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The trends shaping how we holiday in 2026
With flights, hotels and experiences just a few clicks away, simple trips are effortless. But the holidays people really want in 2026 – multi-centre journeys, precisely timed seasons, layered experiences – are anything but plug-and-play.
Our latest booking data reflects a clear shift with demand moving towards complexity, done well. And as journeys become more multi-layered, confidence is shifting away from DIY planning and back towards conversation-led expertise. Not because travellers want less involvement, but because they want more from their time away – and reassurance that every element will work together seamlessly.
This year’s trends explore not just where people are holidaying, but how, revealing a new definition of travel for 2026: travel that is ambitious, intelligently designed and expertly pulled off.
Complexity is the new luxury
Remember when luxury meant keeping things simple? In 2026, the most desirable trips are the ones that layer places, experiences and cultures – effortlessly.
As UK travellers become more deliberate about how and where they spend, value is increasingly defined by depth rather than ease.
Our strongest growth areas are in destinations that reward exploration, and nowhere exemplifies this more than Canada. Travellers are no longer choosing between experiences, but weaving them together: gliding through the Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer, picking up the keys for a self-drive through British Columbia’s lakes and mountain towns, then finishing with an Alaska cruise that adds glaciers, wildlife and coastal drama to the journey.
Even traditional fly-and-flop regions are evolving. In the Caribbean, gateway islands like Antigua are making multi-island journeys easy. Travellers are increasingly combining destinations including Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbados.
In 2026, luxury isn’t about doing less; it’s about complexity handled so well it feels effortless.
Across Kuoni’s global bookings - from Canada to Kenya, Tanzania to Thailand - our strongest growth is coming from holidays that involve more planning, more destinations and more experiences. In 2026, complexity isn’t a barrier to booking, it’s a sign of value.
Holidays that include two to three destinations are up 10% year on year
In Canada, 65% of bookings now include five or more centres, up 9% year on year.
In the Caribbean, two-to-three centre trips are up 50%.
Family travel all grown up
Forget kids’ clubs and early bedtimes. In 2026, family holidays are built around big experiences – with teenagers, adult children and grandparents along for the ride.
Thailand (our top multi-centre destination) is a standout for this kind of travel, lending itself naturally to layered family journeys that keep everyone engaged. Our customers are mixing Bangkok’s street food and temples with jungle stays in Khao Sok or wildlife in Chiang Mai, then finishing on the islands for time to reset together. It’s a winning formula we’re seeing replicated across the board, with families going beyond the beach, mixing islands with jungle, food, culture and soft adventure – kayaking, cycling, cooking and exploring together in ways that appeal as much to parents as they do to grown-up kids. Travelling later in life means there are less child-centred logistics to think about, and family groups are ticking off those big bucket-list adventures.
And families are taking the whole crew to places once considered couples-only: Maldives and Mauritius are surprisingly popular with multi-generational groups, showing that in 2026, family travel isn’t about organising around children. It’s about the shared indulgence of doing something extraordinary together.
We’re seeing families travel together later in life, with teenagers, university-age children and even those in their twenties on adventurous, experience-led holidays with parents and grandparents.
41% of bookings that include three or more travellers now include at least one young adult aged 18-30 (up 28% vs 2024).
Demand is increasing for destinations like Africa and Southeast Asia, where families can share a rich mix of experiences together in one trip.
Our top selling family destinations are Maldives, Mauritius, Thailand, Greece and USA.
The art of boredom
In a world obsessed with doing more, what if the most radical thing you could do on holiday is nothing at all?
As everyday life becomes louder and more compressed, travellers are quietly seeking out places that allow them to switch off completely, without explanation or effort. And while demand for traditional beach holidays is softening overall, demand for the Maldives – a destination defined by space, privacy and unstructured time – still leads the charts. It’s a reminder that rest, when done properly, has real value.
Luxury stays like Ananea Madivaru Maldives, building on an outstanding first year, lean into this philosophy, pairing best-in-class food and design with space, privacy and calm that feels increasingly rare. Meanwhile, long-standing favourites such as Kuramathi prove that scale doesn’t have to mean noise.
In a culture that rewards busyness, choosing boredom is quietly radical. In 2026, doing nothing isn’t indulgent – it’s intentional. And that’s the point.
Doing nothing used to feel indulgent. Now it feels necessary – and that’s why the Maldives still leads.
The Maldives remains our number one destination for 2026.
Over 80% of people who choose the Maldives as an additional stop stay there for 5-7 nights, intentionally adding in downtime after exploring India and Sri Lanka.
Google Trends shows steady growth in searches for: digital detox retreat; quiet holiday; wellness escape and sleep tourism.
The upgrade experience
Welcome to the age of à la carte travel, where travellers elevate the moments that matter most – by night, by seat, by experience – rather than upgrading everything at once.
Travellers are enhancing their holidays with private guides, cultural deep dives and food-led experiences, particularly in destinations such as Sri Lanka and Vietnam, where excursions don’t just complement the trip – they shape it.
And we’re seeing more guests combining four-star and five-star stays within a single journey – opting for characterful, great-value hotels at the start, then finishing with something exceptional. Flights are being treated in much the same way, with one third of all flights to the Caribbean and Australasia upgraded to Premium Economy or Business Class, with some customers planning entire trips around good-value premium flights.
This is a shift away from blanket luxury and towards intelligent indulgence and more in-depth experiences.
Travellers are no longer just upgrading flights and hotels, but how they actually experience a destination – from street food tours to private guides or adding longer beach stays.
Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Canada and Kenya are our top destinations for added experiences - overwhelmingly foodie, cultural and wildlife-led.
30% of bookings include a mix of four- and five-star hotels.
Just under half of all experiences booked are private chauffeur or driver-led.
20% of travellers upgrade to Premium Economy or Business Class on long-haul routes – rising to 30% for Australasia and the Caribbean.
Shoulder season is the new sweet spot
Peak season used to be the prize. In 2026, the savviest trips are happening just outside it, as travellers swap high summer for the calmer sweet spots of May and September.
We’re seeing this most clearly in destinations traditionally defined by peak demand. In Kenya and Tanzania, September is now the most popular month to travel, with guests choosing the tail end of the Great Wildbeest Migration over the summer rush. Wildlife remains exceptional, but camps are calmer and sightings feel less competitive.
And in Europe, rather than defaulting to July and August, our travellers are leaning into months that bring warmth without congestion: May, early June and September. In Italy, that means long lunches in Ischia and Sorrento or pairing the Italian Lakes with city stays before the crowds arrive. In Greece, twin-centre island holidays – from multi-stop Crete to Corfu – are building momentum.
It’s no longer about the bragging rights of peak season. It’s about the quiet joy of perfect timing.
We’re seeing travellers actively plan around crowds and conditions now. They’re asking for the same destinations – just at smarter times.
All destinations: June bookings +6%; September bookings +12% year on year.
Africa: September is now the most popular month to travel to Africa +61% year on year.
Europe: June +29%; September +39% year on year.
Tanzania: September +218% year on year
Two moods, one journey
Why choose one mood when you can have two? In 2026, the smartest holidays are built around contrast – pairing experiences that balance each other perfectly.
Travellers are designing trips around how places work together – and that doesn’t always mean crossing borders. Lively and laid-back. Lush and open. Culture and coast. It’s not always about adding more stops; it’s about getting the rhythm right.
In the Caribbean, that might mean dividing time between the dramatic peaks of Saint Lucia and the softer, spice-scented shores of Grenada – or pairing Antigua’s polished beaches with the quieter feel of St Kitts.
In Europe, Crete delivers two distinct moods in one stay, combining Chania’s harbour buzz with Elounda’s village calm. In the Maldives, guests are blending iconic resorts like Kuramathi with newer openings such as Ananea Madivaru, combining familiarity with freshness. And in Mauritius, twin-centre stays contrast mountain interiors with lagoon coastlines.
This is travel as composition, not accumulation – and finding the perfect balance.
People aren’t asking one place to do everything anymore – they’re choosing destinations that balance each other, so the holiday has a better rhythm.
Our top five twin centre destinations are Thailand, Mauritius, Tanzania, Kenya and the Maldives.
Saint Lucia and Barbados is the most popular Caribbean twin-island pairing.
Ananea Madivaru and Kuramathi are our most popular Maldives island combo.
Stopovers that deserve their own chapter
Once, a stopover was just a night and a pillow. Now it’s a plot twist – with travellers turning transit points into meaningful mini-breaks.
Nowhere shows this more clearly than Singapore, our most popular stopover destination, where travellers typically stay for three to five days – enough time to get a feel for the place without losing the momentum of the onward journey.
A similar shift is unfolding across the Middle East. Stopovers in the United Arab Emirates are stretching beyond a single night into twin-centre stays that combine energy and ease, pairing the sights and hospitality of Dubai with Abu Dhabi, or adding Ras Al Khaimah for desert landscapes and mountain scenery. Doha in Qatar is emerging as a desert-meets-sea stopover destination, known for its futuristic skyline, standout museums and effortless blend of culture and innovation.
In 2026, stopovers aren’t filler – they’re part of the story.
Customers are booking stopovers much more deliberately, treating them as mini-breaks rather than a pause between flights.
Over 70% of Kuoni stopovers in Singapore and the UAE now last three to five nights.
Singapore is Kuoni’s most popular stopover destination, followed by the UAE.
71% of Kuoni customers touching down in Qatar are choosing to stay 2-3 nights.
Rising stars
Beyond Kuoni’s top-selling destinations, a new wave of places are quietly gaining momentum – often smaller in volume, but growing fast as travellers seek space, wildlife and a sense of discovery.
1. Off the beaten track in Dominica
As multi-island Caribbean travel grows, travellers are looking for contrast – pairing well-known islands with somewhere greener, quieter and less developed. Dominica’s rise reflects a shift away from resort-first travel towards nature-led islands that reward hiking, exploration and time outdoors.
+129% year on year.
2. Southern Africa’s next wave: Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe
With safari demand surging, experienced travellers are moving beyond the headline parks. These destinations offer the same wildlife draw as East Africa, but with fewer crowds and greater flexibility for multi-centre itineraries, often pairing safari with river, coast or cultural experiences.
+49%, +56% and +26% year on year.
3. Natural beauty andadventure in Oman
Oman’s appeal lies in its contrast at atime when travellers want space as muchas stimulation. Its dramatic landscapes,from beaches and mountains to vastdesert, make it a hit for holiday-richexperiences like stargazing sleepoutsin Bedouin-style camps, off-roadadventures and sailing along the coastline in a traditional dhow.
+11% year on year.
Contact the PR team
• Lou Hughes - Senior Brand & Acquisition Manager - lou.hughes@kuoni.co.uk
• Kathryn Malone - Marketing & PR Manager - kathryn.malone@kuoni.co.uk
• Natasha Byfield - PR, Partnerships and Events Marketing Executive - natasha.byfield@kuoni.co.uk
• Catherine Burns - Trade Marketing Manager - catherine.burns@kuoni.co.uk
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