Top 10 Travel Trends in 2026 – New Routes, Hotels & More
From Albania to America, short cruises to culinary adventures, Eoghan Corry has the key travel trends for 2026.
There is good news, and bad news, when it comes to 2026 travel trends. The good news is choice. The bad news is price. Eoghan Corry explores the top travel trends and shares new destinations overseas, as well as new hotel openings at home.
1. Albania
Marquee new destination of 2025 with Ryanair flying direct to Tirana from Dublin for the first time. First stop for most Irish tourists will be the Albanian Riviera, stretching from the Llogara Pass to Saranda, with turquoise beaches like Palasë, Dhërmi, and Himarë. These beaches rival Greece’s for beauty but are less crowded and more affordable.
Read: Top things to do in Albania and where to stay
That means all but three European capitals now have direct flights from Dublin (counting Switzerland’s capital airport as Zurich), just Podgorica, Pristina and Sarajaevo to go.
2. America:
Dublin airport will have a record 33 direct services to 24 airports in the USA this year (plus
another seven services to Canada) and Shannon five services to four airports. The newbies will get most of the attention. Raleigh-Durham commences on April 13, and Pittsburgh on May 25, both from Aer Lingus. But the volume of choice will be unprecedented.
Donald Trump’s threat that he is going to personally vet everyone’s WhatsApp posts does not seem to have affected our appetite for travel to the USA, and that is even before we know what is happening with the soccer play-offs.
Read: 7 Epic USA Holidays – By Plane, Train, Car or Tour – Prices from €999!
3. Caribbean cruises:
Something odd has happened the ocean cruise industry since the pandemic, more and more of the world’s favourite ships are being crammed into the Caribbean, with capacity growing by 20% and ships being moved from Europe.
The year 2026 might see as reversal of that, Legend of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s latest bigger, is to be based in Barcelona. But in the meantime, watch out for good fly cruise deals to Port Canaveral (Orlando) and Miami, officially they world’s biggest cruise ports.
Shorter cruises are now a thing, with three and four day rotations to the Bahamas and back. Do not expect to meet many locals on those shorter cruises. Cruise stops are increasingly being pitched at private islands owned by the cruise companies, but for many people it is all about the ship and the fine dining aboard.
Read: Top 10 New Cruise Ship Launches in 2026
4. Connected:
Despite our oft-described desire to escape the curse of the smartphone, we have never been as well-connected when we are away, or even before we get there. Fast broadband is now available at six miles high, with Aer Lingus offering free wifi via the Starlink system across all classes in the fleet next year.
5. Culinary:
Food has always been an important part of travel, but only now is it being placed at the heart of itineraries as more people realise the way to a tourist’s heart is through their stomach. A food tour is the best introduction you will get to any destination, it tells you as much of what you want to know about the history and culture as a traditional guided tour.
You can now eat your away around most destinations, tasting famous dishes in their native place. Mine’s a glass of red from the vineyard next door.
6. Glowmads:
The growing trend for wellness has moved to beauty and skincare rituals. This top travel trend is already underway before you land, with enhanced skincare products on offer from the airlines. Emirates vanity packs will soon be available in all classes. Research shows 33% of travellers now want to experience local beauty culture experiences.
7. Lux-Scaping:
Travellers are “bookending” trips with luxurious hotel stays or spa experiences at the start or
end of their trip for an elevated indulgence. It means you can peek at premium perks while keeping a lid on the spend in mid-trip.
8. Readaways:
Reading-focused holidays, the latest version of set-jetting are trending, fuelled by #BookTok
and other social media, literature-inspired travel built around book settings, and even bookshops, libraries, and reading retreats. Research by the social media behemoth suggest travellers “are seeking cosy rentals ideal for slower, story-driven getaways” making it one of the top travel trends for 2026.
Peer reviews mentioning reading terms have risen by 285%. Hotel searches using “library” filters are up by 70%
9. Set-Jetting (again):
A buzzword and one of the top travel trends from 2023, was coined by Chris Hodges of Expedia, building on tour tourism where people chase concerts by their musical favourites. Expect the fans to take to the air as Weekend, Kesha and Eric Clapton make lots of noise on musical tours through Europe next summer.
Trips inspired by TV shows and movies are now an $8bn industry and research shows 81% of Gen Z and millennial travellers chose destinations around on-screen locations.
Next year’s Netflix releases and other productions will drive travel to destinations like Croatia (People We Meet on Vacation), Los Angeles (Nobody Wants This), the Philippines (The Last Resort) and Tuscany (Jay Kelly), while Thailand and France benefit from the ongoing appeal of White Lotus and Emily in Paris.
Read: Top 10 Set Jetting destinations for 2026
10. Soccer is back:
Probably best not to pack the bags just yet. There are only 1,000 tickets available to Irish fans in Prague on March 26th. But should Ireland qualify for the finals in June we are not so much going to the USA as going to Mexico.
The venues in Group A will be against South Korea in Zapopan (Guadlajara), against South Africa in Atlanta and a final round match against Mexico in Mexico City.
Northern Ireland, should they qualify, will be heading for Canada first, starting in Toronto and then moving to Inglewood (Los Angeles) and Seattle. Here’s hoping.
New routes:
Just 15 new routes from Ireland have been announced from Irish airports in 2026, considerably down on recent years.
Tirana in Albania commences March 30th from Ryanair. Aer Lingus have two new US routes to Pittsburgh and Raleigh-Durham, while Dublin to Cancun begins January 6th, Asturias begins May 2nd, Montpelier on May 19th, Oslo on May 2nd while Tromso commenced in December and Turin is up and running since December 27th, taking over a route from TUI. A new service to Bucharest–Otopeni from Flyone begins April 4th.
From Cork, Aer Lingus have Nice from May 2nd and Santiago de Compostela from June 1st, while SunExpress to Antalya begins May 16th.
From Shannon Poznań resumes March 3rd, Rome–Ciampino starts March 31st having ended in Cork, and Warsaw–Modlin resumes March 30th.
Belfast International has a new TUI route to Punta Cana from June 20th with four rotations.
Nearby:
Ireland’s tourist offering will be enhanced by four big developments in 2026, the €10m Shannon Pot Discovery Centre in Derrylahan, West Cavan, the ongoing development of Westport House in Mayo, a Norman-themed visitor attraction in New Ross and the opening of two stretches the long awaited south Kerry greenway.
Big-bucks investment has been in short supply in Irish tourism in recent years, but if you have not already done so check out the most important post-pandemic opening at Beyond the Trees in Avondale, county Wicklow.
Read: 12 Great things to do in Wicklow with kids
The Grace in Westport and the Hawthorn by Galway Bay near Oranmore are the marquee new hotels set for launch in 2026, with the first bookings already in the schedule for March.
The bad news:
One of the biggest changes in the Irish travel scene since the pandemic happens next year when the country’s largest tour operator, TUI, effectively withdraws from the charter market.
TUI will now sell package holidays using scheduled carriers, mainly Ryanair and Aer Lingus. The arrival of so many extra holiday makers at peak season will mean prices to our key sun routes will rise disproportionately. Top Tip: Book early to beat the price-hike.
Read: Book Early & Save – 4 & 5 Star Package Holiday Deals
While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, travel trends and details are subject to change.
Eoghan Corry is the lead travel commentator in Ireland, as well as being a historian, author and broadcaster. He has extensively travelled as a journalist and travel writer and has been a speaker and moderator at tourism and aviation conferences across the globe.
