3Introduction4The Impact of AI on Travel, According to AI (Not Really)7All’s Wellness that Ends Well11When the Journey is the Destination14There’s a Trip for That: 2026 Travel Trends Introduction spotted like the wings of invasive lanternflies by tastemakers, influencers,journalists, industry insiders, market researchers, and the eagle-eyed public Page through the latest edition of our long-running TrendHawkreport, pieced together by our diverse and passionate global team,and discover how everything from destinations to dining, wellness to Ian Fleming, creator of the most-famous, if fictional, member of the BritishSecret Intelligence Service, spun the point differently, with James Bondinformed by the title character ofGoldfinger:“They have a saying in But are travel trends actually trends? Some might say no, arguing that, as withanything, travel is cyclical and the trends we learn about and observe today aremore evolutions of things people have adopted and shaped their own way for No pressure, of course. Dark? Definitely, especially considering Goldfinger uttered it before directinghis henchman, Oddjob, to escort 007 to “The Pressure Room.” But there is apleasing rhythm to Fleming’s phrasing, just as there is to other, similar maxims Debbie Flynn, Global Travel Practice LeaderJennifer Hawkins, Managing Partner, U.S. Travel That’s an interesting angle, but it’s not how FINN Partners approaches traveltrends. Instead, we work to bring creative approaches to travel to light, andwe’re fans of how trends enlighten, inspire, and guide us and the luxury clients With the calendar recently turned to 2026, trend sightings have been poppingup and grabbing attention everywhere. That includes travel, where they’re There’s so much to say about the impact – already felt and still to come – thatartificial intelligence is having on travel, it’s hard to blame a TrendHawk writer “AI is revolutionizing travel by enabling hyper-personalized planning,automating bookings, offering real-time assistance via chatbots, optimizinglogistics for providers, and enhancing on-the-ground experiences with Search for AI trends in travel and expect a similar abundance. In a look at travelfor the Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2026, for instance, Marriott Bonvoy,the loyalty program of the world’s largest hotel company, noted“AI is goingmainstream in travel planning”with 50 percent of travelers having used it toplan or research a holiday, up from 41 percent the previous year, and 50 percent The year ahead will see hotels using AI to gain a better understanding of thosethey keep, “moving from reacting to guest requests to predicting their wants”via predictive intelligence, according to CNBC’s reading of an Oracle Hospitalityreport. Meanwhile, the travel technology outfit Amadeus sees guests able to Forecasting in Forbes at the start of 2026, renowned futurist BernardMarr noted that “artificial intelligence, automation and immersive digitalexperiences are fundamentally reshaping how we plan trips, move throughairports, stay in hotels and engage with destinations.” Among Marr’s examples The Impact of AI on Travel,According to AI (Not Really) “a&o Hostels understands that visibility withinAI tools, whether through chat platforms orLLMs (large language models), is now part ofthe modern marketing funnel. They’ve alreadyseen a competitive edge because they’re gettingahead of searches for things like budget travel, Since hotel booking platform HotelPlanner launchedthe world’s first AI-powered call agents at the endof 2024, the number of calls being fielded by theAI agents has increased fivefold from 10,000 a dayto 55,000, demonstrating a growing appeal for this Indeed, writing about luxury hospitality design trendsfor The Hotel Yearbook 2026, Scott LaMont, CEOand Principal of the tech-savvy planning, landscapearchitecture, and urban design firm EDSA, cautionedhotel developers to remember the many positives Result? Though a&o only began leveraging AIsolutions in 2019 and LLMs in 2023, the company isgenerating up to 3 percent of its total revenue throughLLM referrals.“While that may seem modest,” a&o’s take is on the money, with Skift’s Megatrends2026 highlighting AI models including ChatGPTand Mistral as “the new travel gatekeepers” that are Meanwhile, on the ground across Europe, a&o Hostelshas been quick to seize the moment, employingartificial intelligence for everything from AI-poweredrobots to vacuum, clean, and disinfect public areas of The challenge for hoteliers and designers, hecontinued, “is striking this delicate balance: integratingtechnology in ways that enhance convenience andefficiency without diluting the warmth, empathy, While there’s no stopping AI in travel, hospitality – oranything else – there is taking it into consideration.Interviewed by consumer advocate Christopher Elliottof the non-profit Elliott Advocacy for a recent traveltrend roundup in The Seattle Times, Jessica Parker,founder of the Philadelphia-b