The future of travel
are influenced by astrology when planning trips, while 47% would consider changing plans based on spiritual advice. This is driving interest in astrocartography itineraries, ritual-led retreats and meaning-focused journeys. Destinations such as India, Peru and Japan are leveraging traveller demand for spiritual depth, combining wellness with heritage, belief systems and ceremony. Spiritual travel sits at the intersection of culture and self-discovery, offering travellers meaning rather than escapism and encouraging longer, more intentional stays. Solo, not lonely INDEPENDENCE: CONNECTION OPTIONAL Solo travel continues to surge, and the data suggests it is structural rather than cyclical. Airbnb reports triple-digit growth in interest for solo travel to destinations such as Tromsø (Norway), Idyllwild (California) and parts of the Caribbean. Skyscanner adds that bookings using a “solo travel” filter rose 83% year-on-year, underlining sustained demand. The shift is one of intent. Travellers want independence with optional connection, driving demand for no single supplements, intuitive safety and opt-in social experiences. Destinations such as Japan, Portugal and New Zealand continue to attract solo travellers due to safety perception and ease of navigation, while hotels around the world are redesigning communal spaces to feel welcoming without being performative. Catching flights, and feelings TRAVELLING FOR IRL INTERACTIONS Travel as a social connector is increasingly deliberate. Skyscanner reports 39% of travellers would consider travelling specifically to meet new people in real life (IRL), rising to 55% among Gen Z. Online
marketing language. Hotels are investing in soundproofing, phone-free spa zones and low-sensory interiors, while destinations such as Japan’s rural onsen towns, the Dolomites and Tasmania are benefitting as travellers actively avoid overstimulated hotspots. In 2026, hushpitality reflects a broader cultural shift – it’s about what’s removed, not what’s added from travel Touching grass, and soil NATURE AS THE NEW RESET The ‘touching grass’ trend is now defining travel behaviour as nature-led trips shift from backdrop to primary motivation. Airbnb’s 2026 Travel Predictions show a 35% rise in searches for national parks, while Skyscanner reports growing demand via search filters for rural stays, forests and open landscapes as travellers actively disconnect from screens and schedules. Wellness travel mirrors this movement: Spa Business research finds 79% of wellness travellers prioritise outdoor immersion, with 60% seeking tranquillity above all else. Increasingly, travellers are also looking beyond grass to the soil itself. Farm hospitality, a design-led evolution of agritourism rooted in regenerative farming, is gaining traction as visitors seek grounding, meaning and sensory connection. As Experiential Hospitality founder Isaac French notes, travellers want “to slow down and experience something real” in a screen-saturated world. From the Scottish Highlands to New Zealand’s South Island, and across Europe’s growing network of farm hotels, the touching grass trend is evolving into something deeper: restoration through place.
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Destinations such as the Scottish Highlands are benefitting from the ‘touching grass’ trend; Peru: a Quechua indigenous woman performing a ritual Airbnb reports triple-digit growth in interest for solo travel to destinations such as Tromsø 56% of travellers now prioritise rest and recovery 57% would consider a quiet or silent retreat 71% say video influences travel decisions
Spiritual & astro-led travel MEANING BECOMES THE MOTIVATOR
Spirituality is increasingly determining travel decisions. Booking.com research cited by Globetrender shows 41% of British travellers
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