Travel 2026: Biggest Trends, Best Destinations and What to Expect

Travel 2026 is being reshaped by FIFA World Cup, AI trip planning, rising costs and new destinations. Here is everything families in USA, UK and Canada need to know before booking.

Travel in 2026 is not what it was. After years of pandemic recovery, surging inflation, and geopolitical disruption, the way families in America, the UK, and Canada plan and take holidays has fundamentally changed – and the changes arriving this year are the most significant in a generation.

The FIFA World Cup arrives in North America in June 2026 – a tournament set to be held across 16 host cities in USA, Canada and Mexico. Flight bookings are skyrocketing, with major airlines including American Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada and Aeromexico adding extra flights to accommodate fans from all over the world.

In 2026, AI will be used more for hyper-personalised trip planning — suggesting itineraries based on passion pursuits, moods and values. According to the Marriott Bonvoy Ticket To Travel 2026 report, 50 percent of travellers have already used AI to plan or research a holiday in 2025, up from 41 percent in 2024.

According to the easyJet Great British Holiday Audit 2026, travellers are no longer just looking for a beach they are planning trips around “purpose, passion and participation.” With over half of Brits planning to visit a new country this year, the way people travel is fundamentally shifting.

But it is not all good news. Geopolitics and inflation will help determine the price of your airline tickets in 2026 – and the Iran war has pushed jet fuel costs significantly higher, feeding directly into the ticket prices that families are paying at the checkout.

This is your complete guide to travel in 2026 – the biggest trends, the best destinations, the cost realities, and everything your family needs to know before booking your next trip.

Introduction: The Year Travel Changed Forever

Travel 2026 marks a genuine turning point in how families across America, the UK, and Canada experience the world. The pandemic reshaped travel permanently – accelerating some trends, eliminating others, and creating entirely new ones that are now mainstream. The Iran war has added a new layer of cost and uncertainty. And a FIFA World Cup on North American soil is creating once-in-a-generation travel opportunities that millions of families are actively planning around right now.

Moving into 2026, travellers remain eager to pack their suitcases, with younger generations helping to drive new travel patterns and preferences. Meanwhile, the global travel landscape is evolving against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, rising costs, and climate pressures.

The way Brits holiday is fundamentally shifting – travellers are redefining what a holiday means. It is no longer just about sun and sand. It is about purpose, passion, participation, and increasingly, sustainability.

For families in America, the most dominant travel story of 2026 is the World Cup – and the extraordinary opportunity and cost challenge that comes with hosting the world’s most watched sporting event on your doorstep. For British families, the most pressing travel question involves a new entry requirement called ETIAS that will change how they visit Europe. For Canadian families, it is the combination of World Cup excitement, rising airline costs, and a dramatically expanded range of domestic and international travel options.

This post covers all of it – comprehensively, honestly, and practically.

The FIFA World Cup 2026: The Biggest Travel Event of the Centur

Nothing in the 2026 travel calendar comes close to matching the scale, the excitement, and the logistical challenge of the FIFA World Cup – hosted across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico starting in June.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is shaping up to be a major driver for the tourism industry, with hotel bookings soaring and airline tickets flying off the shelves. The USA, a co-host country for the tournament, is seeing massive growth in travel bookings. Los Angeles, New York, and Miami are the most popular cities for visitors. Canada has emerged as a prime destination for tourists, with Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal expected to be filled with football fans from all corners of the globe.

With the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, costs for fans will be high. British fans are already travelling to the home nations of qualifying teams – like Spain or France – to watch matches in local fan zones for a fraction of the price of attending in North America.

The financial reality of World Cup travel in 2026 is stark. Hotel rates in host cities have increased dramatically for the tournament period – in some cases tripling or quadrupling standard rates. Airline tickets on transatlantic and Latin American routes have surged as airlines respond to unprecedented demand. International carriers including British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France are increasing the number of available seats on transatlantic flights to North America, ensuring fans from countries like Brazil, Argentina and the UK have access to the games.

For families in USA and Canada who are not planning to attend World Cup matches but live in or near host cities, the tournament creates a different kind of travel consideration: the opportunity to experience a genuinely historic sporting atmosphere in your own backyard – or the decision to travel away from host cities during the tournament period to avoid inflated prices and crowds.

The World Cup begins in June 2026. If your family is planning any North American travel this summer whether to attend matches or simply to visit cities like New York, Los Angeles, or Toronto the World Cup’s impact on prices and availability demands that you book early and plan carefully.

AI Travel Planning: How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing How You Book

One of the most transformative developments in travel for 2026 is not a destination, a trend, or an event. It is a technology that is fundamentally changing how families research, plan, and book their holidays.

Your old-school travel agent has now gone digital. According to a study by Kantar, 40 percent of global travellers have already used AI-based tools to plan their trips, and 62 percent are open to using them in the future. The main uses are building itineraries, advising on accommodations, activities and transportation, and finding the best deals.

In 2026, AI will be used more for hyper-personalised planning – suggesting itineraries based on passion pursuits, moods, values and more to create more meaningful trips. With more travellers wanting to visit offbeat destinations and escape overtourism, generative AI will be used for enhanced discovery.

Hotels are also using AI to better understand their guests. 2026 is expected to mark a significant turn in hotels moving from reacting to guests’ requests to predicting their wants – using predictive intelligence to personalise stays before guests arrive. Some hotels already allow guests to personalise every detail of their room, such as adding specific exercise equipment or choosing a room closest to certain amenities.

For families planning holidays in 2026, AI tools offer genuinely useful capabilities that were not available just two years ago. You can describe your ideal holiday in plain language “we want somewhere warm, not too crowded, with good beaches and activities for children aged 8 to 14, budget around $3,000 total” and receive a detailed, personalised itinerary within seconds. AI can compare flight and hotel prices across hundreds of platforms simultaneously. It can identify hidden gem destinations that match your specific interests before they become overrun with tourists.

The practical advice for families is straightforward: use AI as a starting point and a research tool, but verify key information — visa requirements, entry conditions, health advisories – through official sources. AI planning tools are excellent at generating options and comparisons. They are less reliable for real-time information that changes rapidly, like current safety conditions or price availability.

The Biggest Travel Trends of 2026: What Everyone Is Doing This Year

According to the easyJet Great British Holiday Audit 2026, with over half of Brits planning to visit a new country this year, the travel industry has identified 15 key trends shaping how people travel in 2026. Here are the most significant ones that families in America, the UK, and Canada need to know about.

Glowcations – Travel for Wellness and Beauty High-end skincare rituals have taken off massively, leading consumers to seek out travel specifically for skin and wellness treatments. In 2026, more travellers are choosing glowcations – trips that combine travel, beauty, wellness and tech. This trend is particularly popular with Gen Z. Destinations include Paris for French pharmacy treatments, South Korea for K-beauty, Italy for spa escapes, and Kerala for Ayurveda.

Literary Tourism Literary travel is on the rise in 2026, with research from Vrbo showing a 265 percent increase in Pinterest searches for “book club retreat ideas.” Skyscanner reveals 32 percent of travellers are interested in visiting a destination mentioned in a book, and 18 percent are keen to stay in book-themed accommodation. Think Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, Jane Austen’s Bath, Harry Potter’s Edinburgh, or Anne of Green Gables’ Prince Edward Island in Canada.

Coolcations Rising temperatures and overtourism are pushing travellers away from traditional hot-weather destinations toward cooler, less crowded alternatives – so-called “coolcations.” This trend is fuelling interest in Scandinavia, Iceland, Scotland, Canada’s national parks, and New Zealand.

Runcations A trend has emerged called the “runcation” where travellers specifically choose destinations for scenic running routes. Research from Airbnb and Strava suggests 74 percent of Gen Zers are seeking a rural runcation with scenic countryside trails. Tour operators have responded with new active itineraries, with bookings on active breaks surging 105 percent from 2023 to 2024.

Solar Eclipse Travel While 2025 was the year of astrology, 2026 is the year of astronomy. A total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026 is driving a significant travel trend. Travellers are already booking trips to Northern Spain, the Balearic Islands, and Iceland for the best viewing locations.

Shoulder Season Travel Forty-five percent of advisors from travel agency Virtuoso say their clients are adjusting travel plans due to climate change. Of those advisors, 76 percent report increased interest in shoulder-season travel, while 75 percent say clients prefer destinations with moderate weather. Visiting popular destinations in April, May, September, and October – rather than the peak summer months – is becoming increasingly mainstream.

Best New Destinations for 2026: Where to Go This Year

CNN Travel has revealed its list of places to visit in 2026 – 20 places across six continents offering new routes, exciting cultural developments, and genuinely undiscovered experiences for travellers seeking something beyond the usual tourist trail.

Here are the standout destinations for families in USA, UK and Canada to consider in 2026:

Kanazawa, Japan – Skip overcrowded Tokyo and Kyoto for this postcard-pretty region with traditional villages, sprawling gardens, and authentic Japanese culture that the major tourist hubs can no longer offer.

Devon, UK – The British seaside escape celebrates native daughter Agatha Christie in 2026, with special exhibitions and literary tourism events throughout the year making it a perfect domestic break for British families.

Dominica – This environmentally minded Caribbean island is home to the world’s first-ever sperm whale reserve – making it the destination of choice for families interested in nature, conservation, and genuinely unique wildlife experiences.

Route 66, USA – Historic Route 66 celebrates its 100th birthday in 2026, spurring a mammoth renovation of its historic roadside attractions – with Oklahoma even creating a dedicated neon grant to help businesses along the route restore their vintage signage. For American families, a Route 66 road trip in 2026 is a genuinely historic opportunity.

Jamaica – Following devastation from Hurricane Melissa in 2025, the island says it is ready to welcome back visitors – with renewed tourism infrastructure and a warm welcome for families returning to this beloved Caribbean destination.

Japan has emerged as a breakout destination this year, experiencing a major surge in global interest and welcoming a record-breaking number of international visitors. Among popular destinations, the US, Mexico, Italy, France, Spain and Canada continue to be the most visited by American travellers.

Important Travel Changes in 2026: What You Must Know Before You Fly

For families planning international travel in 2026, several significant policy and regulatory changes require attention before you book.

ETIAS – New Europe Entry Requirement For anyone planning to visit Europe in 2026, ETIAS is the biggest change. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System is scheduled to start operations in the last quarter of 2026. It requires US, Canadian, and other non-EU nationals to obtain an electronic travel authorisation before visiting Europe. The authorisation is valid for three years. Those younger than 18 or older than 70 are exempt.

This is a critical piece of information for American and Canadian families planning European holidays in late 2026. While the process is straightforward and online, it requires advance planning – you cannot simply arrive at the airport and fly to Europe without it once ETIAS is operational.

New Tourist Taxes In May 2025, Hawaii enacted the Green Fee – the first US tourist tax explicitly tied to the climate crisis – a 0.75 percent bill on top of existing accommodation taxes expected to raise $100 million annually. Greece’s Climate Crisis Resilience Fee was increased in 2025, with travellers now paying up to €10 per night, with surcharges of up to €20 per person on popular islands during peak periods.

New Flight Routes Opening in 2026 British Airways has increased long-haul services to Bangkok to up to six weekly flights during winter. American Airlines is adding five new routes to European cities including Milan, Budapest and Prague. Eastern Europe is a hot focus for Etihad, with new flights to Azerbaijan, Bucharest, Georgia and Romania.

These new routes create genuine new travel opportunities for families in the UK and USA — particularly the American Airlines European expansion, which brings previously difficult-to-reach Central European cities within easy reach.

Travel Costs in 2026: The Honest Financial Picture

For families budgeting their 2026 holidays, the cost picture is mixed – with some genuine good news alongside significant pressures.

The Iran war has pushed jet fuel prices significantly higher, and those costs are working their way into airline ticket prices across all routes. Geopolitics and inflation will help determine the price of your airline tickets in 2026 – the combination of Iran war fuel costs and continued post-pandemic premiumisation of the travel market has made flying more expensive than at any point since 2022.

Hotel prices in major destinations remain elevated relative to pre-pandemic levels particularly in cities hosting World Cup matches this summer. The combination of rising accommodation costs, higher airline tickets, and new tourist taxes means that family holidays in popular destinations now cost significantly more than they did three to five years ago.

However, there are genuine opportunities for value-conscious travellers. The shift fuelling the rise of secondary cities destinations that sit outside major tourist hubs and offer more immersive experiences is also a shift toward better value. Accommodation searches in secondary destinations are growing 15 percent faster than in traditional tourism hubs, and prices are typically significantly lower.

Travellers are redefining short-haul by embracing flights of five to six hours to unlock better value and warmer climates. There has been a 12 percent increase in bookings to Tunisia and a 21 percent increase for longer-leisure spots like Morocco, Turkey and Cyprus – all offering Mediterranean-quality experiences at significantly lower prices than France, Spain, or Italy.

Six Practical Travel Tips for Families in 2026

Whether you are planning a World Cup trip, a summer holiday in Europe, or a weekend domestic break, these practical tips will help your family travel smarter and cheaper in 2026.

Tip one: Book early – especially for summer. With World Cup demand inflating prices across North America and transatlantic routes throughout June and July, families who have not already booked summer travel should do so immediately. Prices will not fall before the tournament begins.

Tip two: Use AI tools for initial research. Forty percent of global travellers have already used AI-based tools to plan trips, and 62 percent are open to using them. Use AI to generate destination ideas, compare options, and build draft itineraries – then verify details through official sources.

Tip three: Consider shoulder season seriously. Seventy-six percent of travel advisors report increased client interest in shoulder-season travel. Visiting popular destinations in April, May, September and October offers significantly lower prices, smaller crowds, and often better weather than peak summer.

Tip four: Check ETIAS requirements before booking Europe. If you are an American or Canadian planning European travel in late 2026, research ETIAS requirements and ensure you apply before travelling.

Tip five: Look beyond the obvious destinations. Destinations that succeed in 2026 will be those that lean into authenticity, showcase immersive cultural experiences, and prioritise eco-friendly tourism. Secondary cities and lesser-known destinations offer better value and more genuine experiences than overcrowded tourist hubs.

Tip six: Get comprehensive travel insurance. In a year characterised by geopolitical uncertainty, extreme weather events, and ongoing global health considerations, travel insurance is not optional. The Iran war alone has disrupted Middle Eastern travel routes significantly. Comprehensive cover protects your family’s investment if plans need to change.

Conclusion

Moving into 2026, travellers remain eager to pack their suitcases, with younger generations helping to drive new travel patterns and preferences. The global travel landscape is evolving against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, rising costs and climate pressures – but none of these factors are stopping families from planning and taking the trips that matter most to them.

Travel in 2026 is more expensive than it was before the pandemic, more complex than it was before the Iran war, and more exciting than it has been since before COVID-19 closed the world’s borders. The FIFA World Cup brings a once-in-a-generation sporting spectacle to North America. AI tools are making trip planning faster and more personalised than ever. New destinations – from Kanazawa to Dominica to Route 66 – are offering genuine discovery for families seeking experiences beyond the tourist trail.

The families who travel best in 2026 will be those who plan early, use every tool available, stay flexible, and embrace the destinations and experiences that others overlook. The world is very much open – and it is waiting for you.

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