Flight center data. So 71% of Canadians are concerned about overt tourism and 53% prioritize the environmental impacts of travel or so they say they do because let's be honest, what else are you gonna say if you're asked these questions? I don't care at all. I don't give a darn about the environment. But we do know that overt tourism is, is ripe out there, so someone has to be going to these places. Um, and people are concerned about that. But all of that aside, it seems that there are a growing number of people all over the world who are concerned about these types of issues and rightly so. It is a conundrum because of course these places are popular for a reason, but just like super popular restaurants as an example, there's likely one just as nice down the road. So you can travel and use that in destinations as well. Yes, x, Y, or Z is very popular, but I'm sure there is A, B and C that's just as nice that maybe it's not as crowded. Mm-hmm. The world is a vast place and I'm sure there are many less travel places that would welcome your travel dollar. that reminds me of our episode that we did a couple months ago that was, um, places to Travel for 2026 and the alternatives. So I'll link that down below because I think that's a good resource there. I completely agree. Well, that is it for this, , travel Trends of 2026 according to Flight Center episode. Do any of these resonate with you or do you have one? That maybe they missed that you're seeing out there, and we would love to hear from you If that is the case, you can find us on social media at Travel Mug Podcast, our website, travel mug podcast.com. And if you like what we're doing here and want to wish us well for 2026 because why wouldn't you? You can buy us a coffee, uh, to help support the show. The link is in the show notes for that. Or leave us a review on Apple or Spotify and share the show with a travel Loving Pal. Until next time, have a great start to 20 26 and beyond, and we'll talk to you soon. Bye.
