Tripadvisor Trendcast 2026 Introduces The Year of Meaningful Travel Experiences

New Analysis of 1 Billion+ Reviews and Contributions Shows Experiences Driving Travel Planning

NEEDHAM, Mass., Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tripadvisor^®, the world's largest travel guidance platform, today announced the launch of its second annual Trendcast report, exploring the trends defining travel this year.

Informed by Tripadvisor's global insights, the 2026 Trendcast is based on search, booking and behavioral data, along with user generated content from the platform's more than one billion reviews and contributions.

Key trends for this year include a surge in pet-friendly travel bookings (up 260% year-on-year) and the growth of extreme adventure experiences (up 79% year-over-year). But the real story is the value placed on experiences themselves. Travelers aren't just visiting destinations anymore, they're intentionally planning trips around the activities, experiences and connections they want to have.

From 'Sweat Jetting' marathoners racing through mountain paths to families embracing child-led trip planning, these trends reveal how travelers are seeking out experiences that spark real connection with places, passions, local experts, and their travel companions.

"This year's Trendcast continues to reflect a shift in how people are approaching travel, with experiences increasingly leading travel decisions," said Laurel Greatrix, chief communications officer at Tripadvisor. "Across searches, bookings, and reviews, we see consistent patterns: travelers are prioritizing experiences that create local connection, offer physical challenge, and make it easier for the whole group to say yes. These aren't fringe behaviors — they're reshaping how trips get planned."

This year's forecast explores the holistic experience of travel, from active adventures to meaningful connections. See below for a selection of the top trends. The full report including all trends identified can be found on Tripadvisor Trendcast.

The Trend: Sweat Jetting 
Active travel has shifted from hobby to identity as travelers chase personal bests and outdoor adventures. "Mara-cations" and "race-cations" (also known as fitness tourism) are booming, with athletes running mountain paths in Chamonix and ultra-marathons in Patagonia. Major marathons bring in more visitors than cities usually see: +300% for the Chicago Marathon, +228% for the Boston Marathon, and +222% for the Berlin Marathon. Sports fandom is driving +25% growth in stadium tours and experiences bookings, year-over-year.

Where: Discover Cycling Adventures in Marrakech, join the Tokyo Marathon or push your limits with an Olympic Games Small-Group Workout and Race in Athens.

The Trend: Extreme and on the Edge 
Travelers are flocking to high-impact adventures that test limits while making the extraordinary accessible. Glacier tours (+29%), lava field excursions (+79%), and heli-hiking adventures (+56%) are seeing significant year-on-year growth as visitors seek experiences at the edge, from tracking snow leopards in Ladakh to exploring underground catacombs in Rome.

Where: From Snow Leopard Trek in Ladakh to Derinkuyu Underground City tours in Turkey, explore everywhere from high altitudes to the depths of the earth.

The Trend: It's a Kid's World 
Child-led trip planning is revolutionizing family travel, with kids picking where to go and what to do, while parents handle logistics. Experience bookings with children's tickets are up +19% year-over-year, with particularly strong growth in heritage tours (+40%) and cooking classes (+47%) as families seek meaningful immersion together.

Where: Explore kids-focused itinerary experiences in London with a Harry Potter Tour, Seoul K-pop Hunters tours, or Rome Pizza-Making Classes designed specifically for kids.

The Trend: Soft Clubbing
Nightlife is evolving beyond traditional club scenes toward bookable music experiences that feel restorative and communal. DJ sets on the water have seen +29% year-on-year booking growth, while listening bars have hit the mainstream, surging +64% as travelers seek intentional music experiences at vinyl-focused venues like Tokyo's Bar Martha and New York's Public Records.

Where: Explore different types of nightlife like a Silent Disco London Thames Boat Party, a wellness music experience at the Salt Sauna, Oslo or a Soundbath under the stars, Joshua Tree.

The Trend: VIP (Very Important Pet) Tourism 
Pet-friendly travel has exploded, with bookings for dog-welcome experiences up +260% year-on-year. The days of leaving pets at home are over and travelers are building entire vacations around what their four-legged family members will love, from luxury pet amenities to animal encounters.

Where: Center your trip around your furry friend with a Monterey Bay Famous Dog Friendly Electric Bike and Sidecar Tour, Dog Friendly Sedona Outlaw Trail: 3-Hr 4x4 Tour of Western Canyons or get cozy at Cat Cafe Mocha Harajuku located across Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

To explore the full report and learn more about the trends visit: http://tripadvisortrendcast.com/.

Methodology 
The Tripadvisor Trendcast is grounded in the global behavior of the millions of travelers who turn to us to plan their trips and share their experiences. To uncover this year's trends, we partnered with Stylus, a leading consumer trend forecaster, blending broader cultural shifts with changes observed across our proprietary data—spanning experience bookings, hotel demand, and review mentions. The result is a forward-looking perspective on how travel is evolving in the years ahead. All data attribution: Tripadvisor Group Internal Data: 2024-2025.

About Tripadvisor Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, helps millions of people each month** become better travelers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travelers across the globe use Tripadvisor's website and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than a billion reviews and contributions, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby.

Tripadvisor LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tripadvisor, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIP). The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps.

* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, January 2025
** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files

SOURCE Tripadvisor