Strange times are upon us.
Global travel is surging. So is international apprehension. Here’s a look at what travelers can expect in the coming year.
Published Jan. 21, 2026Updated Jan. 21, 2026
The world of travel can be full of surprises: In 2025, travelers unexpectedly got to keep their shoes on in the security line, but also had Caribbean travel disrupted because of the Trump administration’s military action in Venezuela.
What will 2026 bring? Experts say that global travel spending will have finally rebounded from the pandemic, for one, but whether world travelers will visit the U.S., even with the World Cup, is an open question.
In this special package, our reporters look ahead to tell you what you can expect in the coming year. Will you pay more for that flight? What new treatments can you expect at the resort spa? And just how long do you need for a vacation anyway?
Travel Trends in 2026: Uncertainty, Face Scans and ‘Microvacations’
Greg
Quick and Dirty
The world of travel can be full of surprises: In 2025, travelers unexpectedly got to keep their shoes on in the security line, but also had Caribbean travel disrupted because of the Trump administration’s military action in Venezuela.
What will 2026 bring? Experts say that global travel spending will have finally rebounded from the pandemic, for one, but whether world travelers will visit the U.S., even with the World Cup, is an open question.
In this special package, our reporters look ahead to tell you what you can expect in the coming year. Will you pay more for that flight? What new treatments can you expect at the resort spa? And just how long do you need for a vacation anyway?
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Uncertainty: A New Wild Card on Travelers’ Itineraries
Credit...Tim Cook
There’s one certainty about travel in 2026: uncertainty.
Vacationers throughout the Caribbean must suddenly factor the risk of U.S. military action in places like Venezuela or Cuba into their plans. President Trump’s immigration crackdown and restrictive border policies continue to cause some prospective travelers to think twice before coming to the United States. And for the adventurous hoping to explore Greenland, the threat of American annexation may be reason enough to hold off.
Members of the United States Tour Operators Association ranked economic uncertainty as their biggest threat in 2026. “What I can recommend for U.S. travelers in 2026,” Terry Dale, chief executive of the group, wrote in a statement, “is to do their research and prepare.”
One giant question mark is this summer’s World Cup, with matches in 11 U.S. cities as well as in Canada and Mexico. The Trump administration has fully or partly blocked entry into the United States for citizens of four countries whose teams have already qualified: Ivory Coast, Haiti, Iran and Senegal. The prospect of similar moves toward other countries could make international fans hesitate before spending thousands on expensive tickets, hotels and transportation.
Climate change also continues to drive a rise in extreme weather events like severe hurricanes, flooding and wildfires, all of which are increasingly disrupting travel plans, even in places like North Carolina or Los Angeles that once seemed like safe bets.
All this has left the U.S. tourism economy facing headwinds. The number of foreign visitors to the United States dropped about 5 percent in 2025, according to the research firm Tourism Economics, though it projects that those numbers will partly rebound this year.
Still, nearly 90 percent of U.S.T.O.A. members anticipate higher sales this year compared with 2025, which suggests “that despite today’s unpredictable global climate, travelers remain motivated to explore,” Mr. Dale wrote.
So how do you factor uncertainty into your itinerary? Consider booking changeable or refundable flights and hotels, and know what your travel insurance does and doesn’t cover. (Yes, that means reading the fine print.) Get to your cruise’s departure city two days early, or three. You never know when a storm or a military operation will put a wrench in your plans.
Prices: They’re All Over the Map
Credit...Tim Cook
Are travel prices going up or down this year? That depends largely on whether you’re a budget or luxury traveler.
Economists are citing a K-shaped economy to explain how two seemingly opposing things — tourism is down, yet some prices are going bananas — can be true.
Those with means are spending it on premium airfares, specialty cruises and luxury resorts, driving prices up.
Those hurt by inflation and uncertainty are cutting back on discretionary travel, pushing some prices down — or at least keeping them in check. Walt Disney World, which raised most of its prices in October, kept its lowest-priced ticket unchanged, according to the personal finance website NerdWallet.
“We’re seeing top-tier brands discounting lower-demand days,” said Sally French, a travel expert at NerdWallet. “These brands don’t want to offer lower prices outright because they don’t want to cheapen their aura, but they’re doing things to offer opportunities to save.”
On the flight front, domestic airfares were down more than 3 percent in 2025, according to the U.S. Travel Association’s December travel price index. It said the average domestic ticket in December was nearly $266 compared to nearly $275 the year before. But the figures do not take into account the unbundling of services like checked bags — a practice even Southwest Airlines adopted last year — and seat reservations.
Next June and July, World Cup matches in the United States are expected to add a sizable number of international visitors on domestic routes, and fliers could face a spike in airfares. Another concern is the fate of Spirit Airlines, the ultra-low-cost carrier that has been operating in bankruptcy since August.
“The best-case scenario for the average traveler would be a merger,” said Katy Nastro, a spokeswoman for Going, which alerts members to low airfares. “We don’t want a world where we don’t have Spirit because they help pull prices down where they fly.”
Hotel rates, on average, have been largely flat, which is forecast to continue in 2026, according to CoStar Group, which tracks commercial real estate.
Artificial intelligence pricing may make it harder for consumers to find good or lasting lodging deals as the algorithms become smarter at adjusting rates based on past results, events and demand, said Tim Hentschel, the chief executive of HotelPlanner: “If you see a price in line with a historic average, it’s best to snatch it up because it will probably only go up.”
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‘Microvacations’: Very Quick Trips to Far-Flung Places
Credit...Tim Cook
Zach Klempf, a software company executive from San Francisco, never felt like he had enough time to visit the places on his bucket list, such as the Egyptian pyramids. But after experimenting with what have become known as “microvacations,” or “microcations” — quick trips, often to far-flung destinations — Mr. Klempf pulled off his most ambitious vacation yet.
After a Thursday board meeting in New York City, Mr. Klempf, 34, flew to Athens for eight hours, where he toured the Parthenon. He then hopped on a flight to Egypt, saw the pyramids, rode a camel and visited the Grand Egyptian Museum, all before returning to San Francisco in time for Sunday dinner. The best part? He paid for most of the trip with his credit card points.
Mr. Klempf is among the growing number of travelers, short on vacation time or looking to save money, who are embarking on whirlwind itineraries that take advantage of time zones and credit card points to string together one- to three-day trips.
The trend has been spurred in part by microvacationers posting about their itineraries on social media. Some are inspired by the idea of stretching limited paid time off; others look to game loyalty points for quick trips to, say, Barcelona and London; and some are simply drawn to the challenge. A TikToker who goes by Kylah, has shared weekend itineraries from the eastern United States to places like Iceland, Tokyo and Dublin.
According to the travel platform Tripadvisor, the average length of a trip taken by an American traveler in 2025 was three days.
Laurel Greatrix, the chief communications officer for Tripadvisor Group, suggests microvacationers aim to anchor their trips to a single experience. Don’t cover too much ground in the limited time you have, she said, and don’t overplan.
Mr. Klempf said he finds inspiration on YouTube and TikTok before looking for tours on Viator or other sites. He plans to keep planning whirlwind trips this year.
“Every board meeting I do, I’m going to do this again,” he said.
European Travel: The Allure of Summer Keeps Dimming
Credit...Tim Cook
In popular European destinations like Barcelona and Florence, the sleepy off-season has come alive, as visitors flee both overtourism and the summer heat. That shift away from peak-season travel shows no signs of slowing this year.
“Americans are looking to avoid peak season in Europe, and it’s going to be even more of a trend as more baby boomers are retiring and school calendars and work calendars aren’t as important as ‘When can I go find a good deal?’” said Jamie Lane, the chief economist and senior vice president of analytics at AirDNA, a company that collects and analyzes short-term-rental data.
In Florence, Italy, AirDNA data showed short-term-rental demand was up more than 40 percent in February 2025, and nearly 35 percent in March, compared with the 2018-19 average for the same period. In July 2025, by contrast, it was up just 0.7 percent, and August was down nearly 6 percent.
“Demand has spread out more during the year and the market is absolutely less seasonal than it used to be,” Mr. Lane said.
The shift is also reflected in air travel, especially in southern Europe — Expedia searches for fall flights to several destinations across Italy, Greece, Portugal and the Canary Islands were up more than 50 percent in 2025 compared with 2024, according to the company.
But even with explosive shoulder season growth, travelers need not fear that the offseason could become as crowded or expensive as summer, said Melanie Fish, the vice president of public relations at Expedia Group.
“Reports of the death of off-season deals have been greatly exaggerated,” she said. “The windows between peak seasons are still the best bet for avoiding crowds and avoiding the highest prices.”
She pointed out that Expedia searches for fall travel to Barcelona in 2025 were about 40 percent lower than searches for summer travel. And, she said, more tourists are looking to escape the crowds in places like Greece not just with their timing, but by visiting different destinations. Lodging searches for last fall on the less touristy Greek island of Naxos, for example, were up 50 percent year over year.
Wellness: Cold Plunges Are So 2025
Credit...Tim Cook
Just when sweltering saunas and icy cold plunges finally started to seem relaxing, wellness destinations changed things up. This year, many are focusing on the healing effects of sound, offering sonic experiences intended to calm the nerves and rejuvenate the spirit.
For years, the medical community has been using music to help reduce stress levels. Hotels, wellness retreats and private members’ clubs are increasingly following that lead, offering audio-engineered sound-based experiences on stages, in spas and in purpose-built domes.
The luxury retreat Golden Door introduced the Circle, a 360-degree open-air immersive stage, last August on its 600-acre resort near San Diego. The Circle pairs surround-sound live musical performances with art projections to produce rejuvenating results. “It was relaxing and meditative, the stars above, immersive visuals and the cello harmonizing with nature’s own night music,” said Bradford Bricken, 45, from Memphis, who was a guest in September.
Last April, in Koh Samui, Thailand, the Kamalaya wellness resort presented Neuro-Sync, a “vibroacoustic” therapy that uses low-frequency sound vibrations delivered through zero-gravity loungers, with synchronized audio played on headphones. In Singapore, the newly reopened Grand Hyatt offers vibroacoustic spa treatments that use specialized beds and headphones in which guests not only hear, but physically feel, sound that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping travelers cope with jet lag and cognitive fatigue.
Retreats are also betting big on sound domes, structures that use acoustics, lights and other therapies to produce a sense of calm. Next month, Tulah, a 30-acre retreat in Kerala, India, will unveil the Sonorium, a 2,691-square-foot sound dome featuring harmonic proportions; custom vibroacoustic flooring, in which audio signals are converted into subtle physical vibrations that travel upward through the body; and low-frequency-tuned live musical instruments. This summer, the Vessyl will open a copper dome in Costa Rica, blending spatial sound, a vibroacoustic floor and 360-degree projections to guide up to 30 people into a more restful state. “We believe tech-enabled vibrational frequency is the new psychedelic plant medicine,” said the founder, Josh Stanley.
Private members’ clubs are also tapping into sound healing. The Well Bay Harbor Islands Club, in Miami, (opening in March) has teamed up with Myndstream, a wellness audio company, to bring therapeutic music into its infrared sauna, while Stylus in New York City, will open this spring with daily 30-minute sessions of 40-hertz sound and light therapy, intended to sharpen cognition.
— Nora Walsh
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Loyalty: Getting Rewards Gets Easier
Credit...Tim Cook
Consumers need to be on their game to get the most out of loyalty programs, which tend to lose value over time and can be hard to understand. But recent program updates and third-party navigation tools are making it easier to accrue and apply points to both travel and activities.
In 2026, the American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flier program moved its credit card affiliation exclusively to Citibank (annual fees from $99). Other cards issued by the bank, like the Citi Strata Premier ($95) or the Citi Strata Elite ($595), now offer one-to-one point transfers to American for more seamless redemptions.
Alaska Airlines rebuilt its loyalty program as Atmos and merged it with the HawaiianMiles program from Hawaiian Airlines, making it easier to redeem points for popular leisure destinations.
Increasingly, points can be applied to things other than travel, including V.I.P. experiences such as celebrity meet-and-greets and World Cup tickets.
A growing number of services are helping consumers maximize their points, albeit for a fee. Thrifty Traveler sends its members frequent emails on the best airfare deals it finds, including those priced in points (premium annual subscriptions from $99.99).
Premium membership at Straight to the Points ($99 a year) offers access to deals on business- and first-class tickets using points.
Hotel loyalty programs may have started out as a boon to frequent business travelers, but their appeal to leisure travelers has increased as hotel companies have expanded their portfolios to include boutique brands and even glamping companies.
Unlike credit cards affiliated with airlines, hotel cards generally grant holders a higher-tier membership status with tangible benefits. For example, the World of Hyatt credit card ($95 annual fee) grants holders upgraded status to the second of five tiers, which gives them late checkout, preferred rooms and a free night each year.
“A hotel credit card can be valuable,” said Sally French, a travel expert with the personal finance website NerdWallet, which found that hotel loyalty programs have become slightly more valuable in recent years.
Small incentives — such as 10 percent off hotel rates or free Wi-Fi on airplanes — still make membership in loyalty programs, which is free, worthwhile.
“If you care about your time and how you’re treated,” noted Brian Kelly, the founder of the travel website The Points Guy, “you have to create that direct connection with the airline or hotel.”
Checking In: Your Face Is Increasingly Your ID
Credit...Tim Cook
Travelers can expect biometric technology to spread at U.S. airports this year. The tech will speed things up at security and customs and immigration checkpoints, as well as during the boarding process, allowing passengers to keep their documents in their pockets.
Passengers are also likely to encounter more e-gates, or physical barriers that use facial recognition to verify a traveler’s identity and authorization to be in the United States, as they board international flights, raising worries among some privacy experts and immigration activists.
Select airports are experimenting with cutting-edge technology that could be rolled out elsewhere in the coming year. Orlando International, for example, is testing a “biometric corridor,” a subtly defined zone in which several mounted cameras can swiftly and simultaneously identify multiple travelers in motion.
More carriers, including Alaska Airlines and American Airlines, are teaming up with the Transportation Security Administration to allow travelers to move through security checkpoints without showing any physical form of identification. This facial-recognition-powered process, called Touchless ID, is available at more than two dozen airports and is expected to be employed at 65 by this spring, according to the T.S.A.
A growing number of U.S. citizens who aren’t part of government Trusted Traveler programs like Global Entry may be able to opt into a quicker immigration check upon re-entering the country through a facial-recognition-verification program called Enhanced Passenger Processing, also expanding to more airports this year.
Government officials say that the biometrics are meant to keep borders safer and also help travelers move through the airport more efficiently and quickly. While biometric identity verification is optional for American citizens, it’s required for foreign visitors.
Industry experts say that biometrics could eventually replace physical documents like identification cards and boarding passes with a simple face scan. This could be a key year in bringing that possibility closer to reality.
Experiences: Tempting Young Travelers With Exclusivity
Credit...Tim Cook
Travelers are continuing to put experiences at the center of their plans, and airlines, banks and hotels are responding with a menu of offerings that money alone often can’t buy.
Credit cards, in particular, are aiming to attract travelers with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including exclusive concerts, dinners cooked by star chefs, elaborate travel packages featuring celebrity appearances, and access to V.I.P. areas at major events, including film festivals and art fairs. These types of experiences are, in turn, fueling an appetite that is continuing to drive growth in the experiences industry.
Experts say that exclusive and authentic experiences have become more attractive to travelers, sometimes even dictating the choice of destinations. This trend is particularly pronounced for millennials and Generation Z, according to several studies.
“Gen Z is the most travel-hungry generation, not in a luxury sense, but in a ‘collect experiences early and often’ sense,” said Erifili Gounari, the chief executive and founder of the Z Link, a marketing agency focused on younger generations. “A big shift I’m seeing is that Gen Z treats travel less like a vacation and more like a form of self-development, which is why programs offering meaningful or exclusive experiences land so well with them.”
Travel operators say they see experiences as an opportunity to capture a new audience, cement their loyalty and persuade them to spend more with their companies.