Happy new year to you and your team. Our MMGY Global PR teams have had a busy start to the year so far, engaging with clients, travelling to multiple destinations and interacting with media across the globe. We’re already experiencing firsthand some of the trends that will shape up to be the biggest drivers in travel this year.
The New York Times has deemed uncertainty as the one certainty about travel in 2026. The report indicates that whilst global travel is surging and will have finally rebounded from the pandemic, so is an international apprehension that is driving travel decisions. Additional standout trends include travellers’ ongoing desire to prioritise human connection and their emotional well-being with new and authentic experiences.
Below is a snapshot of travel and hospitality trends our global PR teams have gathered from recent studies, media feedback and industry events.
AI Is Reshaping Trip Planning, but Travellers Still Want a Human Touch: As AI tools become embedded in travel research, nearly half of travellers now use platforms like ChatGPT to plan trips. At the same time, industry observers at Skift warn of a growing “travel slop” effect, where AI-generated itineraries risk feeling generic, repetitive and disconnected from place. Whilst travellers appreciate the speed and convenience of AI, trust remains essential: The majority say they place greater confidence in recommendations from human experts – such as travel advisors, guides and local insiders – than in AI alone, underscoring the growing value of curated, experience-led travel that blends smart technology with genuine expertise.
Travellers Are Turning Holidays Into Tattoos: As traditional souvenirs fall out of favour, Travel + Leisure reports a growing number of travellers embracing “tattourism,” planning holidays around getting inked as a permanent reminder of a destination. From seeking out renowned local tattoo artists to hotel-hosted tattoo pop-ups offering place-inspired designs, the trend reflects a shift towards deeply personal, experience-driven travel where memories aren’t just collected but worn for life.
Vintage Junkets for Added Authenticity: Amid a sea of global blandness, travellers are searching for relics from the prealgorithmic age – going out of their way to find retro experiences and preloved treasures. British Airways Holidays reported that 47% of travellers agree that vintage or retro experiences offer a more authentic connection to the destinations they are visiting.
Boomers Spend While Younger Travellers Experiment: According to MMGY’s newly released Portrait of American Travelers™ “Winter Edition,” while Baby Boomers are expected to outspend other generations on leisure travel in the year ahead, taking only slightly more trips but investing more per journey, economic uncertainty is shaping the way different audiences travel. Younger travellers and families are more experimental, leaning into AI-powered planning tools, flexible payment options, and social media for inspiration and decision-making. The takeaway for the industry: Travel demand isn’t disappearing; it’s evolving, with success hinging on brands that simplify planning and deliver experiences that clearly justify the spend.
Chronocations, Uninhibited Holidays and Neurosurfing Fuelling the Wellness Movement: British Airways Holidays highlights several trends shaping the wellness movement. The first taps into our growing desire to live in sync with our biological chronotypes rather than the rigid rhythms of modern life. On chronocations, time loses all meaning, with travellers ignoring the clock entirely, choosing to eat, sleep and explore whenever they choose. The next, deemed neurosurfing, addresses sleep deprivation and the effects it can have on our mental health. Cognitive health holidays are increasing in popularity as travellers place greater emphasis on high-impact relaxation achieved by activities including breathwork, meditation and ecstatic dance, designed to enable a shift through the brain wave states. Finally, body positivity–focused holidays are on the rise, with 31% of UK adults reporting that body-positive experiences are more socially acceptable now than a decade ago.
Value for Money Is the New Editorial Filter: Digital travel coverage is increasingly dominated by value-first stories: best-value breaks, money-saving “hacks” and affordable alternatives. More publications and journalists are now working within strict “per night” price caps, as ultra-luxury lands with less impact during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
UK MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND SHIFTS
- HELLO! Magazine has appointed George Stark as associate editor.
- Antonia Wilson is now global editor of Business Traveller.
- Agatha Zarzycki has left BA High Life and is now freelancing.
- Arrival magazine launched in December. Covering travel, culture and lifestyle across print and online, the magazine is split between all that is new in London (bars, restaurants, exhibitions and attractions) and new and unique experiences and products around the world.
- Ryan Gray is leaving his role as content editor at Culture Trip to go freelance in February.
- India-Jayne Trainor has gone freelance and moved to Australia.
- Imogen Clark has been promoted from managing editor to editor in chief at quarterly high-fashion and culture publications Glass Magazine and Glass Man Magazine.
- Michelle Darlow has been promoted from editorial commercial content director to head of lifestyle at OK! and ok.co.uk, overseeing fashion, beauty, interiors, recipes and travel.
DACH MARKETS MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND SHIFTS
- The Austrian travel magazine REISE aktuell is now called Travel & Drive, uniting the former travel title with its sister publication AUTO aktuell into one joint quarterly magazine. Its digital presence is also undergoing a relaunch.
- Funke Mediengruppe is expanding its digital portfolio with the acquisition of wetter.com from ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, subject to antitrust approval. The deal adds one of the leading weather platforms in the German-speaking market, reaching over 25 million monthly users. The acquisition was Funke’s ninth in 2025 and underscores the publishing house’s strategy as an active consolidator in digital media.
- The former editor in chief of Falstaff Travel has moved to the luxury lifestyle magazine Robb Report, where he assumes the same role. His position at Falstaff Travel has been taken over by the publisher and editor in chief of the sustainability magazine FOGS, who will continue her role there alongside her new responsibilities.
- Upscale Austrian culinary magazine Falstaff has launched a new quarterly magazine for the Nordic region, covering seven countries and focusing on food, wine, travel and lifestyle. The debut was marked by a high-profile launch event in Copenhagen. The new edition expands Falstaff’s international footprint, with further launches planned for 2026, while editorial production remains centralised in Vienna.
- Former editor in chief of the family magazine Leben & Erziehen is now editor in chief of Funke Mediengruppe’s digital family magazine, Eltern.
- Renowned German publishing house Axel Springer will launch a weekly digital version of the Pro Gesundheit newsletter in March, focused on health, nutrition, fitness and mental well-being.
BENELUX MARKETS MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND SHIFTS
- Caroline Ammerlaan has been appointed the new CEO of Hearst Netherlands. She joins from Talpa eCommerce, where she was CEO since 2021. Ms. Krouwel, who led Hearst Netherlands for the past six years, will now take on an advisory role.
- DPG Media has acquired LINDA and LINDA.meiden (Mood for Magazines) from Talpa Network.
- NPO has announced budget cuts and channel decisions including discontinuing NPO Campus Radio, NPO Soul & Jazz, NPO 2 Extra and BVN, along with an internal reorganisation.
- The Netherlands will be experiencing commercial radio changes in early 2026 across several stations, including schedule shifts at Qmusic and 3FM, with Tom de Graaf and Joe Stam set to host a show on Qmusic beginning in February.
INDIAN MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND SHIFTS
- Shreya Cheema was appointed communications manager, India for VisitBritain, shifting from associate editor at Outlook Travel to strategic communications leadership in tourism.
- Anukriti Malik has been appointed corporate communication and social media lead at RPSG Lifestyle Media (Esquire India, The Hollywood Reporter India, Robb Report India, Manifest).
U.S. MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND SHIFTS
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is shutting down on May 3.
- Kate Tully Ellsworth left AOL to return to USA TODAY, this time as part of the content has monetisation team overseeing the 10Best section.
- Sara Moniuszko has also rejoined the USA TODAY editorial team, covering health, wellness and lifestyle topics.
- GQ editor Will Welch is stepping down to take on a new Paris-based role with musician Pharrell, who is also men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton.
- After more than four decades, Jane Wooldridge is departing Miami Herald to pursue other ambitions, including consulting and freelance travel writing.
- Food52 filed for bankruptcy, leading to mass layoffs ahead of America’s Test Kitchen’s recent offer to acquire the food and lifestyle brand.
