Booking.com’s 2027 Travel Predictions Reveal the Ultimate Travel Flex: Going Off-Script

Introducing Booking.com’s 2027 Travel Predictions:

• 77% of global travelers are interested in choosing a vacation specifically to do something completely out of character, with 36% actively wanting to surprise their friends and family with their choices.

• 50% have reconsidered who to invite on a trip because of differences in spending, with 61% of parents keen to travel child-free so they can spend more on themselves.

• 65% are interested in paranormal travel experiences, with nearly half (48%) open to seeking contact with someone on the "other side."

• 81% would choose a destination based on how they want to feel rather than where they want to go, and three quarters (76%) would use a tool that recommends destinations based on emotional state.

• 64% would be interested in having an AI agent manage their work while on vacation and a bold 44% would use that cover to take a cheeky extra day off.

For years, travel ran on a familiar formula. Pick a destination. Pack a bag. Follow the itinerary. In 2027, that formula will break. Travelers are choosing trips designed to shock their friends, booking by mood and selecting their travel companions by bank balance. The defining feature of travel in the year ahead is the element of surprise, beyond what an algorithm could ever predict.

Now in its 11th year, Booking.com's Travel Predictions combine proprietary consumer research with broader travel insight to identify the behaviors and motivations shaping travel for the year ahead. This year, as Booking.com marks 30 years of innovation in the industry with a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, the leading travel company also called on employees - resident travel and technology experts - for input as well. Based on data from more than 28,000 travelers across 32 countries and territories, alongside employee insights on how people search for and book travel, Booking.com has uncovered nine defining trends for 2027.

Plot Twist Trip

In 2027, travelers will humble everyone who thought they had them figured out and surprise themselves in the process with a trip nobody saw coming. Gone is "that's not really me", with 77% of global travelers interested in choosing a vacation specifically to do something completely out of character.

The reaction from others is part of the appeal, with 36% actively wanting to surprise their friends and family with their travel choices. These trips are designed to disrupt the status quo, rewrite the story everyone thought they knew, and deliver the twist nobody predicted. And for nearly a third (29%) who have deleted or avoided posting about a vacation because it felt too predictable or ordinary, this could be the year they finally have something worth sharing. The best souvenir? The look on everyone else’s face.

Social Currency

Your travel budget isn't just deciding where you go. It's deciding who comes with you. In 2027, budget is becoming the most ruthless filter on the guest list - and nobody is safe. Half of travelers (50%) have reconsidered who to invite on a trip because of differences in spending, given 51% have experienced tension or disagreements during a trip because people had different expectations around money.

For 38%, the solution has been even more drastic: admitting they have removed people from a travel group entirely. And for parents? The kids might not make the cut either - with 61% of parents keen to travel child-free so they can spend more on themselves. Welcome to the era of the brutally curated travel companion list. Check your bank balance. Then check the guest list.

Vibe Check(In)

Destination? Irrelevant. Vibe? Non-negotiable. In 2027, 81% of global travelers would choose a vacation destination primarily based on how they want to feel, rather than where they want to go. And the search filter of the future? Emotional state. Three quarters (76%) of global travelers would use a search tool that recommends destinations based on how they feel or their mood.

Unsurprisingly, Gen Z have entered their feels era and are ready to hand over their wearable data, phone metrics, and entire emotional state to find the right destination, with 76% of Gen Z travelers willing to share this information with a travel provider to help personalize their trip, compared to just 35% of boomers. Search by emotional intent has arrived. Mood ring, meet search filter.

The All-Exclusive

The all-inclusive buffet has served its last course. As medications reshape appetites, sobriety culture grows, and ‘macro-conscious’ eating becomes the norm, travelers are portion-controlling their vacations too. The change begins with how travelers feel about themselves, as 67% say at least one health, body or lifestyle change has influenced their choice of vacation destination or activities in recent years.

And travelers no longer want to pay for what they won't consume - the open bar they're skipping or the buffet they're avoiding. In 2027, less is more as 66% of travelers want a package that lets them remove services they do not expect to use. Furthermore, 58% would let their diet influence the accommodation or destination, showing that the destination now needs to fit the lifestyle. Moving forward, the most appealing travel package isn't the one that includes everything.

Trip to the Beyond

The other side of travel is calling and in 2027, some travelers are ready to answer. While most typical trips promise sun, sea and relaxation, a growing number are seeking something altogether more unsettling: haunted histories, paranormal encounters, and the chance to sit with questions about death, memory and what might lie beyond it. The appetite for darker, more mysterious travel is on the rise, with 65% of global travelers interested in experiences that confront the paranormal head-on.

And for those who want to go further? Nearly half (48%) would seek an experience with the hope of speaking to someone on the “other side,” while 50% are curious to take part in experiences that confront difficult questions about the afterlife, death or spirituality. Away from the rhythm of everyday life, travel creates a rare kind of openness; a chance to reflect, to remember, and for some, to feel closer to those they have lost. Turns out the most sought-after destination in 2027 isn't a beach. It's the beyond.

PTO: Powered by AI

The “Sunday Scaries” are checking out, thanks to AI. More than half (58%) of travelers say the last day of vacation is less enjoyable because they are thinking about returning to work and 38% of travelers even bring their laptop to stay on top of their inbox. AI can offer a welcome sense of relief. But do travelers trust AI enough to leave the laptop at home?

Think of it as a digital stand-in: monitoring emails, flagging priorities, sending holding responses, and keeping things ticking along while you are completely off the grid. AI could help travelers move seamlessly back into work. With 64% of travelers interested in having AI cover their work, the out-of-office could have a clever new deputy. Nearly half (43%) would be comfortable allowing AI to manage their emails and admin while away. And for the bold 44% who would ask AI to catch them up on everything they missed, there is an even sweeter upside: a cheeky extra day off, completely under the radar. Extra holidays, courtesy of artificial intelligence.

Hotel in the Sky

The flight used to be something you survived, but in 2027 it's where the holiday starts. Wellness culture has taken over hotels, attractions, and destination experiences - now travelers want the same from 35,000 feet in the air. With 89% of travelers saying they'd take a long-haul journey if it guaranteed they'd arrive rested and refreshed, the pressure is on to deliver.

High on the flight wish list? Food and drink menus or caffeine timing guidance designed to support sleep (33%), lighting designed to reduce jet lag (20%) and skincare kits (19%) as the bare minimum survival kit. And for a bold minority, wellness in the air goes further still. Nearly a quarter (24%) of travelers would go as far as to select a designated “no-children, quiet zone” area on board. The destination has always sold the trip, but in 2027 the flight becomes part of the getaway with travelers expecting to arrive feeling as refreshed as when they left.

Sweat Synergy

Solo travel is getting a team upgrade. In 2027, the real reason solo travelers are crossing finish lines around the world isn't the medal, it's who's next to them at the end. The strongest proof of this comes from the experience, as two-thirds (66%) of travelers - who have traveled alone - say a shared physical activity or challenge has led to a lasting connection or friendship.

The sport is the excuse while the connection is the reason, as 55% would be interested in joining a community of like-minded athletes or people while traveling. Shared suffering fast-tracks friendship like nothing else: the wall at kilometer 38, the post-race debrief, the group chat that never goes quiet. Next year, the 52% of solo travelers who are interested in traveling to attend a fitness or sporting event want more - to find friendships that go the distance.

Trailside Therapy

Move over candlelit dinners and couples massages: the new romantic getaway might be less about sex on the beach and more about tough talks with your partner. Couples aren’t just traveling to escape their problems; they may increasingly be traveling to talk about them. Almost half (47%) said they would consider taking a trip to resolve conflicts or arguments and 81% said at least one holiday activity helps them have honest or difficult conversations.

And what activity ranked among the most effective? Simply walking or hiking together (35%). This will be the year that couples take the tough conversations offsite on holiday - swapping date night for daylight, hitting the trail and letting a long walk do the talking.

Travel is becoming less about following a formula and more about expressing who you are. Travelers 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.

Paul Hennessy, Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com

Methodology

Travel Predictions 2027 research commissioned by Booking.com and conducted among a sample of adults who plan to travel for business or leisure in the next 12-24 months. Survey undertaken July - August 2026, 28,230 global respondents, margin of error +/- 0.6%, online data collection, in the following markets: Argentina (1003), Australia (1009), Austria (505), Belgium (1004), Brazil (1000), Canada (1007), Colombia (1012), Croatia (508), Denmark (505), France (1004), Germany (1005), Greece (503), India (1005), Ireland (518), Italy (1004), Japan (1006), KSA (509), Mexico (1007), Netherlands (1006), New Zealand (1008), Portugal (1006), Singapore (508), South Korea (1008), Spain (1013), Sweden (507), Switzerland (503), Taiwan (505), Thailand (1007), UAE (511), UK (2017), USA (2013), Vietnam (504).

Booking.com employees shared perspectives on changing traveler behaviours and emerging travel signals through surveys and focus groups that helped inform trend territories and consumer research.

For more information about Booking.com’s 2027 Travel Predictions, please visit: https://www.booking.com/articles/2027-travel-predictions.html