It’s mid‑October, which means it’s already time to look ahead to 2027 as Expedia Group has revealed the big travel trends for 2027 it has identified.
As many major players do around this time of year, the group’s different components allow it to parse behaviour by business line in its Horizons 2027 report.
As an OTA, Expedia highlights ten destinations that, according to the group’s data, are seeing a growing number of searches.
These include South Lake Tahoe in California, US; Hyogo in Japan; Punta del Este in Uruguay, Sedona in Arizona, US; Busan in South Korea, Holbox in Mexico, Perugia in Italy, The Tweed (New South Wales) in Australia, Niagara‑on‑the‑Lake in Canada and Chichester in the UK.
Through Abritel, its holiday rentals subsidiary, the group notes a stronger pull towards shared activities.
68% of travellers could spend their stay on a group creative pursuit or a fun activity to share with friends or family.
For 38% of travellers, hobbies are more decisive in choosing a destination than five years ago.
Abritel also points to a growing desire for calm, with more travellers steering clear of crowds and densely touristed spots. Some 65% say they are now drawn to small, characterful towns with heritage or easy access to the outdoors.
Travellers are less focused on ‘must‑see’ sites and monuments, and are instead seeking cultural or gastronomic experiences (32%), a way to avoid crowds (29%) or more affordable prices (27%).
Hotels.com flags another trend gaining traction and amplified on social media: one‑night hotel stays, up 10% year on year.
Travellers are no longer packing all their holidays into a single long summer break, and are instead taking ‘micro‑breaks’, sometimes prompted by a concert, a sporting event or simply a last‑minute urge to get away.
Finally, Expedia Group confirms the trend dubbed set‑jetting, which lifts locations that have hosted the filming of a series or a film.
Monaco (for Emily in Paris season six) and Cannes or Saint‑Tropez (settings for The White Lotus season four) are likely to attract fans in numbers. A new Lord of the Rings film due in 2027 is also expected to boost visitor numbers around Wellington in New Zealand.
The published trends come just a few days after Skyscanner’s forecasts - before other major travel players publish too - Expedia Group has shared that behaviour is shifting in response to overtourism, to the ability to contextualise and personalise search, and to the unifying, inspiring pull of global cultural products.
