From Glowcations and Grocery Tourism, to bookish travel and sports holidays, here are the biggest travel trends of 2026

Just a 5-minute walk from Liberty Square, the iconic marker in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, is Asureti Eco Shop. Located in the basement, it is a tiny establishment selling all kinds of churchkela, the popular Georgian sweet on a stick, as well as an array of candied fruit, sweets, preserves, honey, spices, powders and knick-knacks. The air is thick with the co-mingling of innumerable aromas. The owner knows no English and my Georgian stopped at madloba (thank you), so we get by with a lot of gestures and expressions of delight.

When she fishes out a glass jar from behind the counter and opens the lid, the whole place is enveloped with the piquant smell of savoury spices. Much gesticulation and use of Google Translate later, it turns out to be a “spice mixture” with no name, just her concoction. She explains it is versatile and can be cooked with or sprinkled on anything. I buy a generous quantity and lug it home, my suitcase and clothes all smelling like a spice shop.

Back home, I use it to sauté mushrooms, toss it with steamed vegetables, sprinkle it on boiled eggs and salads, and even mix it with curd. Each time, I am transported to the little shop and to Tbilisi. It is the best kind of souvenir. The bottle sits in the kitchen cupboard that is quickly accumulating flavours and textures from everywhere. In the last few months, a dozen kinds of pisyu loon (flavoured salts) and mountain turmeric from Almora, aam kasundi and nolen gur from Kolkata, and gongura pachadi from Visakhapatnam have joined the Georgian spice mix. Every time I open the cupboard, a random memory comes barrelling through and brings joy with it.

Inadvertently, I have become part of a burgeoning trend that is set to shape the flavour of travel in 2026. Called grocery tourism, it joins several trends that are going to be the new buzzwords this year. Think glowcations, romantasy retreats, milestone missions, bookish breaks, including the inevitable footprint of AI. It might sound like a word salad, but industry watchers say it is the coming together of culture, individual taste, innovation and technology, with the latter increasingly entering almost every aspect of the travel itinerary.

“Travel is shifting from a simple getaway to a form of self-expression,” says Santosh Kumar, online travel agency Booking.com’s regional manager, South Asia. Several of the platform’s 2026 travel predictions, titled The Era of You, point to this aspect. “Journeys are now intimately built around interests that were once considered too niche or personal to explore. Travellers are using trips to test their relationships, step into fantasy worlds, transform their homes through culinary souvenirs and reimagine familiar experiences like road trips and vacation rentals with cutting-edge technology.”

Clearly, trends point to a return to slow, intentional, conscious travel. “Looking ahead to 2026, early signals point to a deeper shift towards slower, more meaningful travel,” says Karan Agarwal, director of global travel company Cox & Kings. “We expect the strongest growth in cultural and wellness circuits within India, wildlife and nature-led itineraries, visa-friendly international destinations, and secondary global cities. Indian travellers in 2026 are expected to travel fewer times, stay longer, and spend more per trip, with value defined by experience, not affordability alone.”

SUPERMARKET SAFARIS

Topping several industry trend lists is grocery tourism, also called “shelf-ie souvenirs”, “shelf discovery”, and “trolley tourism”. Through this, travellers are not only seeking and trying new cuisines and dishes but also attempting to prolong the experience by bringing back pieces of it.

British search aggregator and travel agency Skyscanner says in its Travel Trends ‘26 report, “How people travel for food is now part cultural deep dive, part budget hack, offering a unique glimpse into local life that’s affordable and authentic.” It says culinary tourism in 2026 will evolve into “swapping reservations for supermarket safaris”. While the jungle analogy seems wild, the platform says this draws from the fact that “almost 4 out of 5 Indian travellers always or often visit local supermarkets abroad”.

It doesn’t stop at spices, mixes and food but extends further. Booking.com has found that “84% of Indian travellers would consider buying design-led kitchenware or pantry items on vacation, from hand-painted spice jars to tins of artisan olive oil that double as decor while 79% say they would consider travelling to a destination specifically known for its pantry products or kitchenware.” Think knives from Japan, olive oil/balsamic dispensers from Italy and Delftware from Holland.

The reasons for this are many. While some feel that edible souvenirs take them back to the place or experience each time it is used, others are more appreciative of local craft and traditions, sustainability and beauty. Of course, there is also a significant number fixated on aesthetics, that it looks good on their kitchen shelves or on their social media feeds.

BOOKISH BREAKS

Set-jetting was all the rage a couple of years ago. It is still yielding off-shoots. One such, and this year’s much-referenced trend, is literary travel. For centuries, books have fired imaginations and taken readers to faraway places. It is set to become physical this year as a small counter movement to reject screens is fuelling literary travel.

“Reading and travel are intrinsically linked. Books inspire real-world journeys, which in turn create the space for people to lose themselves in books,” says Rebecca Sinclair, chief brand officer of Penguin Books UK. The brand has released a list of recommended vacation reading and books to inspire travel, including Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children (travel to India).

“Readaways are shaping up to be the next big chapter in travel as trips get ‘lit’ with 91% travellers saying they’re interested in taking a trip centred around reading, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones,” says Expedia’s Unpack ‘26, the platform’s travel predictions for the year. “Book enthusiast groups are heading to serene destinations such as coastal homes, chalets and countryside retreats to unplug, unwind, and connect over stories.”

Literary travel has several forms: from pounding the streets travelled by a fictional character and participating in reading retreats in far-flung places to visiting book-themed museums (Museum of Innocence in Istanbul), famous libraries (Old Library at Trinity College in Dublin and Haruki Murakami Library in Tokyo) and chasing charming bookstores.

A sub-genre of this is romantasy travel, with readers exploring the world of mythical creatures, lush forests, snowy mountains and castles mentioned in books. Booking.com says 91% of Indian travellers are “interested in visiting a destination inspired by romantasy, signalling a growing appetite for travel that blends fantasy and storytelling”.

HOT TICKETS

Taylor Swift uncorked one of the biggest travel phenomena with her Eras Tour in 2023 that fuelled growth for two years with Swifties travelling to concert cities. Along with sports, music performances are slated to be among the fastest growing segments. This year will see some of the biggest sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup (Canada, Mexico and the US), the men and women’s T20 Cricket World Cups (India/Sri Lanka and England), Winter Olympics (Italy), and Commonwealth Games (Scotland), all of which are expected to spur a flurry of fan travel. According to UN Tourism, sports tourism accounts for about 10% of global tourism spending and is anticipated to grow steadily to reach 17.5% by 2030.

“Sports travel is evolving with a new wave of fanaticism,” says Expedia’s Unpack ’26, which estimates that 57% travellers are likely to attend a local sporting event while travelling. But fans want more than stadium lights; they want authentic local experiences, cultural rituals and so are eager to watch sumo wrestling in Japan or Muay Thai in Thailand. A small sub-section of these sport-focused travellers are themselves athletes and travel the world to participate in marathons, triathlons and other events, or to seek out countryside scenery and running trails, combining their passion with immersing themselves in the local landscape.

Musical performances seem to be in lock-step with sporting events in generating travel. The global music tourism industry was estimated to be about $91.5 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to reach $330 billion by 2033, according to research and consulting firm Grand View Research. While currently North America is the largest market for this, Asia Pacific is the fastest growing segment and more artists are performing in the region. Hotels and other allied sectors are gearing to provide such travellers with localised experiences that are in sync with their tastes. In the next few months, India will host Linkin Park, Def Leppard, Calvin Harris and John Mayer to name a few. Meanwhile, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Metallica, AC/DC, Sting, Shakira, Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga have all announced they’ll be touring the world this year.

CHASING THE GLOW

After K-dramas stormed the world, they brought with them k-beauty and in 2026, skincare routines are set to become a significant reason for travel. These could include anything from long-haul flights planned around in-seat hydration routines and airport lounges offering fancy procedures to searching for hotel bathrooms stocked like concept beauty stores and resorts offering glowness-themed packages. Or just going in search of “glass-skinned” treatments, ancient thermal rituals and getting microbiome testing done for a tailored skin procedure. There’s a catchy name for it— glowcation. And those who travel for it? Glowmads.

According to Booking.com, “93% of Indian travellers are open to booking a dedicated glowcation featuring multiple skin-specific treatments tailored to their personal skincare needs.” A crucial part of this trend is also sleep, with 86% of travellers keen about such things as “enhancement suites designed with circadian lighting and soundscapes to improve rest, a vital factor in skin repair and regeneration.”

Predictably South Korea leads the interest in this segment. Subreddits on Korean beauty have seen a 96% increase in conversations about travel planning for trying out treatments. But interest in other places is rising, such as for hamams in Morocco and Turkey, thermal baths in Hungary, Bulgaria and Germany, and of course Ayurveda retreats in India. Clearly, travelling for beauty is not merely an indulgent add-on but is the framework for exploration.

ROADTRIPPING BUT MAKE IT EXTRA

Hitting the road isn’t new, but a new segment of young travellers is mashing carpooling and roadtripping for shared journeys in the hope that they will yield rich and meaningful experiences. This is moving well beyond family and friends into the realm of spontaneity and discovery and making new friends. As much as “97% of Indian travellers are open to carpooling on vacation and 85% willing to use an app to find travellers on a similar route”, says Booking.com. This is especially popular with non-drivers who are tapping into the trend for shared adventure and a sense of freedom. The trip is both the journey and the destination as they attempt to find a space for connection and community.

“Leisure travellers are increasingly utilising road travel for trip planning due to its greater flexibility and control than other forms of transport,” says Aman Naagar, managing director of global mobility solutions provider Avis India.

QUIETCATIONS FOR THE WIN

Quietness is a trend set to dominate travel in 2026, as people look to escape the stresses of everyday life. Quiet retreats offer a bolthole for comfort, silence and reflection, and a way to temporarily unplug and reboot. Global hotel brand Hilton has coined the term “hushpitality” in its 2026 trends report, adding “travellers will look for destinations and experiences to dial down life’s distractions. Seeking calm—even moments of silence—signals a change in why people are travelling, where they’re going, and how they’ll relax.” In India, where noise is an inalienable part of every day, Booking.com says 56% of Indian travellers say they would vacation to feel closer to nature.

Travellers are seeking hobbies where quietness is imperative such as birdwatching, insect-spotting, moth/butterfly watching, nature photography, foraging and fishing both to hone their patience and focus as well as for stress relief.

Industry sources say that travellers are opting for hotels in which they can spend the entire vacation. Stunning location, beautiful architecture, outstanding food and the overall vibe are reasons why travellers are prioritising accommodation. Younger travellers are leading this trend fuelled by social media posts and are opting for unusual accommodation to define their travel.

Skyscanner lists three reasons for this: good value for the trip, to relax in one place without having to move around, and “a complete escape” from everyday life. Hotels have been very quick to respond to this trend. From offering all-inclusive holidays to showcasing hyper-local culture and food, hotels are attempting to provide 360-degree experiences so that guests don’t have to leave the premises.

PUTTING THE ‘I’ IN TRAVEL

Call it solo travel, hyper-personalised itineraries or modern milestone missions, travel is increasingly intentional and a conscious celebration of the self. Think completion of a project, winning an office award or achieving a personal goal. “At its core, modern milestone missions are about travelling for whatever brings you joy, celebrates individuality and lets you be unapologetically you,” observes the Booking.com report. According to the platform, more than two-thirds (71%) of Indian travellers say they don’t need a reason to book a trip, while almost a third (31%) say they’d go to a dream destination without waiting for a “traditional” milestone to make it worthy.

Reasons for a vacation now include just deserving it, toasting a new job or promotion (34%), showing off a new outfit (18%), marking the closure of a breakup (15%) and receiving a surprise tax refund (13%). This includes health and well-being achievements, “which are emerging as powerful motivators, with 32% travelling to mark milestones like sobriety or fitness transformations.”

CURATED BY CODE

Like in every field, the use of AI in all aspects of travel is both ubiquitous as well as controversial. Due to the nature of travel itself and the need for speed in flight and hotel bookings, the travel industry is among the early adopters of AI.

“2025 has been a landmark year for India’s travel industry, defined by smarter planning, digital maturity, and a renewed appetite for meaningful experiences,” says Ankur Sharmaa, chief business officer at Ebix Travel—Delphi World Money. “As we move into 2026, we expect this momentum to continue, driven by early planners and experience-focused travellers shaping a more resilient, digital-first, and insight-led travel economy.”

Clearly, traveller trust is growing as “54% of travellers are confident of using AI to help them plan and book travel in 2026, up from 47% the year before”. People are using AI to research a destination, create itineraries and compare flight or hotel options and prices. But the top worry (49%) remains accuracy, observes Skyscanner. There are legitimate concerns that the algorithm-driven systems can throw up trending destinations rather than meaningful experiences, drive overtourism and suggest mechanical itineraries. But Skyscanner is optimistic as AI is set to shift from assistant to agentic, “where multiple systems work together to solve complex traveller needs, from trip inspiration to in-the-moment support. It’s not just an evolution—it’s a whole new operating system for travel.”

Arguably, travel trends in 2026 reflect travellers’ quirks and passions, and above all else, what really matters to them, and an industry that is rapidly changing to adapt to these statements of self-expression.

Anita Rao Kashi is an independent journalist based in Bengaluru.