These are the five travel trends set to dominate in 2026

If 2025 was about switching off, 2026 is shaping up to be about tuning in – to our bodies, our brains and our curiosities. 

From ditching the clock entirely to stepping inside our favourite films, new travel trends are emerging, according to British Airways Holidays in collaboration with trend forecasting agency Globetrender. Here are the five big predictions for next year...

Letting go of routine

For a growing number of travellers, holidays are no longer about rigid schedules or packed itineraries – they’re about letting the body take the lead. Almost one in five UK travellers now ignore the clock entirely while away, eating, sleeping and exploring whenever it feels right.

At home, routines rule. Just 8% of UK adults allow themselves lie-ins outside of holidays and only 6% plan their time carefully while away. 

‘Holidays can act as a reset,’ explains Professor Russell Foster of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences. The catch? Resetting a misaligned chronotype isn’t just about sleep – it also means reducing stress and anxiety.

By 2026, more travellers are expected to embrace this idea wholeheartedly. Nearly a quarter (22%) love experiences that happen at unusual hours, while over half say they’ll happily adjust their schedule if something feels special or unique to the destination. Only 17% actively prefer sticking to their usual routine.

It helps that ‘never-sleep’ cities are having a moment. New York topped ba.com’s most-searched holiday destinations for 2025 and it’s holding onto that crown in 2026.

Body-focused breaks

Perfection is out. Presence is in.

Uninhibited holidays are all about ditching self-consciousness and reconnecting with the body through experiences that encourage confidence, mindful movement and self-acceptance. Crucially, they offer something social media never can: real sensation.

Nearly a third of UK adults say body-positive experiences are more socially acceptable now than they were a decade ago and more than a quarter of 25–34-year-olds would consider trying one in the next year.

Emma O’Kelly, author of Wild Sauna, captures the shift perfectly: ‘Even though we can see anything we want through a screen, we can’t actually feel it. But you can go to a sauna and you can feel embodied… which you could never get watching a sauna video on TikTok.’

Being abroad seems to help. One in eight UK adults say they feel more confident about what they wear on holiday than they do at home, making travel a powerful catalyst for body positivity.

Unsurprisingly, interest is highest in destinations with strong wellness traditions – from Japan’s onsens and Turkey’s hammams to Norway’s friluftsliv philosophy. Around the world, retreats are layering mindfulness, temperature therapies and holistic rituals into their offerings, all designed to help guests feel comfortable in their own skin.

‘Being in your true, authentic form is a huge psychological shift for British people,’ says O’Kelly. ‘For many, even stepping into a swimsuit is a milestone.’

Film and TV comes to life

Theme parks are no longer just about rides – they’re about immersion.

Enter Stream Parks: destinations that use cutting-edge technology to bring digital worlds into hyper-real life. The appetite is there. More than a quarter of UK adults want to step inside a favourite film and 35% are keen on rides or experiences themed around a beloved series.

‘Theme park innovation used to be about building the tallest, longest ride,’ says reviewer Dan Richards of @DigitalDan. ‘Now, people want to be part of the story – to interact with it.’

Mixed-reality experiences are particularly appealing, with 32% of UK adults interested overall. That jumps to nearly half of 18–24s and 35–44s and rises again to 51% among households with children.

The blueprint is already taking shape. Netflix House opened in late 2025 in Philadelphia and Texas, transforming hits like Bridgerton, Stranger Things and WWE into immersive retail, dining and VR experiences, with Las Vegas next in 2027. Minecraft – a global phenomenon with over 1.3 trillion YouTube views – will debut new attractions in the UK and US from 2026.

These parks blend physical design with projection mapping, augmented reality and interactive props, creating experiences that feel part theme park, part live-action streaming universe.

Brain-boosting holidays 

Wellness in 2026 is less about lying still – and more about shifting brain states.

Neurosurfing is emerging as a new frontier, with hotel stays and itineraries designed to deliver deep relaxation through carefully curated changes in brainwave activity. It’s no surprise this is taking off: 26% of UK adults say sleep deprivation affects their mental balance more than social media, physical health, environmental stress or even AI.

The tech is ready. Wearable sleep trackers like Oura Rings are now mainstream and Samsung is developing EEG earbuds capable of reading brainwaves and detecting drowsiness.

‘Interest in cognitive performance and vagus nerve stimulation is growing,’ confirms Anna Bjurstam, wellness pioneer at Six Senses. Her Mind Your Brain programme now spans five resorts worldwide.

Guests blend ancient practices – yoga and meditation – with modern biohacks such as brain games, developmental drawings and binaural beats designed to trigger specific brainwave states. For Neurosurfers, a standard massage just doesn’t cut it anymore.

UK travellers are increasingly drawn to multisensory experiences, from art and craft classes, breathwork and time in nature to sound baths, flotation tanks and even drumming or ecstatic dance. With over half of UK adults agreeing that holidays are essential for stress relief, Neurosurfing feels like a natural evolution.

Vintage shopping 

In a world shaped by algorithms, travellers are looking backwards – hunting for charm, character and the thrill of the unexpected.

Vintage Junkets tap into a desire for the pre-digital era, driven not just by nostalgia but by anemoia: a longing for times we never actually lived through. ‘Vintage Junkets are part of a pushback against how generic travel has become,’ says Americana expert Zoey Goto.

The frustration is real. Forty-three percent of UK travellers say authentic souvenirs tied directly to a destination are harder to find while a third say authenticity is key when shopping abroad.

Instead of glossy gift shops, travellers are diving into flea markets, retro districts and second-hand stores as a way of understanding a place through its past. Nearly half of UK travellers agree that vintage experiences offer a more authentic connection, rising to 63% among 18–24-year-olds.

The US is firmly in the spotlight, with 2026 marking both the country’s 250th anniversary and the centenary of Route 66. Elsewhere, enthusiasm for vintage memorabilia is fuelling interest in French brocante markets, Berlin’s rare vinyl scene and Japan’s second-hand designer fashion culture.

Tokyo, in particular, continues to shine, ranking among the top 15 most-searched British Airways Holidays destinations for 2026.