The Future
of Travel
A view from the industry
Looking ahead to the future of travel and tourism
Travelers are showing changes in behavior as we head toward 2026. While they may increasingly be looking to travel abroad, they’re stretching their budgets to make room for richer, more rewarding experiences.
In turn, travel demand continues its shift toward more conscientious choices, with a third of travelers looking to avoid overtouristed areas in favor of the quieter and less visited.
In the technology space, AI will play an increasingly nuanced role through the entire travel journey, with bespoke solutions and multiple agents working together behind the scenes to solve specific and real traveler problems – from inspiration to planning and right through to booking.
At the same time, in the inspiration space, more and more travelers are turning to social media to fuel their wanderlust and seek out where to take their next trip.
The future of travel? It’s curated, considered, and more clever than ever before.
2026 global traveler intentions
After crunching our search data and global survey of 22,000 travelers,1 we’re seeing that travelers aren’t slowing down – they’re traveling more and stretching their budgets.
Cat King
VP Commercial, Skyscanner
Demand and spending are climbing
“What’s exciting about next year is that our data signals traveler demand and spend is set to increase. 84% of the 22,000 people we surveyed globally said they’d travel more in 2026. Gen Z and Millennials are really hitting the road or skies!
Not only is demand looking up but spending is too. 37% of travellers say they’ll spend more on flights, 31% will up their hotel budget, and 16% will put more into car rentals.
We also see good numbers for auxiliary spending among global travelers, with tours and activities (45%), multicity trips (33%) and flight seat selection (30%) all popular.
So how does the industry capture this demand? We love sharing the big global trends we believe will shape the year ahead to help inform the industry early. It’s always about staying ahead of the curve and being able to pivot quickly. Data and intelligence help our industry players do that as well as identify new strategic opportunities to grow their businesses.
While we don’t know the events that will unfold in 2026, we know real-time actionable data and intelligence help our partners identify new strategic opportunities and respond quickly to changing market dynamics and – more importantly – keep traveler trust. We’re excited to be part of the airline industry’s evolution, building innovative, dynamic distribution solutions to shape the future of travel.”
Insider insights
84% say they’ll go abroad as much – or more – in 2026 vs 2025.
Travelers are ready to spend more on trips in 2026 vs. 2025:
Experiences and comfort come first in traveler spending plans:
The cost factors impacting destination choice abroad are:
Cost Factors
Industry shifts: What’s shaping the travel industry
Moving into 2026, travel demand is climbing – and so is traveler spending. That rising momentum sets the stage for major shifts in how trips are planned, inspired, and experienced.
AI is set to shift from assistant to agentic, where multiple systems work together to solve complex traveler needs, from trip inspiration to in-the-moment support. It’s not just an evolution – it’s a whole new operating system for travel.
Social and search are now the go-to tools for inspiration, research, and planning. As search grows smarter, social platforms are reshaping the inspiration phase by surfacing trending spots, niche experiences, and recommendations in a way that feels personal and fun.
We also expect a growing number of travelers to dodge the crowds and peak seasons, as overtourism is felt in many parts of the world. Still, old habits linger. Over three-quarters of travelers (77%) revisit the same destinations for at least 20% of their vacations, often because they don’t know where else to go.
Piero Sierra
Chief Product Officer, Skyscanner
Agentic AI is transforming travel
“We’re witnessing a seismic transformation: AI is changing the entire travel journey, from the moment you get inspired to deciding where you want to go, to customer service during the trip itself.
This year, we see that travelers are getting more confident in using AI to plan and book their travel, rising from 47% in 2024 to 54% in 2025 – and I expect this trajectory to slowly build in the year ahead.
At the same time, the data also shows us there are still many aspects that travelers are worried about when using AI. Almost half of our global respondents (49%) worry about the accuracy of information from AI tools, and almost a quarter (24%) say there are too many choices and not enough meaningful options (22%) for their trip.
We know that travelers need accurate, up-to-date information, pricing, and ways of comparing options when they move to the final booking decision. Once there, they’ll use a brand they trust to give them these elements for their perfect trip.
The other change we’ll see in 2026 is that we’ll step further into Agentic AI. At the moment, we’re using language models to solve discrete travelers’ tasks and boost productivity. But what’s coming is the creation of multiple agents that work together to solve travelers’ problems. And that’s going to change everything.”
Trending
54% of travelers are confident about using AI to help them plan and book travel in 2026, up from 47% the year before.
To help them plan or book travel in 2026, travelers will use AI to:
AI Travel
Research a destination
Create a travel itinerary
Compare flight or hotel options and prices
The top worries travelers have when using AI to book travel are:
Hannah Pilpel
Director of Social Media & Community, Skyscanner
Social search is powering trip inspiration
“Social and search are the platforms of choice for travel inspiration, research, and planning. And as search engines and AI continue to evolve and innovate, social search is evolving travel inspiration with unique experiences, trending niches, and recommendations.
Social search is the go-to for the younger generations, with platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and YouTube gaining increasing authority when it comes to travel inspiration and planning. Gen Z, in particular, loves YouTube (54%), Instagram (59%), and TikTok (47%), as well as film and TV (29%) to look for travel inspiration. Video, it’s clear, is vital to capturing Gen Z’s attention.
So, what type of content stands out on social media? We know that travelers are looking for authenticity. They want honest insider travel tips and recommendations that make their trips easier. They want to know the must-see places, which parts aren’t worth the hype, and what hidden gems they should look out for. AI will, of course, continue to impact search behaviors on social and search engines. But the other “A” word for 2026 on socials will be content that’s all about “authenticity.”
Travelers told us these are their favorite sources for travel inspiration:
YouTube
TikTok
Film & TV
Martin Nolan
Chief Legal Officer and Sustainability Expert, Skyscanner
Overtourism is influencing decision-making
“When it comes to overtourism, our latest research reveals a shift in traveler mindset. Over a third of travelers (34%)2 say they now actively seek out quieter destinations, and 31% plan to visit popular places only in shoulder seasons – a clear sign that overtourism is influencing decision-making. 32% report that overcrowding has negatively impacted their travel experience; the effects of overtourism are already being felt.
What’s more, over three-quarters of travelers (77%) revisit the same destinations for at least 20% of their vacations – exacerbating strain on tourist hotspots.
We believe travelers need more inspiration and guidance on where else to go other than the most well-known places – indeed, 17% said they’d continue visiting overtouristed places, but only as it’s hard to figure out where else to go and what to do somewhere else.
It’s no surprise, given this shift, that our ‘Underrated Destinations’ feature is one of our most popular filters within Skyscanner’s ‘Everywhere’ search. It’s clear that travelers are not just aware of over-tourism – they’re responding with real behavioral change.”
Over a third of travelers say they now actively seek out quieter destinations.3
Discover the trends yourself. Search now.
- These are the results of a global survey of 22,000 travelers, conducted by OnePoll in June–July 2025. ↩︎
- These are the global results from a global survey of 22,000 travellers, conducted by OnePoll in June–July 2025. ↩︎
- These are the global results from a global survey of 22,000 travellers, conducted by OnePoll in June–July 2025. ↩︎