Travelers are finding food in unlikely places—on your next trip, look here

Skyscanner, a leading global travel booking site, released its 2026 Travel Trends report on Thursday. And the forecast for the year ahead includes trips down the supermarket aisle, literary-inspired itineraries, in-flight beauty routines, and some surprising trending destinations (looking at you, New Haven).

If travel in 2025 was about collective experiences, the new travel mindset for 2026 is clear—it’s no longer solely about community connections, it’s about prioritizing travelers’ individual interests and passions.

The report also looked at the role AI is likely to play in travel search and planning in 2026: 54% of travelers said they felt confident using AI to plan their trips in 2025’s survey, up from 47% in 2024.

Skyscanner, a search engine for flights, car rentals, and hotels, based its global survey on data from 22,000 travelers. Below are 7 travel trends to look out for in 2026, according to the report.

Vending machines over fancy restaurants

For one, travelers are redefining food tourism beyond hard-to-get restaurant reservations. Instead, they’re visiting local supermarkets and convenience stores, trying Tokyo’s vending machines and 7-Eleven Slurpees, and picking up loaves of Iceland’s geothermal baked bread. 55% of U.S. travelers say they often, or always, visit local supermarkets when abroad.

“Glowmads”

In 2026, beauty travel will shape where people go and how they explore a destination—in the form of in-flight skincare routines, shopping for local beauty products at global destinations, and visiting retail shops from cult-favorites.

32% of travelers said they do beauty-related activities while traveling because they want to experience local beauty culture. In 2026, 32% of Gen Z plan to seek out beauty treatments and skincare stores while traveling–compared to just 8% of baby boomers.

A room with a mountain view

Travelers are heading up into the mountains year-round, not just for the ski season, in destinations such as the Dolomites, Nepal, and the Canadian Rockies. Some 80% of travelers polled said they are considering or planning a mountain escape for summer or fall next year. On Skyscanner’s platform, searches for “room with a mountain view” are up 103% year-over-year globally.

Finding friends overseas

People are longing for real-time connection with friends and in dating. 53% of travelers have gone, or considered going, overseas specifically to meet new people. Meanwhile, 42% said they are more open to meeting others when they’re traveling, and 29% said it’s because they feel freer to be themselves.

And those travelers are looking to connect on a deep level: 28% said they want to meet people from different cultures/backgrounds, 18% want to make meaningful friendships, and 14% want to explore new destinations with a local.

Literary travels

People are traveling for destination reading retreats, to destination bookshops and libraries, and to travel the route of a beloved literary character. 55% of travelers said they have booked, or would consider, a trip inspired by literature.

Multigenerational trips

With more 20-somethings living at home, Gen Z and millennials are embracing multigenerational travel. In the past two years, 52% of Gen Z adults have traveled with their parents, while 25% of millennials have traveled with their children and parents.

Hotel retreats

More travelers are choosing where to go based on hotels, making the destination about where they stay: 56% of travelers picked a destination based purely on accommodation, including 65% of Gen Z, 70% of millennials, and 38% of baby boomers.

Hottest destinations for 2026

Skyscanner also included a list of top 10 trending destinations for 2026, based on year-over-year increases in search:

1. Limon, Costa Rica: +289%
2. Jaipur, India: +107%
3. Bodrum, Turkey: +85%
4. Madeira, Portugal: +78%
5. Vail, Colorado: +78%
6. Zadar, Croatia: +72%
7. Olbia, Italy: +64%
8. New Haven, Connecticut: +39%
9. Bilbao, Spain: +37%
10. Mykonos, Greece: +32%

“Lesser-known leisure destinations are capturing the attention of U.S. travelers in 2026,” said Lourdes Losada, Skyscanner’s director of Americas. “Vacationers turn their attention to seaside escapes and gateways to natural landscapes. Many of the trending destinations reflect a desire for unique scenery and memorable, luxurious experiences, from the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica to the mountain vistas of Colorado and beach clubs of Mykonos.”

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