Have you ever felt like part of a cattle roundup, herded on and off buses, through museums, or across historical sites with the masses? Or found yourself wondering why you’re even bothering to snap photos when professional shots in postcards, or free online, would far exceed what you can capture, and without the jostling? That’s a sign you were traveling in search of a destination as opposed to an experience. No more.According to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report, “the first question globetrotters are asking themselves is why are they traveling,” as opposed to where.

Traveling in 2026 Is More than the Destination

The recent trend in travel is to look beyond the destination in search of an experience that will serve the mind, body, or soul. Skyscanner's CEO sees 2026 as the year “travellers choose destinations and build itineraries that feel less like an escape and more like an expression of self.”

We’ve previously talked about sleep tourism,traveling in search of sleep health and wellness. Although that trend will continue in 2026, we wondered what other trends would define travel for pleasure in 2026.

1.     Vibe Traveling

Based on a survey of thousands of travelers around the world, ALL Accor and Globetrender identified eight trends shaping travel in 2026 and paired each trend “with a ‘vibe’ reflecting the aspirations of a generation in search of freedom, authenticity and emotional intensity.”  They discovered that travelers are chasing a feeling in designing their travel experiences, whether that’s an endorphin rush that inspires awe or an earthy experience that brings serenity. Travelers are looking for moments to serve “as antidotes to stress and instability,” according to Globetrender.

2.     Silent Retreating

Travelers are seeking serenity, an escape from the noise of daily life. They’re looking for silence, whether that means traveling alone, including solo days at the beginning or end of family trips, or finding quiet moments by themselves while on group trips, according to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report. One quiet experience that has gained popularity is the reading retreat. “Sixty-seven percent of millennial Americans expressed a desire to attend one.”

3.     Ancestry Journeying

People are searching for their families’ histories and traveling to the places of their ancestors. This is a particular trend among those who embrace multigenerational travel. “Exploring together beyond the familiar four walls expands horizons and generates authentic opportunities to share stories and memories across generations.”

4.     Gig-tripping

People willing to travel for a live event, and planning an entire experience around it, will continue. This is particularly true when tickets for a show or sporting event in the US become as expensive as traveling abroad to see the show. There are companies dedicated to creating an entire trip around a single event. You can also find travel insurance for gig-trips.

When you go on a gig-trip, you get to see not only the event but the city in which it takes place and the people who live there. The possible downside is the crowds of those like you who flood a destination not used to a large influx, as well as the increased costs of accommodation and transportation to the area that can rise with increased demand.

5.     Set-Jetting and Literary Traveling

Going to see the locations in which movies and television shows have been filmed, known as set-jetting, is nothing new. Many of the settings of HBO’s Game of Thrones, filmed in locations including Malta, Croatia, and Iceland, have become destinations for fans of the series, according to Travel + Leisure. With the recent release of Hamnet and Wuthering Heights and the upcoming release of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, the target of this trend is the UK.

Some travelers are going to source material to plan trips inspired by literature. According to Rebecca Sinclair with Penguin Books, “Reading and travel are intrinsically linked—books inspire real-world journeys, which in turn create the space for people to lose themselves in books.” Whether a reading retreat or a visit to obscure bookshops, “55% of travelers have booked, or would consider, a trip inspired by literature,” according to Skyscanner.

6.     Grocery Shop Tourism

Our guest blogger Scott has always taken the time to dip into local food stores when he travels, whether it’s an artisanal cheese shop or a supermarket chain store. He gets the chance to try something new and to pick up gifts for those at home.

Scott has been participating in what is labeled, in 2026, as “grocery shop tourism.” This trend “dovetails with travelers’ desires to experience destinations more authentically, like those who live there do, offering a cultural deep dive into local life—which also happens to be affordable,” according to Conde Nast Traveler’s “The Biggest Travel Trends of 2026.” This trend, like the others, is about finding what makes your heart sing.

We wish you an amazing travel experience that gives you exactly what you are looking for.

-The Team at down etc

Read more:

How to Get a Great Night’s Sleep While You Travel 

Sleep Tourism Explained: Why Travelers Are Booking Trips Just to Sleep

Tips and Tricks to Get Through an Airport Delay

About down etc

For over twenty years, down etc has worked with hoteliers and professional housekeepers in hotels around the world to manufacture and provide pillows and bedding that will offer hotel guests memorably great sleep. Through our retail website, we seek to provide products that will result in the same quality sleep for our customers at home. We believe in the restorative power of a great night’s sleep, whether at home or away. That’s the reason down etc wrote the book on it, Roll Into a Perfectly Made Bed: All You Need to Know About the Art of Bedmaking.

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