The travel industry continues to demonstrate resilience, with demand holding firm despite economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and ongoing pressure on household budgets. Rather than reducing their appetite for travel, consumers are becoming more selective about how they spend, increasingly looking for trips that feel worthwhile, memorable and personalised.
The European Travel Commission reported that 81% of Europeans intend to travel between June and November 2026, with Southern and Mediterranean Europe continuing to attract significant demand, and Longwoods International recently reported that 90% of American travellers intend to travel in the next six months.
One of the clearest shifts this summer has been towards more deliberate travel. Whether planning a domestic or international holiday, travellers are looking beyond conventional destinations, with interest increasingly driven by live events, screen culture, reading retreats and other specific interests.
In addition, the travel landscape is becoming more fragmented, with no single dominant consumer. Some travellers are prioritising proximity and value, while others are willing to spend more on highly specific, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Across the spectrum, however, personal relevance is becoming increasingly important.
Below is a snapshot of the travel and hospitality trends our global PR teams have gathered from recent studies, media feedback and industry events.
TRENDS IMPACTING THE TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
The Luxury of Privacy: Privacy is emerging as an increasingly valuable component of premium travel, according to the Global Wellness Institute. This reflects growing demand for secluded environments, private spaces and experiences that allow travellers to disconnect from both physical and digital noise.
Slow Travel and the Return of the ‘Analogue’ Holiday: As technology becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life and holiday planning, there is growing appeal in experiences that offer a break from screens and constant connectivity. Travellers are seeking opportunities to reconnect with nature, spend time outdoors, pursue hobbies and engage with their surroundings without the pressure to constantly document or share the experience.
Film Tourism Continues to Inspire Our Choices: Film and television continue to shape travel behaviour, as evidenced by summer blockbusters like ‘The Odyssey.’ Increasingly, travellers are not just looking for famous filming locations; they are instead showing an interest in experiencing the landscapes, neighbourhoods, food and culture associated with the worlds they have seen onscreen.
Wellness Optimisation Fatigue: The highly lucrative wellness tourism industry continues to evolve as travellers redefine what well-being looks like to them. After an intense boom in health and wellness optimisation, there are signs that consumers are beginning to question the pressure to constantly improve, track and measure their well-being. The pursuit of the ‘optimal’ version of ourselves – from tracking sleep scores to analysing recovery metrics and nutrition – is creating its own form of fatigue. As consumers become more discerning, evidence, expert perspectives and clearly defined benefits are likely to carry more weight than novelty alone.
UK Media Opportunities and Shifts
- Jessica Doyle has been appointed features director at House & Garden.
- Amy Beecham was appointed commissioning editor at Stylist.
- Sidonie Wilson was promoted to deputy London editor at The Times.
- Kerrie Hughes was promoted to senior digital editor of Woman & Home.
DACH Media Opportunities and Shifts
- Curaden Germany, the publisher behind the high-end family titles luna and luna mum, has launched the health and well-being magazine luna health. The free publication is distributed through pharmacies and dental practices across Germany and will be published three times annually. It covers a broad range of family health topics as well as travel recommendations.
- The upscale men’s lifestyle magazine TWEED is expanding to four issues annually and increasing in volume to allow for more pages, stories and in-depth reporting. It will be complemented by special editions, creating additional opportunities for editorial content and premium advertising.
- ProSiebenSat.1 is expanding its linear television portfolio with the launch of Sat.2 in early 2027, a new channel aimed primarily at women aged 50 and above and built around German fiction and established Sat.1 program brands. The launch reflects ProSiebenSat.1’s strategy of developing targeted audience channels and leveraging existing content libraries, while offering advertisers additional reach through the combined marketing of Sat.1 and Sat.2.
- Renowned Swiss publishing house Ringier is planning to discontinue the Swiss Sunday newspaper SonntagsBlick at the end of 2026 due to declining circulation, advertising revenues and increasing pressure on the print business, according to REPUBLIK and several independent sources.
- Regional German family magazine KITZ, distributed in Munich and the surrounding area, will be discontinued after 30 years in the market.
BENELUX Media Opportunities and Shifts
- The acquisition of IPM Press by Rossel Media Group has been approved by the Belgian antitrust authority. The group’s portfolio will include major publications such as Le Soir, La Libre Belgique, L’Avenir and La DH/Les Sports, which are all confirmed to continue operating independently and under their existing branding.
- Rennie Rijpma, editor in chief of AD, the Netherlands’ third-largest daily newspaper, has been appointed director of media at public broadcast organisation KRO-NCRV as of October 1.
- Radio advertising grew by 6.1% during the first half of 2026. Broadly, advertising brands embrace the inclusion of linear radio in their Netherlands campaigns to secure broad reach and impact.
- Videoland, the Dutch streaming platform of major Belgian publisher DPG Media, has acquired sports channel Viaplay, which owns exclusive broadcast rights of Formula 1, English Premier League and PDC Darts. The acquisition creates the Netherlands’ largest streaming platform for entertainment and sports, which aligns with the trend of Dutch consumers moving from linear television viewing to streaming services.
Indian Media Opportunities and Shifts
- Nonita Kalra has been appointed chief creative officer – luxury, fashion and lifestyle at Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL). She joins from TATA CLiQ Luxury, where she served as editor in chief. In her new role, Kalra will lead BCCL’s creative strategy across luxury, fashion, lifestyle and culture, while driving editorial excellence and developing marquee intellectualproperties across TOI, OMS, 1838 and associated platforms.
- Kunjalik B has rejoined Condé Nast India as director – IPs & events. He will lead the strategy, development and growth of premium intellectual properties, experiences and partnerships across the publisher’s brand portfolio, working across editorial, commercial and experiential marketing.
- Rahul Shrivastava has joined NDTV as consulting editor, bringing nearly four decades of experience across print, television and digital media, with expertise in political reporting and editorial leadership.
- Aditi Nagar has been appointed executive editor (political) at News24. She will also anchor the channel’s flagship primetime debate show, ‘Sabse Bada Sawal.’
- Khushboo Mattoo Bhardwaj has joined Times Network as news editor, where she will lead the branded content team.
U.S. Media Opportunities and Shifts
- Betsy Blumenthal has joined The New York Times as editor of the 36 Hours column, moving from Chase Travel, where she helped launch its travel editorial vertical in 2023. Stephen Hiltner has also been promoted to deputy editor of travel at The New York Times.
- Emma Weissmann has joined Travel Weekly as features editor, responsible for destination features as well as social media, video and podcast initiatives, while also covering retail travel agencies. She moved from TravelAge West, where she was executive editor, and AGENTatHOME, where she was editor in chief.
- Jerry Limone has been promoted to news editor at Travel Weekly, after serving as the publication’s web editor for nearly two decades. He will oversee news development across both online and print, with a greater focus on developing breaking news into longer-form coverage and analysis.
- Leena Kim has been promoted to senior editor at Town & Country, where she will lead editorial strategy across luxury lifestyle verticals including style, jewellery, travel and weddings. She will also oversee the magazine’s Snob’s Guides, using trends, upcoming events and competitive insights to develop content aimed at converting paid subscribers.
- Erin Cavoto has been promoted from editor to senior editor at Travel + Leisure, specialising in travel product reviews and helping readers identify deals and products that make travel easier and more affordable.
- Anna Popp has been promoted to editor at Travel + Leisure, while Maddie Hiatt has been promoted to associate social media director. The moves highlight T+L’s continued investment in both commerce-led editorial and social distribution.
- Sebastian Modak has been promoted to lifestyle editor at The Wall Street Journal. His expanded remit covers travel, culture, design, food and broader lifestyle trends.
- Variety has promoted Emily Longeretta to director of features, where she oversees features and new business development for its Focus editorial department. The remit spans sponsored editorial, festivals, FYC coverage, impact lists, lifestyle, travel, industry anniversaries and pop culture.
- According to Pitchcraft, as multiplatform storytelling takes centre stage, editors are thinking less about storytelling as text on a page and first about visuals. This month, Netflix announced it will air content from Condé Nast, Hearst, People Inc. and more. Thinking about stories across platforms is becoming mission critical to getting press.
