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For years, we travelled to see new places. In 2026, we’ll travel to see ourselves. That’s the idea behind Booking.com’s new report, The Era of YOU, which looks at how our holidays are shifting from escape to expression. Whether it’s a robot checking you in, a trip inspired by your birth chart, or a retreat that promises to fix your sleep cycle, next year’s travel trends are going to be more than just itineraries. Here’s what your 2026 moodboard of travel might look like. Romantasy Retreats Apparently, travellers don’t just want to read fantasy anymore; they want to live it. The romantasy boom (thank you, BookTok) is spilling into travel, with people booking misty castles in Scotland and gothic manors in Transylvania. These kinds of experiences are catering to travellers who make-believe worlds that take you back to the wonder of storybooks. Humanoid Homes Tech travel is getting a glow-up. Hotels are experimenting with humanoid hosts. Think AI concierges who recognise your face, remember your coffee order, and text you good morning in your preferred language. In Japan and Dubai, some hotels already do. In 2026, the idea of a “smart stay” won’t mean free Wi-Fi but rather how your room knows you. Glow-cations The new wellness travel trend is vanity-friendly and entirely guilt-free. People aren’t just signing up for meditation or yoga anymore; they’re booking retreats that promise a literal glow-up. Picture mineral baths in Iceland, Ayurvedic facials in Kerala, or nutrition-led sleep bootcamps in the Alps. Nostalgia Trips In an overstimulated world, comfort now comes wrapped in memories. Travellers are revisiting old childhood haunts or picking places that feel stuck in time. It is about 90s-style motels, fairgrounds, heritage trains, and roadside diners. It’s the emotional equivalent of eating Maggi on a rainy day. Familiarity is suddenly the most exotic luxury. Destiny Travel Not Google Maps but your zodiac sign is your new compass. Astrology-based travel is catching on, where itineraries are built around birth charts. A Taurus might be sent on a vineyard trail in France, while an Aries could be chasing volcano hikes. There are even astrology travel agents now who plan your trip based on cosmic compatibility. If Mercury’s in retrograde, maybe just stay home. Sense-Seeing 2026 is also the year of sensory travel: experiences that don’t just look good on Instagram but feel good in your body. You could opt for a salt cave sound bath in Morocco, go on a scent trails in Provence, or blindfolded food tours in Kyoto. The idea is to make you feel present again in a world that keeps asking you to scroll. AI Dream Trips Artificial intelligence is becoming your new travel agent, minus the upsell. AI-powered trip planners now build itineraries based on what you’ve watched, listened to, and even how you sleep. If you’ve binged Chef’s Table and searched “sourdough workshops,” expect an Italian countryside suggestion in your inbox soon. Chaos Travel While Millennials are still perfecting colour-coded itineraries, Gen Z is doing the opposite: booking one-way tickets and seeing where life takes them. “Chaos travel,” as it’s being called, celebrates last-minute deals, serendipitous detours, and trips with zero plans. Conscious Escapes Sustainability is no longer optional. Travellers are picking regenerative stays such as organic farms, coral restoration resorts, forest cabins that plant trees per booking. It’s not just about leaving no trace anymore, but leaving a better one. Parallel Reality Trips And finally, there’s travel that merges digital with real. Think augmented-reality heritage walks, VR-enhanced safaris, or holographic art tours that mix history with imagination. It’s a small step for tech, a giant leap for tourism, blurring where the screen ends and the world begins. Travel News - Find latest news and tips based on Indian and World travel including top 10 travel destination, tourism information, how to reach visit and more at Times Now.
