Travel in 2026 is expected to reflect travellers’ desire to slow down, reconnect with the world around them and focus on well-being. Recent travel trend reports predict a continued emphasis on wellness experiences and what that means to the individual, from traditional spa treatments and retreats to prioritising less crowded destinations and scheduling time for nature-based activities. The desire to use travel as a true escape and mental reset will continue to drive travel decisions in the coming year.
Below is a snapshot of travel and hospitality trends our global PR teams have gathered from recent studies, media feedback and industry events.
- Wellness Travel Gets Personal: As the demand for customised and personalised travel experiences increases, the wellness space is taking notice. Condé Nast Traveller’s 9 Biggest Wellness Travel Trends of 2026 predicts the rise of more targeted audiences. Menopause-focused retreats, spas, and treatments and programming aimed at babies, children, teens and multigen travellers are seeing an increase in popularity as many travellers look to find ways to manage stress and focus on longevity.
- Wealthy Travellers Are Willing to Pay: As the price of luxury travel continues to increase, a report from the Wall Street Journal showed wealthy travellers splurging on accommodation, despite hotels charging record-high premiums. The report notes that the “seemingly unshakable demand for luxury travel” includes above-and-beyond offerings such as personalised butler services, high-end dining and the ability for multigenerational travellers to rent out villas and other large luxury accommodation to include their children and grandchildren.
- Pantone Unveils Color of the Year: Pantone’s highly anticipated color of the year was announced, and 2026 is the year of “Cloud Dancer.” The shade of white reflects “a symbol of calming influence in a frenetic society” as well as “a blank canvas,” aligning with travel trends of wellness, a search for relaxation and an emphasis on well-being in the year ahead.
- The Road Less Travelled Becomes More Accessible: According to data from The Points Guy’s 2026 Travel Trends Report, travellers looking to visit destinations that are more “off the beaten path” will have more flight and accommodation options in 2026. Airlines have taken note of the desire to avoid destinations known for overtourism and have expanded flight routes to new cities, and hotels have followed suit. Notably, United launched services to Mongolia and Greenland, while JetBlue added Norfolk, VA, Traverse City, MI, and Wilmington, NC, to its domestic U.S. offerings.
- Embracing Nature: Skyscanner’s 2026 Travel Trends report showed a growing number of travellers are prioritising time outdoors when considering holiday spots. Mountains, national parks and scenic landscapes are no longer seasonal escapes. They are integral to wellness, personal growth and self-discovery. From solo trekking journeys to family-friendly mountain retreats, these experiences highlight a shift towards adventure that is immersive, authentic and restorative. Airbnb’s 2026 travel predictions report noted a 35% increase in searches for stays “near a national park.”
- Flexibility in Booking Travel Is Increasingly Important: According to eDreams ODIGEO’s Year in Travel 2025 report, travellers are increasingly prioritising peace of mind and control when booking travel. Flexibility in travel is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Whether it’s the ability to change plans or combine multiple providers in one booking for the best value, travellers want options that adapt to their lives, not the other way around. The era of rigid, one-size-fits-all travel is over.
UK MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND SHIFTS
- Charlotte Moore has left The Telegraph and has been appointed editor of Femail at The Daily Mail.
- Kamal Ahmed has been appointed editorial director for the UK and Europe at The Daily Telegraph.
- Laura Forsyth has been appointed health and fitness content creator at Olive and Good Food magazines. Laura was previously a shopping journalist at The London Standard.
- Several new luxury lifestyle and travel publications have recently launched or are launching in the UK, including The Life of Luxury, TasteBound, Wellness & World, Grounded and Arrival.
DACH MARKETS’ MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND SHIFTS
- Munich-based boutique publishing house Beautiful Minds Media is diversifying its luxury portfolio by introducing T: The New York Times Style Magazine to the German market as an official licensed edition in spring 2026. T will be positioned as a high-end quarterly dedicated to style, culture, art and design. Current fashion director at the glossy women’s and men’s lifestyle magazines Madame and Monsieur will lead the editorial team. The magazine will be available via retail, subscriptions and digital platforms, complemented by an e-paper edition, shop offerings and weekly newsletters.
- Hamburg-based Jahreszeiten Verlag is growing its portfolio with the launch of MERIAN Select, a new companion title to its long-running travel magazine MERIAN. Each issue will spotlight a single destination in depth. Distributed across newsstands, train stations and airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the new format is built entirely on collaborations with destination partners – offering them exclusive thematic presence and maximum visibility.
- Leading German news magazine Stern is expanding its newsletter portfolio with three new service-focused formats. The biweekly Gesund Leben newsletter (translating to “healthy living”), which launched in November, addresses topics such as body, mind, nutrition and well-being. The weekly psychology newsletter, Das Gefühl der Woche (translating to “feeling of the week”), explores the role of emotions in daily life, relationships and society, while the new finance newsletter, Es geht ums Geld (translating to “it’s about money”), provides guidance through complex financial topics.
- Fresh & Furious Publishing is diversifying its women-focused portfolio with the launch of Health & Wealth, a biannual print magazine and companion to its flagship magazine finanzielle, designed to connect personal finance and well-being in a contemporary, holistic framework. Fresh & Furious Publishing aims to further fortify its mission of empowering women toward financial independence.
- A new regional daily newspaper, the Ostdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, is set to launch in Chemnitz in February 2026, with plans to expand digital editions to all eastern Germany state capitals.
BENELUX MARKETS’ MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND SHIFTS
- Tim Igor Snijders is now part-time editor at De Correspondent.
- Sigrid Stamkot has stepped down as a staff travel journalist for VRIJ, De Telegraaf and will be continuing as a freelancer.
- CTO Giovanni Piccirilli announced he is departing RTL Nederland. His responsibilities will be taken over by Frank Mathys (DPG Media CTO), who will also become CTO for the audio and video unit that includes RTL Nederland.
U.S. MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND SHIFTS
- Parade launched “America’s Favorite Small Towns,” described as a nationwide competition honoring towns with populations under 250,000 that make the country shine.
- Alice Newbold is now the fashion news and features director at Vogue.
- Codie Steensma is the new managing editor of Lonely Planet.
- Previously with the Time Out Group, Olivia Condous is now editor at Luxury Escapes.
- Joseph Dits, previously a reporter at the South Bend Tribune, has gone freelance and now focuses on outdoor journalism.
- Elena Kadvany was promoted from food reporter to deputy editor of food & wine at the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Forbes and Hearst announced layoffs for a number of regular contributors, including Jared Ranahan, Sean Santiago, Julia Cancilla, Camille Okhio and Ingrid Abramovitch.
- Two months after acquiring The Dallas Morning News, Hearst announced layoffs for 26 staff members at the Texas newspaper.
