The Traveling Fool
Traveling off the tourist path. Talking about those places most tourists just don't know about because, well, nobody ever told them. Also travel tips and news about travel and tourism to make your trip a little easier, cheaper and more memorable.
The Traveling Fool
The Most Important 2026 Travel Trends You Need to Know
We map the biggest travel shifts for 2026 using real search data, from spontaneous short escapes and small-town storytelling to purpose-driven city breaks and the return of cruises. Practical questions and examples help you plan a flexible, meaningful trip without the stress.
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Welcome to the Traveling Fool Podcast, where we talk about travel destinations, the history and culture around those destinations, as well as travel tips and news. I'm your host, Bob Bales, and today we're going to talk about the latest travel trends for 2026 that people are searching for and how you can use them to plan your next trip. So stay tuned, and we'll be right back. Now, this is going to be the last podcast of the year. And I'll probably start uploading new podcasts the first week of February. I'm going to take January off. I've got a lot of things to do, some personal things I've got to take care of. I'm going to try and get some stuff front loaded so I can get ready for February. But in the meantime, you can go back and listen to some of the previous podcasts. And the best way to see all of them in one place is by going to where I host them at, which is Buzz Sprout. So the link is thetravelingf ool. buzzprout.com. And all the podcasts are listed there and you can have a look. And they're also listed on some of the other platforms like iHeart and Apple and all the rest of these. So now since it's the end of the year, what are some of the things that will affect travel in the new year? Well, there are changes in the airline industry, like baggage fees and weight limits have changed. Different airlines have different weight limits and different baggage size limits. ID requirements to travel on the aircraft has changed. Cruise ships, or some of them, are not traveling to certain ports of call. Just all kinds of different news. However, the main thing is how travel has changed in the last few years by what people are looking for and how they are traveling. So today we're looking at the latest trends using research from what people are searching for and what they've said in various surveys over the last three months. That's all I went back. And how those trends are shaping up for 2026. And you know, sometimes you can learn more about people by watching what they search for online than by asking them directly. Because when people search, they're honest. They're not posting highlight reels, they're not pretending they're an adventurist or a budget conscious or spontaneous. I mean, you call me up and say, if you could go anywhere, where would you go, Mr. Bales? Oh, well, I would go mountain climbing. Ah bull. My knees don't work. So sometimes when you call people up on surveys, they're a little skewed. But when they're searching online, they're pretty honest because they are looking for what they want to do. They're sitting at a keyboard or tapping on a phone late at night, typing in what they want to do or what they want to experience. And over the last 30 to 60 days, travel searches have been telling a really interesting story. There's been a nearly 180% bump in US search interests for flights to the Czech Republic compared to 2025. Searches for Bulgaria were up nearly 140%. Those from Hungary are up nearly 90%, and those for Albania rose just over 65%. These are for people in the US searching for destinations for travel. There's also notable interest in parts of the Middle East that searches for Jordan and Egypt are both up nearly 50%. Christchurch, New Zealand tops the list for trending cities with a search interest up nearly 200% for 2026 travel versus 2025. And it's followed by Prague at 180%, Sofia, Bulgaria at 136%, and Krakow, Poland at 106%. So there's huge interest in US travelers traveling to these destinations. Also, destinations such as the Philippines, the Caribbean islands, the Azores, and the Seychelles are all up in the searches in the past 30 days. Now, in the last 30 to 60 days, people are searching for affordable luxury, culturally merging like Ryokans in Japan and food tours and beach and nature trips in the southeast US. And unique experience-driven travel with strong interest in Europe and Asia. Places like Japan and Vietnam in Asia and Paris and London in Europe. But it's not just where people want to go, but how they want to travel and why they want to travel and what they are quietly trying to escape. So let's see what people are searching for right now and what those searches mean and how you can use the information, whether you're planning your own trip or just daydreaming about the next one. Think of this less like a trend report, and we're like, well, you're eavesdropping on what everybody's looking for. So let's start with the biggest shift happening right now. People are not planning far ahead. Well, this might sound a little obvious, but it's a major change from how travel has worked for decades. Searches for short-term, spontaneous travel within a few days of booking have risen sharply, especially for international and short domestic getaways. Right now, some of the most common searches include phrases like weekend getaways near me. In fact, I did a podcast a couple of two or three podcasts ago about how to do the best searches for those. But other search phrases have included things like last minute travel deals, short trips from blank, fill in the city name, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Philadelphia, and three-day vacation ideas. People aren't asking where should I go next summer? They're asking where can I go right now? And this tells us a lot. First, travelers want flexibility. They don't want to lock themselves into plans months in advance. They want options. They want to see what their schedule, budget, and energy level look like and then decide. Second, they want travel to feel easy again. You know, a long, complicated itinerary feels like work. A short, well planned escape, well, that feels like relief. So that's why quick trips, regional travel, and travel to destinations are absolutely dominating search behavior right now. And this doesn't mean people have stopped dreaming big. It means they're breaking those dreams into little smaller, more manageable pieces. You have the rise of the short escape. And here's what's fascinating. People aren't saying they don't want to travel. They're saying they don't want to travel to be exhausting. Search interest in long international travel itineraries is still there, but it's being overshadowed by searches for one to three night trips, easy transportation, walkable destinations, places where you don't need a complicated plan. And this is why small towns, nearby cities, and regional attractions are seeing a huge surge of interest. A lot of travelers are thinking if I only had a few days, I don't want to waste half of it in transit. So they're choosing places that are close, compact, and full of character. Nature and outdoor travel are still going strong, but with a twist. Yes, people are still searching for national parks, scenic areas, lakes, beaches, and mountains. Man, I'm always searching for good beaches. I just love beach life. But the tone of those searches has changed. It's less about extreme adventure and more about well, restoration. People are searching for things like quiet national parks, less crowded scenic towns. And these are actual search terms. Nature trips without hiking. You got me there because I don't like hiking. Relaxing outdoor vacations. Those are what people are looking for, and that's important. This isn't about conquering nature, it's about letting nature do the heavy lifting emotionally. After years of constant noise and digital noise and news noise and schedule noise, people want places that just feel a little slower. That's why destinations with lakes, rolling hills, historic downtowns and wide open landscapes are performing so well in the search data. People don't want to feel rushed. Small towns are having a moment, and not ironically, I mean travel to small towns is big business these days. For a long time, small towns were marketed as kind of like, you know, a novelty or an accidental stop. Well, not anymore. They're being searched for as a solution. Searches for charming small towns. Historic towns to visit, and quiet weekend towns are climbing steadily in the search algorithms. And here's the key reason why. Small towns promise three things people feel they're missing. A sense of a story. The story of the town. You know, I've been to a lot of small towns. And um well, a few months ago I went to Kansas and I've I visited a couple small towns, and it was the story of the people, the town and the history there. People are also looking for a sense of place and a slower pace. In big cities, everything happens and changes quickly. In small towns, history lingers. And for a traveler, that means character. It means walking streets where something happened. I love walking and visiting historic places because it puts you where something of extreme importance in history happened. It means places with legends, local lore and stories that you just can't Google in five seconds. People don't just want to know where to eat. They want to know what happened there. Now, city travel hasn't gone away, it's just more intentional. So let's talk about cities. Urban tourism continues to be large in the search demand, including travelers seeking major cities. The museums, the food scenes, the cultural events. Searches for city trips and cultural destination exploration remain a core of long-term trends in the travel industry. Now, while urban and large city travel is still very much alive, the way people search for city trips has changed. Instead of broad searches like best cities to visit, or in my case, best beaches in the Caribbean or in Asia or whatever, people are searching for food-focused city trips, cultural weekend cities, walkable cities for tourists, cities with museums and history. And of course you're going to narrow that down. If I'm if I'm a big history buff, which I am, and I like museums, I would search for cities with museums in history in Alabama. And it would give me a list just of that specific area that I'm looking for, or of walkable cities for tourists in France. Food focused city trips in Vietnam. Travelers want cities with a purpose. They're no longer interested in just checking off a skylight photo. They want experiences tied to food, art, music, architecture, or history. And they want those experiences to be concentrated, not scattered across endless neighborhoods. This is why mid-sized cities with strong identities are performing well right now. Cities where you can land, check in, and immediately feel like you're somewhere distinct. You know, several years ago I went and spent uh thirty days in Prague. And I could walk it it would take pretty much the majority of the day, but I could walk from one side of the major part of Prague to the other side, from the castle, all the way across Charles Bridge, all the way through the square, all the way past up to the other side of town, and see everything in that town. You can't really do that in London, although you can do it in little portions of London, and you can't really do that in Paris. So you need to find a mid-sized city where you can be in the center of everything in walking distance. Now family and multigenerational travel is quietly surging. There's a trend that it doesn't always get noticed though, but it shows up clearly in the search data. Families are traveling together more. Not just parents and kids, but grandparents, adult siblings, and extended family groups. Family oriented trips are strongly trending, with nearly half of travelers planning multigenerational vacations. And this includes destinations suited for a range of ages and shared experiences. You're seeing searches like family friendly destinations, trips for all ages, multi generational vacation ideas. Those are rising steadily in the search terms. And it makes sense. People want shared experiences. They want memories that span generations. Destinations that offer a mix of history, easy activities, food, and walkability are especially appealing here. Not everyone wants thrill rides. Not everyone wants museums all day. But everyone wants something that they can talk about afterwards. So they're looking for the multi-experience where everyone gets to enjoy something. And a recent travel study showed that 59% of travelers reported taking at least one solo trip in recent years. So solo travel is evolving, it's not disappearing. The growth is not only about youth, professionals, older adults, and wellness focus focused travelers are all part of the rising trend. You know, in the past the solo traveler was a very small segment of the market, and a lot of people weren't really courting that market. It was either, well, look at that backpacker. Must be nice not to have a job and just wander around the world all the time. Or look at that poor man or woman just traveling all by themselves all alone. Well now, solo travel is a core segment, not a fringe one. Searches for solo cruise holiday have showed significant increase over recent years with significant annual growth. Cruise lines are responding by offering single occupancy cabins and dedicated social spaces just for the solo traveler. Instead of solo backpacking or cheap solo travel, people are searching for safe solo travel destinations, solo trips in the US, quiet solo getaways. Now this suggests a shift from adventure driven solo travel to more reflective travel, wellness retreats or relaxing cultural beaches or peaceful coastal towns. They're all seeing an increase in interest. People aren't trying to prove anything. They're trying to reconnect with themselves, with history, and with a place. Search trends show that solo travelers are moving away from the major hotspots in the party towns and towards less crowded, affordable, and authentic destinations. And this includes smaller towns, quieter coastal regions, and countries that offer cultural experiences without the high price tags of traditional tourist centers and tourism. That's why destinations that feel welcoming and manageable and rich in atmosphere are winning the solo travel market. Now cruises and package travel are making a comeback as well. And this one kind of surprised some people. Twenty one point seven million Americans are expected to cruise in 2026. That's up from 20.7, so a million more people are expected to cruise in 2026 than did in 2025. While the Caribbean remains the most popular cruise destination, interest is shifting, shifting towards a broader set of itineraries like Alaska, transatlantic cruises, Hawaii and the South Pacific, and European river cruises. Interest in longer cruises, the 15 plus day ones, has increased as well, indicating a trend towards deeper, longer experiences on the water. And people aren't just searching for luxury cruises. They're searching for affordable cruises, short cruises, and repositioning cruises. These are the ones where the boat has to go from one port to another, and they're not really set up to do a full-blown guest cruise. It's a repositioning cruise to go to another port of call. But in other words, people want convenience and value. They want someone else to handle all the logistics. And the same goes for packaged travel experiences that promise simplicity. Travelers are tired of overplanning. Now, since I went back and looked for the last two or three months, I got a feeling for what seasonal and holiday travel searches are like. And they're spiking earlier. And it's very clear from the data, people are thinking ahead about the holidays. Searches tied to holiday and seasonal destinations. Places, you know, like Christmas markets in Europe or ski and winter and sports locales for winter sports, they have risen and have risen significantly as the calendar turns towards winter and the sustained travel planning into the following year. Searches related to holiday travel tips or seasonal destinations or winter getaways or Christmas markets. These start earlier every year. But even here there's a shift. People aren't asking for the best holiday destination. You know, I know I'm I remember many years ago you put you write an article if you put best things to see and do, best places to eat, best destinations. Oh, Google loved that. Well, people aren't searching for that mess anymore. They're asking for the least stressful one. They want smooth travel, manageable crowds, and meaningful experiences. Now, what all this what does all this tell us about today's traveler? Well, when you step back and look at all of these trends together, a picture forms. Recent travel search behavior shows that people are looking for meaningful, affordable, and flexible travel options from quick city breaks and nature escapes to family vacations and culturally rich urban exploration. Seasonal and holiday travel planning has also risen as travelers look to book months in advance. So today's traveler is time conscious, experience focused, story driven, less interested in the spectacle, and more interested in the substance. People today, when they travel, they're just not trying to impress anyone. They're trying to feel something. You know, that immersive travel that you keep hearing about. I've been doing that for years before it ever had an aim. You know, to me, travel is as much about the experience and the people I meet as it is about the destination. People want travel to give them stories, not stress. So how can you use this information? Well, if you're listening and thinking about your next trip, here's how to use these trends in a practical way. Ask yourself, do I want a long escape or a short reset? Do I want crowds or calm? Do I want the novelty or the story? If you only have a few days, don't fight that. Lean into places close to home with deep roots. If you're feeling burned out, look for destinations where the pace is built in, somewhere where you can relax in a slower paced environment. If you're craving connection, choose places with history, character, and human stories. So where is travel heading next? Well, if any if current search behavior is any indication, the future of travel looks less flashy, but more meaningful. Less about the Instagram moments at the waterfall or the parties in Ibiza, less about checking a box on a bucket list and more about lived in moments. More conversations that start with let me tell you what happened when I went here. You know? And that's a pretty good place for travel to be, rather than oh yeah, I had a lot of fun. But when the story starts, oh man, let me tell you what happened when I visited this place. So next time you're scrolling through travel ideas late at night, remember, you're not alone. 2026 is the year of ultra personalized travel. And the people that are booking the hotel rooms and everything else they're taking notice. Travelers are ditching the cookie cutter itineraries for journeys that reflect their individual preferences and passions. Whether you're a foodie wanting a culinary souvenir from local kitchens or an adventurer seeking remote trails, or a culture lovier just diving into traditions. 2026 is all about travel that feels uniquely yours. Millions of people are searching for the same things you are. A break, a story, a place that leaves you with those long lasting memories of the people you met and the experiences you had. And somewhere out there, the right destination is waiting for you. So that's it for this week. Like I said, this is the last episode of the year. And I really appreciate everybody listening in. I really do. If you get a chance, hit that like or subscribe button. Send the link of the podcast to somebody you think might find it interesting. And I'll be back after the new year with a whole new set of podcasts, a lot of destinations. In fact, I'll tease you with the first one I'm probably gonna put up. It's about a little small town in Texas that had an open secret for years that was ignored by everybody until it couldn't be ignored any longer. It's a really cool place to visit. But I'll be back in February with a brand new episode. So until then, safe travels.
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