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Expedia’s new research caught my eye. I had conducted extensive studies and identified a “Gen Z” mindset driving older consumers to explore and experience life in similar ways to much younger consumers – but on a modestly delayed basis. Older consumers weren’t “first in the pool” but once they saw the water was “warm enough” they quickly enjoyed a proverbial swim and would try new foods, new exercise models, new travel trends and even adopt new technology tools. When we talk about travel trends, the conversation often drifts to incremental improvements—faster Wi-Fi at resorts, more direct flights, slicker loyalty perks. The latest research from Expedia Group—and the perspective of its Chief Trend Tracker, Melanie Fish—points to a deeper shift. Meaning, context, and emotion are moving from the edges of travel to the center. Melanie Fish, Expedia's "Trend Tracker" I set a zoom call with Fish who explained the methodology behind the new report, Unpack ’26: The Trends in Travel. “We start with first-party data,” she told me, “and then we use social listening and third-party data to back up our suspicions about why the numbers are doing what they’re doing.” That layered approach matters. It transforms raw signals—searches, bookings, content engagement—into insight brands and travelers can actually use. From Data to Story Unpack ’26 draws on activity from Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, paired with cultural listening and external research. The framing is notable: it’s not simply about going somewhere new; it’s about going somewhere that aligns with culture, curiosity and personal identity. The “Destinations of the Year” list illustrates this well. Yes, places like Big Sky, Montana and Okinawa, Japan are surging in interest. But Expedia also introduced a “Smart Travel Health Check,” a lens that considers whether destinations are actually ready to welcome a surge—think infrastructure, community well-being and sustainable practices. That small addition signals a big mindset shift. The future isn’t only “where is hot?” It’s “where is ready—and how do we participate responsibly?” For loyalty leaders and brand stewards, that’s an important barometer of evolving consumer expectations. MORE FOR YOU Trend Spotlight #1: Fan Voyage The most headline-grabbing short-term catalyst for 2026 is obvious: the global sports calendar. But the nuance is where it gets interesting. As Fish put it, “It does not take a crystal ball to predict that sports tourism will be big in 2026.” The twist? “The trend that made the cut for Expedia in 2026 is not about travel to those global sporting events. A more interesting trend popped up when we started looking at what kinds of Expedia activities were being booked called Fan Voyage.” DORKING, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: Competitors have water thrown over them as they take part in the annual UK wife carrying race on March 16, 2025 in Dorking, England. The UK Wife Carrying Race was first held in 2008, and features either males or females carrying a 'wife' who can be anyone over 18 that meets the weigh-in requirements. Competitors traverse the 380m course up and down The Nower, a steep hill with a 15m ascent. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images Fan Voyage isn’t jetting off to a mega-event. It’s weaving hyper-local sports experiences into a trip you already planned. Heading to Tokyo? Seek out sumo. Visiting Finland? Yes, there’s “wife-carrying”—exactly what it sounds like. Staying stateside? Consider the viral phenomenon of Banana Ball, where the Savannah Bananas’ circus-meets-baseball format has exploded into a nationwide tour. What’s motivating travelers here isn’t just entertainment; it’s immersion. As Fish summarized, the top drivers are “learning about history and traditions” and experiencing the “atmosphere and the energy.” She added, “It’s the best of both worlds. I’m learning about the culture, and I’m having a whole lot of fun doing it.” In an era of algorithmic sameness, Fan Voyage offers one-of-a-kind cultural texture—and a new canvas for loyalty programs to deliver carefully curated, high-memory experiences. Trend Spotlight #2: Salvaged Stays Equally compelling is Hotels.com’s “Salvaged Stays”: hotels that lean into the historical bones of a building rather than scrubbing them away. Think former banks, post offices, monasteries and warehouses—properties that might once have been flattened or sterilized but are instead reborn with character intact. Fish told me, “I stayed at a hotel in Toronto last week that used to be a strip club, and it was lovely.” The allure isn’t novelty for novelty’s sake; it’s authenticity. Guests aren’t just sleeping in a room; they’re staying inside a story. The exposed brick, the preserved beam, the subtle nods to past lives—these details function like emotional accelerants, creating memory density and social currency. As Fish noted elsewhere in our conversation, she came to realize she’d been choosing salvaged-stay properties “without knowing it was a trend,” precisely because the experience felt richer. Is this scalable? Fish thinks so. Developers, brands and independent owners have strong incentives to differentiate, and adaptive reuse can be both a sustainability win and a storytelling win. For loyalty marketers, it’s fertile ground for tiered benefits—private tours of the building’s history, behind-the-scenes access to restoration stories, or member-only experiences in repurposed spaces. What Loyalty Leaders Should Do Now Three practical implications stand out for brands across travel and adjacent categories: 1) Pair hard data with cultural intelligence. Fish’s process—first-party signals plus social listening plus third-party research—yields not only accuracy but resonance. Loyalty leaders can adopt a similar “stack” to identify micro-motives in their own ecosystems, then design benefits that meet those motives at the perfect moment. 2) Trade generic rewards for meaning-rich experiences. Fan Voyage shows how a day activity can become the emotional peak of a trip. Consider limited-inventory rewards tied to local sporting subcultures—sumo practice sessions, a meet-and-greet with a Banana Ball team, or curated seats amid South Korea’s famously spirited baseball fandom. These are the kinds of memories that make points feel potent. 3) Signal stewardship, not just scale. The Smart Travel Health Check is a clear cue that consumers want brands to care about impact. For loyalty programs, that can translate to opt-in offsets, give-back partners rooted in destination communities, or status benefits that prioritize off-peak access to ease pressure on local infrastructure. Purpose, thoughtfully executed, is a competitive advantage. Generational Momentum Gen Z and Millennials are the gravitational center of these shifts. They’re driving demand for culturally immersive activities, architecturally interesting stays and experiences that feel personal and values-aligned. As they gain spending power, expect loyalty to evolve from punch-card mechanics into platforms that curate identity and community. The question for marketers isn’t “What points bonus will move them?” It’s “What memory can we help them create?” The New Definition of “Trip Value” A recurring theme in my conversation with Fish was the marriage of the obvious and the non-obvious. Go to Japan and see the highlights—but also book a sumo event. Visit Scotland and tour the castles—but also catch a curling match and talk with locals about why they love it. In Iceland, hit the headline attractions—but layer in the idiosyncratic moments that transform a good trip into a great one. That has implications for how travelers plan and how brands merchandise. If a trip used to be a checklist, it’s now a playlist—anchored by the hits, elevated by rare tracks, scored for vibe, and tuned to the listener’s taste. The winners in 2026 and beyond will help travelers splice those elements together effortlessly. Future of Travel Today The travel conversation is maturing, and that’s a good thing. As Fish told me, this work “is the gift that just keeps on giving to us,” because the trends are broad enough to fuel coverage all year and specific enough to inspire action. Her team’s approach—“We spot what are some interesting things… then we layer on social listening”—is a reminder that data by itself doesn’t move people. Stories do. For brand and loyalty leaders, the playbook is taking shape: use your data to find the human signal, design benefits that create memory-dense experiences, and show you understand your role in stewarding places people love. That’s how you build emotional connection at scale. And if you need a nudge to get started, Fish left me with one more smile-inducing suggestion: on your next trip abroad, go find the local sport. “Fan voyage brings together lovers of sport and lovers of learning about culture,” she said. The point isn’t the scoreboard. It’s the story you bring home and of course the Insta pics. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
