From unplugged camping trips to a noticeable shift towards domestic travel, this season’s travel trends span a broad range of topics, but all speak to the financial and geopolitical uncertainties that most clients are facing as they plan trips. Here’s a roundup of trending destinations, trip formats and other behavioral observations that are influencing summer travel this year.
Trends from Skyscanner
Trend 1: Top Destinations and Under-the-Radar Spots
New survey data from global travel app Skyscanner’s annual Smarter Summer report shows that the cheapest weeks to book currently are the weeks of August 17 and August 31. The most popular destinations this summer include Tokyo, London, New York, Madrid and Spain. However, 73% of Americans are saying that visiting somewhere no one they know or follow on social media has been is appealing. Top under-the-radar destinations curated by Skyscanner experts include Aberdeen, Scotland; Redmond, Oregon; Asuncion, Paraguay; Trieste, Italy; Liverpool, United Kingdom; and Hilo, Hawaii.
Trends from Kampgrounds of America
Trend 1: Freeform Camping Trips
Unstructured “analog” camping trips inspired by nostalgia are trending, according to an annual report conducted by Kamprounds of America (KOA), one of the world’s leading privately-owned campground operators. In a survey of 4,000 randomly selected U.S. and Canadian households, 50% of those who were campers were likely to plan a camping trip that relived a childhood memory. Seventy-seven percent stated that “just being in nature [was] enough,” without the need for structured activities or amenities.
However, hands-on skills are part of the draw, which might present a potential opportunity for advisors — 61% of respondents said they wanted to learn wilderness skills such as fire-making, shelter-building and foraging. This preference was particularly high among Gen Z and millennials.
Trend 2: Heritage Travel and Road Trips
Data also shows that the classic road trip is also having a moment, with 43% of participants reporting that they were in the middle of planning heritage trips to commemorate America’s 250th birthday and the Route 66 Centennial. Among those planning road trips, 38% wanted to visit historically significant sites and 33% were interested in visiting small towns.
RELATED: 6 Historic Hotels Along Route 66
Trends From JustFly
Trend: Amid Global Uncertainty, Domestic Travel Reigns Supreme
Data from Canadian travel agency JustFly shows that North American travelers are leaning into domestic trips this year, with searches for domestic travel up 161% year over year. Among North American destinations, Florida continues to dominate, with Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa all ranking among the state’s most searched-for destinations. Domestic city escapes are also of interest; trips to cities such as New York and Chicago offer easy access to cosmopolitan experiences rich in dining, culture and entertainment with multi-generational appeal
Trends From Priceline
Trend 1: Memorial Day Global Getaways
According to Priceline, recent flight and hotel search data shows that while domestic airfare for Memorial Day weekend, is up slightly year-over-year, international flights are seeing notable price drops. This means travelers might have an opportunity to plan early summer trips abroad.
Trend 2: Memorial Day Hotspots
Separately, Priceline reports that the most popular U.S. destinations are Las Vegas, Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and New York based on flight and hotel searches. Other trending destinations include San Juan, Puerto Rico (+52% year-over-year), Sint Maarten (+133%), Aruba (+62%) and Toronto (+24%).
Trends From Friendly Planet Travel
Trend: Intentional Safaris and Multi-Country Africa Trips
Tour operator Friendly Planet Travel reports that interest in its Kenyan wildlife safari with a Victoria Falls leg has surged by 190.9% year-over year. Additionally, the operator has seen a 63.2% increase in interest in its joint Kenya and Tanzania trip. Both jumps signal continued growth in demand for multi-country African travel.
Social group travel company Contiki also reports a 370% growth in interest in its Kenya-Tanzania itinerary. For 2026, the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) has also broadly observed [link to report] that travelers are moving away from the traditional “nature on demand” safari towards slower, conservation-led wildlife travel.
Trends From Google Flights
Trend 1: Hot International Destinations
Based on Google Flight data, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America continue to dominate search interest for summer travel. Trending international destinations include St. Maarten, Sint Maarten; Mexico City, Mexico; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Santiago, Dominican Republic; and Tel Aviv, Israel. Others include Stockholm, Sweden; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; and Budapest, Hungary.
Trend 2: Up-and-Coming Domestic Spots
Among domestic U.S. trips, the top five destinations that saw the greatest year-over-year increase in searches were Kansas City, Missouri; Sarasota, Florida; Asheville, North Carolina; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; and Fort Myers, Florida. Other places that saw increased interest include Missoula, Montana; San Diego, California; and San Francisco.
Trends From Untamed Travelling
Trend 1: Hands-on Cultural Experiences
Increasingly, travelers are interested in activities that require active participation rather than passive engagement, according to Untamed Travelling, a luxury adventure travel specialist based in the Netherlands. The company cites tango classes in Buenos Aires as an example of an active itinerary addition, which could then be followed by a visit to a traditional milonga, or tango dancehall.
Trend 2: South America and Lesser-Known Destinations
For Untamed Travelling, South America has emerged as the fastest growing destination, particularly to Pantanal in Brazil. Other rising destinations include Mongolia, the Republic of the Congo and the Balkans.
Tags: Summer Travel Trends
