Booking.com Reveals Nine Travel Predictions for 2027

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Booking.com's Travel Predictions for 2027 forecast that Canadian travellers will take things beyond the traditional itinerary. Between lower appetites and higher sobriety culture, couples using long hikes to have difficult conversations, paranormal encounters, and more, travel will be going off-script.

This year, as Booking.com marks 30 years of industry innovation with a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, proprietary consumer research combined with input from travel and technology expert employees identified the behaviours and motivations shaping travel for the year ahead.

1. The All-Exclusive
   As medications reshape appetites and sobriety grows, travellers are portion-controlling their vacations. 56% say a health or lifestyle change has influenced their destination or activities, and 71% want packages that let them remove elements they won't use.
2. Trailside Therapy
   The new romantic getaway may involve tough talks. 39% of Canadian couples would take a trip to resolve conflict, and 67% say a vacation activity helps them have difficult conversations, with hiking together (33%) among the most effective.
3. Plot Twist Trip
   69% of Canadian travellers want a vacation that's completely out of character, and 29% want to surprise friends and family. Meanwhile, 24% have skipped posting about a trip because it felt too ordinary.
4. Social Currency
   Budget is now the most ruthless filter on the guest list. 41% have reconsidered who to invite over spending differences, 27% have removed people from a group entirely, and 65% of parents want to travel child-free.
5. Vibe Check(In)
   72% would choose a destination based primarily on how they want to feel, and 66% would use a search tool that recommends destinations by mood. 76% of Gen Z would share wearable and phone data to personalize a trip, versus 28% of boomers.
6. Sweat Synergy
   51% of Canadians who have travelled alone say a shared physical challenge led to a lasting friendship, and 44% would join a community of like-minded athletes while travelling.
7. Trip to the Beyond
   59% are interested in experiences that confront the paranormal. 40% would seek to speak to someone on the "other side," and 41% are curious about experiences exploring death and the afterlife.
8. PTO: Powered by AI
   55% say the last day of vacation is less enjoyable because they're thinking about work. 51% are interested in AI covering their work, and 33% would let it manage emails and admin.
9. Hotel in the Sky
   88% would take a long-haul journey if they'd arrive rested. Top wishes: sleep-supportive menus or caffeine guidance (33%), jet-lag-reducing lighting (26%) and skincare kits (17%). 31% would choose a "no-children, quiet zone."

Paul Hennessy, Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com, says: "Travel is becoming less about following a formula and more about expressing who you are. Travellers are challenging the conventions of how, why and with whom we travel, and technology is giving them more freedom to do it with confidence. At Booking.com, we're actively building for the future of travel by combining AI with deeper personalization to tailor every step of the journey to individual intent and emotion, making it easier for everyone to experience the world - on their own terms."

About Booking.com

Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com's mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. By investing in the technology that helps take the friction out of travel, Booking.com's marketplace seamlessly connects millions of travellers with memorable experiences every day. For more information, follow @bookingcom on social media or visit news.booking.com

SOURCE Booking.com