December 26, 2025 • 24 mins
We map the biggest travel shifts for 2026 using real search data, from spontaneous short escapes and small-town storytelling to purpose-driven city breaks and the return of cruises. Practical questions and examples help you plan a flexible, meaningful trip without the stress.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bob Bales (00:00):
Welcome to the Traveling Fool Podcast, where we
talk about travel destinations,the history and culture around
those destinations, as well astravel tips and news.
I'm your host, Bob Bales, andtoday we're going to talk about
the latest travel trends for2026 that people are searching
for and how you can use them toplan your next trip.
(00:21):
So stay tuned, and we'll beright back.
Now, this is going to be thelast podcast of the year.
(01:12):
And I'll probably startuploading new podcasts the first
week of February.
I'm going to take January off.
I've got a lot of things to do,some personal things I've got
to take care of.
I'm going to try and get somestuff front loaded so I can get
ready for February.
But in the meantime, you can goback and listen to some of the
previous podcasts.
And the best way to see all ofthem in one place is by going to
(01:34):
where I host them at, which isBuzz Sprout.
So the link is thetravelingfool.
buzzprout.com.
And all the podcasts are listedthere and you can have a look.
And they're also listed on someof the other platforms like
iHeart and Apple and all therest of these.
(01:55):
So now since it's the end ofthe year, what are some of the
things that will affect travelin the new year?
Well, there are changes in theairline industry, like baggage
fees and weight limits havechanged.
Different airlines havedifferent weight limits and
different baggage size limits.
ID requirements to travel onthe aircraft has changed.
(02:16):
Cruise ships, or some of them,are not traveling to certain
ports of call.
Just all kinds of differentnews.
However, the main thing is howtravel has changed in the last
few years by what people arelooking for and how they are
traveling.
So today we're looking at thelatest trends using research
(02:36):
from what people are searchingfor and what they've said in
various surveys over the lastthree months.
That's all I went back.
And how those trends areshaping up for 2026.
And you know, sometimes you canlearn more about people by
watching what they search foronline than by asking them
directly.
Because when people search,they're honest.
(02:58):
They're not posting highlightreels, they're not pretending
they're an adventurist or abudget conscious or spontaneous.
I mean, you call me up and say,if you could go anywhere, where
would you go, Mr.
Bales?
Oh, well, I would go mountainclimbing.
Ah bull.
My knees don't work.
So sometimes when you callpeople up on surveys, they're a
(03:20):
little skewed.
But when they're searchingonline, they're pretty honest
because they are looking forwhat they want to do.
They're sitting at a keyboardor tapping on a phone late at
night, typing in what they wantto do or what they want to
experience.
And over the last 30 to 60days, travel searches have been
telling a really interestingstory.
There's been a nearly 180% bumpin US search interests for
(03:46):
flights to the Czech Republiccompared to 2025.
Searches for Bulgaria were upnearly 140%.
Those from Hungary are upnearly 90%, and those for
Albania rose just over 65%.
These are for people in the USsearching for destinations for
travel.
(04:06):
There's also notable interestin parts of the Middle East that
searches for Jordan and Egyptare both up nearly 50%.
Christchurch, New Zealand topsthe list for trending cities
with a search interest up nearly200% for 2026 travel versus
2025.
And it's followed by Prague at180%, Sofia, Bulgaria at 136%,
(04:32):
and Krakow, Poland at 106%.
So there's huge interest in UStravelers traveling to these
destinations.
Also, destinations such as thePhilippines, the Caribbean
islands, the Azores, and theSeychelles are all up in the
searches in the past 30 days.
(04:53):
Now, in the last 30 to 60 days,people are searching for
affordable luxury, culturallymerging like Ryokans in Japan
and food tours and beach andnature trips in the southeast
US.
And unique experience-driventravel with strong interest in
Europe and Asia.
Places like Japan and Vietnamin Asia and Paris and London in
(05:16):
Europe.
But it's not just where peoplewant to go, but how they want to
travel and why they want totravel and what they are quietly
trying to escape.
So let's see what people aresearching for right now and what
those searches mean and how youcan use the information,
whether you're planning your owntrip or just daydreaming about
the next one.
(05:36):
Think of this less like a trendreport, and we're like, well,
you're eavesdropping on whateverybody's looking for.
So let's start with the biggestshift happening right now.
People are not planning farahead.
Well, this might sound a littleobvious, but it's a major
change from how travel hasworked for decades.
Searches for short-term,spontaneous travel within a few
(06:01):
days of booking have risensharply, especially for
international and short domesticgetaways.
Right now, some of the mostcommon searches include phrases
like weekend getaways near me.
In fact, I did a podcast acouple of two or three podcasts
ago about how to do the bestsearches for those.
But other search phrases haveincluded things like last minute
(06:25):
travel deals, short trips fromblank, fill in the city name,
Houston, Dallas, San Antonio,Philadelphia, and three-day
vacation ideas.
People aren't asking whereshould I go next summer?
They're asking where can I goright now?
And this tells us a lot.
First, travelers wantflexibility.
They don't want to lockthemselves into plans months in
(06:48):
advance.
They want options.
They want to see what theirschedule, budget, and energy
level look like and then decide.
Second, they want travel tofeel easy again.
You know, a long, complicateditinerary feels like work.
A short, well planned escape,well, that feels like relief.
So that's why quick trips,regional travel, and travel to
(07:11):
destinations are absolutelydominating search behavior right
now.
And this doesn't mean peoplehave stopped dreaming big.
It means they're breaking thosedreams into little smaller,
more manageable pieces.
You have the rise of the shortescape.
And here's what's fascinating.
People aren't saying they don'twant to travel.
They're saying they don't wantto travel to be exhausting.
(07:34):
Search interest in longinternational travel itineraries
is still there, but it's beingovershadowed by searches for one
to three night trips, easytransportation, walkable
destinations, places where youdon't need a complicated plan.
And this is why small towns,nearby cities, and regional
(07:56):
attractions are seeing a hugesurge of interest.
A lot of travelers are thinkingif I only had a few days, I
don't want to waste half of itin transit.
So they're choosing places thatare close, compact, and full of
character.
Nature and outdoor travel arestill going strong, but with a
(08:16):
twist.
Yes, people are still searchingfor national parks, scenic
areas, lakes, beaches, andmountains.
Man, I'm always searching forgood beaches.
I just love beach life.
But the tone of those searcheshas changed.
It's less about extremeadventure and more about well,
(08:37):
restoration.
People are searching for thingslike quiet national parks, less
crowded scenic towns.
And these are actual searchterms.
Nature trips without hiking.
You got me there because Idon't like hiking.
Relaxing outdoor vacations.
Those are what people arelooking for, and that's
(08:59):
important.
This isn't about conqueringnature, it's about letting
nature do the heavy liftingemotionally.
After years of constant noiseand digital noise and news noise
and schedule noise, people wantplaces that just feel a little
slower.
That's why destinations withlakes, rolling hills, historic
(09:19):
downtowns and wide openlandscapes are performing so
well in the search data.
People don't want to feelrushed.
Small towns are having amoment, and not ironically, I
mean travel to small towns isbig business these days.
For a long time, small townswere marketed as kind of like,
you know, a novelty or anaccidental stop.
(09:42):
Well, not anymore.
They're being searched for as asolution.
Searches for charming smalltowns.
Historic towns to visit, andquiet weekend towns are climbing
steadily in the searchalgorithms.
And here's the key reason why.
Small towns promise threethings people feel they're
(10:02):
missing.
A sense of a story.
The story of the town.
You know, I've been to a lot ofsmall towns.
And um well, a few months ago Iwent to Kansas and I've I
visited a couple small towns,and it was the story of the
people, the town and the historythere.
People are also looking for asense of place and a slower
(10:22):
pace.
In big cities, everythinghappens and changes quickly.
In small towns, historylingers.
And for a traveler, that meanscharacter.
It means walking streets wheresomething happened.
I love walking and visitinghistoric places because it puts
you where something of extremeimportance in history happened.
(10:44):
It means places with legends,local lore and stories that you
just can't Google in fiveseconds.
People don't just want to knowwhere to eat.
They want to know what happenedthere.
Now, city travel hasn't goneaway, it's just more
intentional.
So let's talk about cities.
Urban tourism continues to belarge in the search demand,
(11:05):
including travelers seekingmajor cities.
The museums, the food scenes,the cultural events.
Searches for city trips andcultural destination exploration
remain a core of long-termtrends in the travel industry.
Now, while urban and large citytravel is still very much
alive, the way people search forcity trips has changed.
(11:29):
Instead of broad searches likebest cities to visit, or in my
case, best beaches in theCaribbean or in Asia or
whatever, people are searchingfor food-focused city trips,
cultural weekend cities,walkable cities for tourists,
cities with museums and history.
(11:51):
And of course you're going tonarrow that down.
If I'm if I'm a big historybuff, which I am, and I like
museums, I would search forcities with museums in history
in Alabama.
And it would give me a listjust of that specific area that
I'm looking for, or of walkablecities for tourists in France.
(12:13):
Food focused city trips inVietnam.
Travelers want cities with apurpose.
They're no longer interested injust checking off a skylight
photo.
They want experiences tied tofood, art, music, architecture,
or history.
And they want those experiencesto be concentrated, not
scattered across endlessneighborhoods.
(12:35):
This is why mid-sized citieswith strong identities are
performing well right now.
Cities where you can land,check in, and immediately feel
like you're somewhere distinct.
You know, several years ago Iwent and spent uh thirty days in
Prague.
And I could walk it it wouldtake pretty much the majority of
(12:56):
the day, but I could walk fromone side of the major part of
Prague to the other side, fromthe castle, all the way across
Charles Bridge, all the waythrough the square, all the way
past up to the other side oftown, and see everything in that
town.
You can't really do that inLondon, although you can do it
in little portions of London,and you can't really do that in
(13:18):
Paris.
So you need to find a mid-sizedcity where you can be in the
center of everything in walkingdistance.
Now family andmultigenerational travel is
quietly surging.
There's a trend that it doesn'talways get noticed though, but
it shows up clearly in thesearch data.
Families are traveling togethermore.
(13:42):
Not just parents and kids, butgrandparents, adult siblings,
and extended family groups.
Family oriented trips arestrongly trending, with nearly
half of travelers planningmultigenerational vacations.
And this includes destinationssuited for a range of ages and
(14:03):
shared experiences.
You're seeing searches likefamily friendly destinations,
trips for all ages, multigenerational vacation ideas.
Those are rising steadily inthe search terms.
And it makes sense.
People want shared experiences.
They want memories that spangenerations.
(14:25):
Destinations that offer a mixof history, easy activities,
food, and walkability areespecially appealing here.
Not everyone wants thrillrides.
Not everyone wants museums allday.
But everyone wants somethingthat they can talk about
afterwards.
So they're looking for themulti-experience where everyone
(14:50):
gets to enjoy something.
And a recent travel studyshowed that 59% of travelers
reported taking at least onesolo trip in recent years.
So solo travel is evolving,it's not disappearing.
The growth is not only aboutyouth, professionals, older
adults, and wellness focusfocused travelers are all part
(15:10):
of the rising trend.
You know, in the past the solotraveler was a very small
segment of the market, and a lotof people weren't really
courting that market.
It was either, well, look atthat backpacker.
Must be nice not to have a joband just wander around the world
all the time.
Or look at that poor man orwoman just traveling all by
(15:31):
themselves all alone.
Well now, solo travel is a coresegment, not a fringe one.
Searches for solo cruiseholiday have showed significant
increase over recent years withsignificant annual growth.
Cruise lines are responding byoffering single occupancy cabins
and dedicated social spacesjust for the solo traveler.
(15:56):
Instead of solo backpacking orcheap solo travel, people are
searching for safe solo traveldestinations, solo trips in the
US, quiet solo getaways.
Now this suggests a shift fromadventure driven solo travel to
more reflective travel, wellnessretreats or relaxing cultural
(16:21):
beaches or peaceful coastaltowns.
They're all seeing an increasein interest.
People aren't trying to proveanything.
They're trying to reconnectwith themselves, with history,
and with a place.
Search trends show that solotravelers are moving away from
the major hotspots in the partytowns and towards less crowded,
(16:42):
affordable, and authenticdestinations.
And this includes smallertowns, quieter coastal regions,
and countries that offercultural experiences without the
high price tags of traditionaltourist centers and tourism.
That's why destinations thatfeel welcoming and manageable
(17:03):
and rich in atmosphere arewinning the solo travel market.
Now cruises and package travelare making a comeback as well.
And this one kind of surprisedsome people.
Twenty one point seven millionAmericans are expected to cruise
in 2026.
(17:24):
That's up from 20.7, so amillion more people are expected
to cruise in 2026 than did in2025.
While the Caribbean remains themost popular cruise
destination, interest isshifting, shifting towards a
broader set of itineraries likeAlaska, transatlantic cruises,
(17:44):
Hawaii and the South Pacific,and European river cruises.
Interest in longer cruises, the15 plus day ones, has increased
as well, indicating a trendtowards deeper, longer
experiences on the water.
And people aren't justsearching for luxury cruises.
They're searching foraffordable cruises, short
(18:08):
cruises, and repositioningcruises.
These are the ones where theboat has to go from one port to
another, and they're not reallyset up to do a full-blown guest
cruise.
It's a repositioning cruise togo to another port of call.
But in other words, people wantconvenience and value.
They want someone else tohandle all the logistics.
(18:28):
And the same goes for packagedtravel experiences that promise
simplicity.
Travelers are tired ofoverplanning.
Now, since I went back andlooked for the last two or three
months, I got a feeling forwhat seasonal and holiday travel
searches are like.
And they're spiking earlier.
And it's very clear from thedata, people are thinking ahead
(18:49):
about the holidays.
Searches tied to holiday andseasonal destinations.
Places, you know, likeChristmas markets in Europe or
ski and winter and sportslocales for winter sports, they
have risen and have risensignificantly as the calendar
turns towards winter and thesustained travel planning into
(19:10):
the following year.
Searches related to holidaytravel tips or seasonal
destinations or winter getawaysor Christmas markets.
These start earlier every year.
But even here there's a shift.
People aren't asking for thebest holiday destination.
You know, I know I'm I remembermany years ago you put you
(19:33):
write an article if you put bestthings to see and do, best
places to eat, bestdestinations.
Oh, Google loved that.
Well, people aren't searchingfor that mess anymore.
They're asking for the leaststressful one.
They want smooth travel,manageable crowds, and
meaningful experiences.
Now, what all this what doesall this tell us about today's
(19:54):
traveler?
Well, when you step back andlook at all of these trends
together, a picture forms.
Recent travel search behaviorshows that people are looking
for meaningful, affordable, andflexible travel options from
quick city breaks and natureescapes to family vacations and
culturally rich urbanexploration.
(20:17):
Seasonal and holiday travelplanning has also risen as
travelers look to book months inadvance.
So today's traveler is timeconscious, experience focused,
story driven, less interested inthe spectacle, and more
interested in the substance.
People today, when they travel,they're just not trying to
(20:39):
impress anyone.
They're trying to feelsomething.
You know, that immersive travelthat you keep hearing about.
I've been doing that for yearsbefore it ever had an aim.
You know, to me, travel is asmuch about the experience and
the people I meet as it is aboutthe destination.
People want travel to give themstories, not stress.
So how can you use thisinformation?
(21:01):
Well, if you're listening andthinking about your next trip,
here's how to use these trendsin a practical way.
Ask yourself, do I want a longescape or a short reset?
Do I want crowds or calm?
Do I want the novelty or thestory?
If you only have a few days,don't fight that.
(21:22):
Lean into places close to homewith deep roots.
If you're feeling burned out,look for destinations where the
pace is built in, somewherewhere you can relax in a slower
paced environment.
If you're craving connection,choose places with history,
character, and human stories.
So where is travel headingnext?
Well, if any if current searchbehavior is any indication, the
(21:45):
future of travel looks lessflashy, but more meaningful.
Less about the Instagrammoments at the waterfall or the
parties in Ibiza, less aboutchecking a box on a bucket list
and more about lived in moments.
More conversations that startwith let me tell you what
happened when I went here. Youknow?
And that's a pretty good placefor travel to be, rather than oh
(22:08):
yeah, I had a lot of fun.
But when the story starts, ohman, let me tell you what
happened when I visited thisplace.
So next time you're scrollingthrough travel ideas late at
night, remember, you're notalone.
2026 is the year of ultrapersonalized travel.
And the people that are bookingthe hotel rooms and everything
else they're taking notice.
(22:29):
Travelers are ditching thecookie cutter itineraries for
journeys that reflect theirindividual preferences and
passions.
Whether you're a foodie wantinga culinary souvenir from local
kitchens or an adventurerseeking remote trails, or a
culture lovier just diving intotraditions.
2026 is all about travel thatfeels uniquely yours.
(22:51):
Millions of people aresearching for the same things
you are.
A break, a story, a place thatleaves you with those long
lasting memories of the peopleyou met and the experiences you
had.
And somewhere out there, theright destination is waiting for
you.
So that's it for this week.
Like I said, this is the lastepisode of the year.
And I really appreciateeverybody listening in.
(23:13):
I really do.
If you get a chance, hit thatlike or subscribe button.
Send the link of the podcast tosomebody you think might find
it interesting.
And I'll be back after the newyear with a whole new set of
podcasts, a lot of destinations.
In fact, I'll tease you withthe first one I'm probably gonna
put up.
It's about a little small townin Texas that had an open secret
(23:35):
for years that was ignored byeverybody until it couldn't be
ignored any longer.
It's a really cool place tovisit.
But I'll be back in Februarywith a brand new episode.
So until then, safe travels.
Welcome to the Traveling Fool Podcast, where we
talk about travel destinations,the history and culture around
those destinations, as well astravel tips and news.
I'm your host, Bob Bales, andtoday we're going to talk about
the latest travel trends for2026 that people are searching
for and how you can use them toplan your next trip.
(00:21):
So stay tuned, and we'll beright back.
Now, this is going to be thelast podcast of the year.
(01:12):
And I'll probably startuploading new podcasts the first
week of February.
I'm going to take January off.
I've got a lot of things to do,some personal things I've got
to take care of.
I'm going to try and get somestuff front loaded so I can get
ready for February.
But in the meantime, you can goback and listen to some of the
previous podcasts.
And the best way to see all ofthem in one place is by going to
(01:34):
where I host them at, which isBuzz Sprout.
So the link is thetravelingfool.
buzzprout.com.
And all the podcasts are listedthere and you can have a look.
And they're also listed on someof the other platforms like
iHeart and Apple and all therest of these.
(01:55):
So now since it's the end ofthe year, what are some of the
things that will affect travelin the new year?
Well, there are changes in theairline industry, like baggage
fees and weight limits havechanged.
Different airlines havedifferent weight limits and
different baggage size limits.
ID requirements to travel onthe aircraft has changed.
(02:16):
Cruise ships, or some of them,are not traveling to certain
ports of call.
Just all kinds of differentnews.
However, the main thing is howtravel has changed in the last
few years by what people arelooking for and how they are
traveling.
So today we're looking at thelatest trends using research
(02:36):
from what people are searchingfor and what they've said in
various surveys over the lastthree months.
That's all I went back.
And how those trends areshaping up for 2026.
And you know, sometimes you canlearn more about people by
watching what they search foronline than by asking them
directly.
Because when people search,they're honest.
(02:58):
They're not posting highlightreels, they're not pretending
they're an adventurist or abudget conscious or spontaneous.
I mean, you call me up and say,if you could go anywhere, where
would you go, Mr.
Bales?
Oh, well, I would go mountainclimbing.
Ah bull.
My knees don't work.
So sometimes when you callpeople up on surveys, they're a
(03:20):
little skewed.
But when they're searchingonline, they're pretty honest
because they are looking forwhat they want to do.
They're sitting at a keyboardor tapping on a phone late at
night, typing in what they wantto do or what they want to
experience.
And over the last 30 to 60days, travel searches have been
telling a really interestingstory.
There's been a nearly 180% bumpin US search interests for
(03:46):
flights to the Czech Republiccompared to 2025.
Searches for Bulgaria were upnearly 140%.
Those from Hungary are upnearly 90%, and those for
Albania rose just over 65%.
These are for people in the USsearching for destinations for
travel.
(04:06):
There's also notable interestin parts of the Middle East that
searches for Jordan and Egyptare both up nearly 50%.
Christchurch, New Zealand topsthe list for trending cities
with a search interest up nearly200% for 2026 travel versus
2025.
And it's followed by Prague at180%, Sofia, Bulgaria at 136%,
(04:32):
and Krakow, Poland at 106%.
So there's huge interest in UStravelers traveling to these
destinations.
Also, destinations such as thePhilippines, the Caribbean
islands, the Azores, and theSeychelles are all up in the
searches in the past 30 days.
(04:53):
Now, in the last 30 to 60 days,people are searching for
affordable luxury, culturallymerging like Ryokans in Japan
and food tours and beach andnature trips in the southeast
US.
And unique experience-driventravel with strong interest in
Europe and Asia.
Places like Japan and Vietnamin Asia and Paris and London in
(05:16):
Europe.
But it's not just where peoplewant to go, but how they want to
travel and why they want totravel and what they are quietly
trying to escape.
So let's see what people aresearching for right now and what
those searches mean and how youcan use the information,
whether you're planning your owntrip or just daydreaming about
the next one.
(05:36):
Think of this less like a trendreport, and we're like, well,
you're eavesdropping on whateverybody's looking for.
So let's start with the biggestshift happening right now.
People are not planning farahead.
Well, this might sound a littleobvious, but it's a major
change from how travel hasworked for decades.
Searches for short-term,spontaneous travel within a few
(06:01):
days of booking have risensharply, especially for
international and short domesticgetaways.
Right now, some of the mostcommon searches include phrases
like weekend getaways near me.
In fact, I did a podcast acouple of two or three podcasts
ago about how to do the bestsearches for those.
But other search phrases haveincluded things like last minute
(06:25):
travel deals, short trips fromblank, fill in the city name,
Houston, Dallas, San Antonio,Philadelphia, and three-day
vacation ideas.
People aren't asking whereshould I go next summer?
They're asking where can I goright now?
And this tells us a lot.
First, travelers wantflexibility.
They don't want to lockthemselves into plans months in
(06:48):
advance.
They want options.
They want to see what theirschedule, budget, and energy
level look like and then decide.
Second, they want travel tofeel easy again.
You know, a long, complicateditinerary feels like work.
A short, well planned escape,well, that feels like relief.
So that's why quick trips,regional travel, and travel to
(07:11):
destinations are absolutelydominating search behavior right
now.
And this doesn't mean peoplehave stopped dreaming big.
It means they're breaking thosedreams into little smaller,
more manageable pieces.
You have the rise of the shortescape.
And here's what's fascinating.
People aren't saying they don'twant to travel.
They're saying they don't wantto travel to be exhausting.
(07:34):
Search interest in longinternational travel itineraries
is still there, but it's beingovershadowed by searches for one
to three night trips, easytransportation, walkable
destinations, places where youdon't need a complicated plan.
And this is why small towns,nearby cities, and regional
(07:56):
attractions are seeing a hugesurge of interest.
A lot of travelers are thinkingif I only had a few days, I
don't want to waste half of itin transit.
So they're choosing places thatare close, compact, and full of
character.
Nature and outdoor travel arestill going strong, but with a
(08:16):
twist.
Yes, people are still searchingfor national parks, scenic
areas, lakes, beaches, andmountains.
Man, I'm always searching forgood beaches.
I just love beach life.
But the tone of those searcheshas changed.
It's less about extremeadventure and more about well,
(08:37):
restoration.
People are searching for thingslike quiet national parks, less
crowded scenic towns.
And these are actual searchterms.
Nature trips without hiking.
You got me there because Idon't like hiking.
Relaxing outdoor vacations.
Those are what people arelooking for, and that's
(08:59):
important.
This isn't about conqueringnature, it's about letting
nature do the heavy liftingemotionally.
After years of constant noiseand digital noise and news noise
and schedule noise, people wantplaces that just feel a little
slower.
That's why destinations withlakes, rolling hills, historic
(09:19):
downtowns and wide openlandscapes are performing so
well in the search data.
People don't want to feelrushed.
Small towns are having amoment, and not ironically, I
mean travel to small towns isbig business these days.
For a long time, small townswere marketed as kind of like,
you know, a novelty or anaccidental stop.
(09:42):
Well, not anymore.
They're being searched for as asolution.
Searches for charming smalltowns.
Historic towns to visit, andquiet weekend towns are climbing
steadily in the searchalgorithms.
And here's the key reason why.
Small towns promise threethings people feel they're
(10:02):
missing.
A sense of a story.
The story of the town.
You know, I've been to a lot ofsmall towns.
And um well, a few months ago Iwent to Kansas and I've I
visited a couple small towns,and it was the story of the
people, the town and the historythere.
People are also looking for asense of place and a slower
(10:22):
pace.
In big cities, everythinghappens and changes quickly.
In small towns, historylingers.
And for a traveler, that meanscharacter.
It means walking streets wheresomething happened.
I love walking and visitinghistoric places because it puts
you where something of extremeimportance in history happened.
(10:44):
It means places with legends,local lore and stories that you
just can't Google in fiveseconds.
People don't just want to knowwhere to eat.
They want to know what happenedthere.
Now, city travel hasn't goneaway, it's just more
intentional.
So let's talk about cities.
Urban tourism continues to belarge in the search demand,
(11:05):
including travelers seekingmajor cities.
The museums, the food scenes,the cultural events.
Searches for city trips andcultural destination exploration
remain a core of long-termtrends in the travel industry.
Now, while urban and large citytravel is still very much
alive, the way people search forcity trips has changed.
(11:29):
Instead of broad searches likebest cities to visit, or in my
case, best beaches in theCaribbean or in Asia or
whatever, people are searchingfor food-focused city trips,
cultural weekend cities,walkable cities for tourists,
cities with museums and history.
(11:51):
And of course you're going tonarrow that down.
If I'm if I'm a big historybuff, which I am, and I like
museums, I would search forcities with museums in history
in Alabama.
And it would give me a listjust of that specific area that
I'm looking for, or of walkablecities for tourists in France.
(12:13):
Food focused city trips inVietnam.
Travelers want cities with apurpose.
They're no longer interested injust checking off a skylight
photo.
They want experiences tied tofood, art, music, architecture,
or history.
And they want those experiencesto be concentrated, not
scattered across endlessneighborhoods.
(12:35):
This is why mid-sized citieswith strong identities are
performing well right now.
Cities where you can land,check in, and immediately feel
like you're somewhere distinct.
You know, several years ago Iwent and spent uh thirty days in
Prague.
And I could walk it it wouldtake pretty much the majority of
(12:56):
the day, but I could walk fromone side of the major part of
Prague to the other side, fromthe castle, all the way across
Charles Bridge, all the waythrough the square, all the way
past up to the other side oftown, and see everything in that
town.
You can't really do that inLondon, although you can do it
in little portions of London,and you can't really do that in
(13:18):
Paris.
So you need to find a mid-sizedcity where you can be in the
center of everything in walkingdistance.
Now family andmultigenerational travel is
quietly surging.
There's a trend that it doesn'talways get noticed though, but
it shows up clearly in thesearch data.
Families are traveling togethermore.
(13:42):
Not just parents and kids, butgrandparents, adult siblings,
and extended family groups.
Family oriented trips arestrongly trending, with nearly
half of travelers planningmultigenerational vacations.
And this includes destinationssuited for a range of ages and
(14:03):
shared experiences.
You're seeing searches likefamily friendly destinations,
trips for all ages, multigenerational vacation ideas.
Those are rising steadily inthe search terms.
And it makes sense.
People want shared experiences.
They want memories that spangenerations.
(14:25):
Destinations that offer a mixof history, easy activities,
food, and walkability areespecially appealing here.
Not everyone wants thrillrides.
Not everyone wants museums allday.
But everyone wants somethingthat they can talk about
afterwards.
So they're looking for themulti-experience where everyone
(14:50):
gets to enjoy something.
And a recent travel studyshowed that 59% of travelers
reported taking at least onesolo trip in recent years.
So solo travel is evolving,it's not disappearing.
The growth is not only aboutyouth, professionals, older
adults, and wellness focusfocused travelers are all part
(15:10):
of the rising trend.
You know, in the past the solotraveler was a very small
segment of the market, and a lotof people weren't really
courting that market.
It was either, well, look atthat backpacker.
Must be nice not to have a joband just wander around the world
all the time.
Or look at that poor man orwoman just traveling all by
(15:31):
themselves all alone.
Well now, solo travel is a coresegment, not a fringe one.
Searches for solo cruiseholiday have showed significant
increase over recent years withsignificant annual growth.
Cruise lines are responding byoffering single occupancy cabins
and dedicated social spacesjust for the solo traveler.
(15:56):
Instead of solo backpacking orcheap solo travel, people are
searching for safe solo traveldestinations, solo trips in the
US, quiet solo getaways.
Now this suggests a shift fromadventure driven solo travel to
more reflective travel, wellnessretreats or relaxing cultural
(16:21):
beaches or peaceful coastaltowns.
They're all seeing an increasein interest.
People aren't trying to proveanything.
They're trying to reconnectwith themselves, with history,
and with a place.
Search trends show that solotravelers are moving away from
the major hotspots in the partytowns and towards less crowded,
(16:42):
affordable, and authenticdestinations.
And this includes smallertowns, quieter coastal regions,
and countries that offercultural experiences without the
high price tags of traditionaltourist centers and tourism.
That's why destinations thatfeel welcoming and manageable
(17:03):
and rich in atmosphere arewinning the solo travel market.
Now cruises and package travelare making a comeback as well.
And this one kind of surprisedsome people.
Twenty one point seven millionAmericans are expected to cruise
in 2026.
(17:24):
That's up from 20.7, so amillion more people are expected
to cruise in 2026 than did in2025.
While the Caribbean remains themost popular cruise
destination, interest isshifting, shifting towards a
broader set of itineraries likeAlaska, transatlantic cruises,
(17:44):
Hawaii and the South Pacific,and European river cruises.
Interest in longer cruises, the15 plus day ones, has increased
as well, indicating a trendtowards deeper, longer
experiences on the water.
And people aren't justsearching for luxury cruises.
They're searching foraffordable cruises, short
(18:08):
cruises, and repositioningcruises.
These are the ones where theboat has to go from one port to
another, and they're not reallyset up to do a full-blown guest
cruise.
It's a repositioning cruise togo to another port of call.
But in other words, people wantconvenience and value.
They want someone else tohandle all the logistics.
(18:28):
And the same goes for packagedtravel experiences that promise
simplicity.
Travelers are tired ofoverplanning.
Now, since I went back andlooked for the last two or three
months, I got a feeling forwhat seasonal and holiday travel
searches are like.
And they're spiking earlier.
And it's very clear from thedata, people are thinking ahead
(18:49):
about the holidays.
Searches tied to holiday andseasonal destinations.
Places, you know, likeChristmas markets in Europe or
ski and winter and sportslocales for winter sports, they
have risen and have risensignificantly as the calendar
turns towards winter and thesustained travel planning into
(19:10):
the following year.
Searches related to holidaytravel tips or seasonal
destinations or winter getawaysor Christmas markets.
These start earlier every year.
But even here there's a shift.
People aren't asking for thebest holiday destination.
You know, I know I'm I remembermany years ago you put you
(19:33):
write an article if you put bestthings to see and do, best
places to eat, bestdestinations.
Oh, Google loved that.
Well, people aren't searchingfor that mess anymore.
They're asking for the leaststressful one.
They want smooth travel,manageable crowds, and
meaningful experiences.
Now, what all this what doesall this tell us about today's
(19:54):
traveler?
Well, when you step back andlook at all of these trends
together, a picture forms.
Recent travel search behaviorshows that people are looking
for meaningful, affordable, andflexible travel options from
quick city breaks and natureescapes to family vacations and
culturally rich urbanexploration.
(20:17):
Seasonal and holiday travelplanning has also risen as
travelers look to book months inadvance.
So today's traveler is timeconscious, experience focused,
story driven, less interested inthe spectacle, and more
interested in the substance.
People today, when they travel,they're just not trying to
(20:39):
impress anyone.
They're trying to feelsomething.
You know, that immersive travelthat you keep hearing about.
I've been doing that for yearsbefore it ever had an aim.
You know, to me, travel is asmuch about the experience and
the people I meet as it is aboutthe destination.
People want travel to give themstories, not stress.
So how can you use thisinformation?
(21:01):
Well, if you're listening andthinking about your next trip,
here's how to use these trendsin a practical way.
Ask yourself, do I want a longescape or a short reset?
Do I want crowds or calm?
Do I want the novelty or thestory?
If you only have a few days,don't fight that.
(21:22):
Lean into places close to homewith deep roots.
If you're feeling burned out,look for destinations where the
pace is built in, somewherewhere you can relax in a slower
paced environment.
If you're craving connection,choose places with history,
character, and human stories.
So where is travel headingnext?
Well, if any if current searchbehavior is any indication, the
(21:45):
future of travel looks lessflashy, but more meaningful.
Less about the Instagrammoments at the waterfall or the
parties in Ibiza, less aboutchecking a box on a bucket list
and more about lived in moments.
More conversations that startwith let me tell you what
happened when I went here. Youknow?
And that's a pretty good placefor travel to be, rather than oh
(22:08):
yeah, I had a lot of fun.
But when the story starts, ohman, let me tell you what
happened when I visited thisplace.
So next time you're scrollingthrough travel ideas late at
night, remember, you're notalone.
2026 is the year of ultrapersonalized travel.
And the people that are bookingthe hotel rooms and everything
else they're taking notice.
(22:29):
Travelers are ditching thecookie cutter itineraries for
journeys that reflect theirindividual preferences and
passions.
Whether you're a foodie wantinga culinary souvenir from local
kitchens or an adventurerseeking remote trails, or a
culture lovier just diving intotraditions.
2026 is all about travel thatfeels uniquely yours.
(22:51):
Millions of people aresearching for the same things
you are.
A break, a story, a place thatleaves you with those long
lasting memories of the peopleyou met and the experiences you
had.
And somewhere out there, theright destination is waiting for
you.
So that's it for this week.
Like I said, this is the lastepisode of the year.
And I really appreciateeverybody listening in.
(23:13):
I really do.
If you get a chance, hit thatlike or subscribe button.
Send the link of the podcast tosomebody you think might find
it interesting.
And I'll be back after the newyear with a whole new set of
podcasts, a lot of destinations.
In fact, I'll tease you withthe first one I'm probably gonna
put up.
It's about a little small townin Texas that had an open secret
(23:35):
for years that was ignored byeverybody until it couldn't be
ignored any longer.
It's a really cool place tovisit.
But I'll be back in Februarywith a brand new episode.
So until then, safe travels.
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