Global Travel Trends 2027: Where the World Is Travelling
Top destinations, booking habits and travel trends from the eDreams ODIGEO A Year in Travel report, plus a first look at 2027
Every year, eDreams ODIGEO looks into domestic and international flight search and booking data for its A Year in Travel report. Drawing from this 2026 dataset, we have rounded up the travel trends worth watching for 2027.
Demand in 2026 stayed focused on short-haul Europe and the Mediterranean. Spain has 4 of the top 10 booked destinations (Barcelona, Madrid, Palma and Malaga). Searches lean more towards long-haul: Tokyo, New York and Bangkok are all in the top 5.
33%
of trips lasted 3 to 4 days
+80%
bookings to Durban vs 2025
69%
of hotel stays were 1 to 2 days
39%
of global travellers have been inspired by social media to visit somewhere new
Where travellers went in 2026
Top 10 booked destinations
Barcelona, Spain
Gaudí's Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Casa Batlló are all in the same city. Between visits, the Gothic Quarter and Barceloneta beach are a few metro stops apart.
Flights to Barcelona
Madrid, Spain
The Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums are within walking distance of each other along the Paseo del Prado. Next door, Retiro Park has a boating lake and the glass Palacio de Cristal.
Flights to Madrid
Paris, France
The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame Cathedral are the sights most people come for. Montmartre and the Marais are the neighbourhoods to explore on foot.
Flights to Paris
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
La Seu, Palma's Gothic cathedral, looks out over the seafront and the old town. From the city, roads lead to the Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and to the island's coves.
Flights to Palma de Mallorca
London, United Kingdom
The British Museum is in Bloomsbury, and the National Gallery looks out over Trafalgar Square. Camden Market, Notting Hill and the South Bank are good areas to explore on foot.
Flights to London
Rome, Italy
The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Pantheon put two thousand years of history in the city centre. Across the Tiber, the Vatican Museums lead to the Sistine Chapel.
Flights to Rome
Lisbon, Portugal
Alfama, Baixa and Chiado are the central areas to walk, with viewpoints over the Tagus from Alfama's hills. In Belém, the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Flights to Lisbon
Istanbul, Turkey
Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace are all in the Sultanahmet district. The Grand Bazaar and a boat trip along the Bosphorus, between Europe and Asia, complete the visit.
Flights to Istanbul
Tunis, Tunisia
The medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has souks and the Zitouna Mosque. A short ride away are the ruins of Carthage and the blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Said.
Flights to Tunis
Malaga, Spain
The Picasso Museum, the Alcazaba and the Roman Theatre are all in the old town. La Malagueta beach is a few minutes' walk from the historic centre.
Flights to MalagaTop 10 searched destinations
Paris, France
The Musée d'Orsay, in a former railway station, is known for its Impressionist paintings. The Palace of Versailles is an easy day trip from the centre.
Flights to Paris London, United Kingdom
The Tower of London holds the Crown Jewels, with Tower Bridge right next to it. Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace are a short walk from each other in Westminster.
Flights to London
Tokyo, Japan
Shibuya Crossing, the neon streets of Shinjuku and the Senso-ji temple in Asakusa show different sides of the city. Day trips by train reach Kamakura's Great Buddha and the hot-spring town of Hakone.
Flights to Tokyo
New York, United States
Times Square, the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center are in Midtown Manhattan, with Central Park just to the north. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is on Fifth Avenue, and ferries run to the Statue of Liberty.
Flights to New York City
Bangkok, Thailand
The Grand Palace, Wat Pho with its reclining Buddha and Wat Arun line the Chao Phraya river. Chatuchak Weekend Market and the street food of Yaowarat Road in Chinatown fill the rest of the day.
Flights to Bangkok Barcelona, Spain
La Boqueria market is just off La Rambla, and Gràcia has small squares lined with bars. Tibidabo, the highest hill in the city, has an old amusement park and views over the whole of Barcelona.
Flights to Barcelona Madrid, Spain
Plaza Mayor and the Mercado de San Miguel are at the heart of the old centre, with the Royal Palace a short walk west. La Latina and Malasaña are the areas to go for tapas and bars.
Flights to Madrid Rome, Italy
The Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona are all in the historic centre. Across the river, Trastevere has cobbled streets and family-run trattorias.
Flights to Rome
Milan, Italy
Milan Cathedral has a roof terrace you can walk on, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is right next door. Leonardo's Last Supper is on the refectory wall of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Flights to Milan Istanbul, Turkey
The Galata Tower and Istiklal Avenue are in Beyoglu, across the Golden Horn from the old city. Ferries cross the Bosphorus to Kadikoy on the Asian side, known for its food market.
Flights to IstanbulTop growth destinations: change in bookings, 2026 vs 2025
Durban, South Africa
Bookings are up 80% on 2025. The Golden Mile beachfront runs along the Indian Ocean, and uShaka Marine World, with its aquarium and water park, is at its southern end.
Flights to Durban
Melbourne, Australia
Bookings rose 57% year on year. Hosier Lane and the city-centre laneways are known for street art and coffee, and the Great Ocean Road starts south-west of the city at Torquay.
Flights to Melbourne
Cape Town, South Africa
55% more bookings than in 2025. Table Mountain rises above the city, and boats leave from the V&A Waterfront for Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held.
Flights to Cape Town
Johannesburg, South Africa
Up 50% on 2025. The Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill cover South Africa's recent history, and in Soweto you can visit Nelson Mandela's former house on Vilakazi Street.
Flights to Johannesburg
Sydney, Australia
Bookings are up 48% on 2025. The Opera House and the Harbour Bridge face each other across Sydney Harbour, and Manly beach is a ferry ride from Circular Quay.
Flights to Sydney
Oviedo, Spain
Bookings rose 33% year on year. The old town is built around the Cathedral of San Salvador, and on Mount Naranco the pre-Romanesque Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Flights to Oviedo Madrid, Spain
30% more bookings than in 2025. Toledo and Segovia, both UNESCO World Heritage cities, are easy day trips by train, and Segovia is known for its Roman aqueduct.
Flights to Madrid
Lima, Peru
Up 28% on 2025. The historic centre around the Plaza Mayor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the clifftop districts of Miraflores and Barranco look out over the Pacific.
Flights to Lima
Seville, Spain
Bookings are up 26% on 2025. The cathedral with the Giralda and the Real Alcázar are UNESCO-listed, and the Plaza de España is on the edge of María Luisa Park.
Flights to Seville
Mexico City, Mexico
Bookings rose 26% year on year. The Zócalo, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Templo Mayor ruins are in the historic centre, and Frida Kahlo's Blue House is in Coyoacán.
Flights to Mexico CityThe fastest growth is in long-haul Southern Hemisphere destinations, partly driven by the launch of Prime in new markets such as Australia and South Africa. Spain is the other growth story: secondary cities like Oviedo and Seville are rising, and Madrid keeps growing even though it is already in the top 10 by bookings.
Top booked hotel cities in 2026
1. Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
The Eixample has wide grid streets lined with hotels, close to Passeig de Gràcia and Casa Batlló. For the beach, hotels in Barceloneta and Poblenou are a short walk from the sea.
Hotels in BarcelonaHotel length of stay
Hotels follow the same top destinations as flights: Barcelona, Madrid and Paris are the top 3 for both. Hotel stays are much shorter. Madrid is the one destination growing strongly in both (+63% hotels, +30% flights).
Hotel bookings grew fastest in Porto Sa Ruxi, Cagliari (+78%), Dublin (+76%) and Tirana (+74%).
A first look at 2027
Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Bangkok lead bookings for 2027 so far, while Bangkok, Tokyo and Paris lead searches. Bookings for 2027 lean towards long-haul, which people book further ahead, so the ranking is likely to move back towards short-haul Europe as last-minute bookings come in. Asia accounts for 6 of the top 10 searches.
Events are already driving searches. For the FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil (25 June to 25 July), global searches are up 40%, and for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar (27 August to 12 September) they are up 16%. After Bulgaria's 2026 Eurovision win, searches to the country for 11 to 15 May rose 390%. The Oasis tour sent searches to Glasgow up 2,380% and to Munich up 1,605%.
Searches for the Australian leg of BTS's 2027 Arirang tour are up 43%, led by Germany (+145%) and France (+95%). Interest in Olivia Rodrigo's Los Angeles dates (12 to 29 January 2027) is up 32%, led by Japan (+102%), and Harry Styles' new London dates pushed UK searches up 221%, with Denmark (+1,139%) and Mexico (+700%) showing the most international interest.
How long trips lasted
Share of trips by length in 2026. Almost two-thirds (63%) lasted under a week.
The trends that shaped 2026
Solo travel
Freedom and independence are the biggest reasons to travel alone, cited by 38% of respondents. A further 30% would do it because friends or family are not available, 27% see it as a chance for self-discovery and 23% want to meet new people. Solo travellers prefer shorter trips: 43% say 4 to 7 days is ideal, and 60% choose to fly. 36% would travel anywhere in the world.
Social media
39% of travellers have been inspired by social media to visit somewhere new, and hidden gems are the biggest draw (31%). Americans are the most influenced (49%), followed by Spain (48%), Italy (44%), Germany (42%), Portugal (38%) and France (33%), with the UK last at 25%. And 35% would post positively about a disappointing holiday.
Music and sport
After Celine Dion tickets were released, flight searches to Paris rose 52%. Shakira's Madrid residency pushed searches up 486% from France and 463% from Germany, and Bruno Mars' London dates drew 27% of searches from Germany (+966%). In sport, UK searches to Budapest rose 119% year on year for the Champions League final. 53% of fans would travel for a European football event, and 31% would cut back on everyday luxuries to afford a sports trip.
Escaping the heat
34% of travellers would choose a detox break in nature, by lakes or in the mountains, and 18% look for adventurous activities to support their mental wellbeing. During the June heatwave, global searches rose for Oslo (+42%), and for Stockholm and Geneva (+19% each).
Who helps with the bags
One in three travellers (33%) would always help a fellow passenger stow their luggage. Italians and Germans are the most willing (40% each), ahead of France (38%), Spain (35%), the US (34%) and Portugal (33%), with the UK last (22%). 44% think the middle armrest should be shared.
The great underwear debate
54% of travellers pack more than one pair of underwear per day, 33% pack exactly one and 9% pack less. Americans are the most prepared (64% overpack), while 14% of French travellers take less than one pair a day. Back home, 26% shower first and 12% ignore their suitcase for 3 to 5 business days.
More from the report
Further results from eDreams ODIGEO's global surveys of travellers.
Getting to the airport
59% would rather arrive earlier than needed, 36% base their arrival time on airline guidance and just 4% risk arriving just before take-off.
Airport annoyances
Queue-jumping (48%), people blocking empty seats (45%), rubbish left at gates or seats (42%) and loud phone calls (40%). Fewer mind crowded baggage carousels (19%) or squeaky luggage (9%).
Phones on holiday
Germans and Americans check social media most on holiday (34% each), followed by Portugal (33%), Spain (27%), France (23%), the UK (22%) and Italy (20%).
Sports fans
34% would travel within their own country for a sporting event and 24% abroad. 39% would extend their stay by one or two days. After football, the Olympics (32%), motorsport and tennis (18% each) are the biggest draws.
Methodology
The eDreams ODIGEO A Year in Travel 2026 report is based on flight booking data from the company's online travel agency brands (eDreams, Opodo, GO Voyages and Travellink). It covers 1 January to 31 October 2026, compared with the same dates in 2025. Travel dates: 1 January to 31 December 2026, compared with the same dates in 2025, and 1 January to 31 December 2027.
This year, eDreams ODIGEO also surveyed travellers worldwide to take a closer look at their travel habits and behaviours.
Plan your next trip
Search flights to Barcelona, Tokyo, Cape Town or anywhere else on your list.
Search flights