Where we\u2019ll go<\/p>\n
With 80% of travellers visiting just 10% of the world\u2019s destinations, \u201cundiscovered gems\u201d will always be a travel trend. What does change is what these places are.<\/p>\n
The opposite of a \u201cmost popular\u201d ranking, Lonely Planet\u2019s annual Best of Travel list ditches threadbare favourites for 25 lesser-known destinations and activities that trend-setting travellers will love.<\/p>\n
Destinations include Sardinia (Italy) and C\u00e1diz (Spain), British Columbia (Canada) and Jeju-Do (South Korea). Want something closer to home? Check out Ikra-Flinders Ranges and Outback (South Australia), Solomon Islands (Oceania), or Aotearoa\u2019s very own North Island (yep, the whole motu was worth a spot on the list).<\/p>\n
Expedia also used real-time data from millions of platform users to identify places that aren\u2019t popular\u2026 but will be in 12 months, according to search trends.<\/p>\n
Italy\u2019s Sardinia also made this list, as well as Hobart (Australia), Big Sky in Montana (USA), and Phu Quoc in Vietnam. When planning your Euro 2026 trip, add Cotswolds (UK) and Savoie (France) or spice up your USA\/Canada getaway with Ucluelet (Canada) and Fort Walton Beach, Florida (USA).<\/p>\n
The charming Cotswolds are trending for travel in 2026. Photo \/ Unsplash<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Intrepid Travel has seen bookings increase 41% year-on-year to Central Asia (typically less popular than other parts of the region), while bookings on its Benin, Togo and Ghana Expedition have almost doubled.<\/p>\n
During the 45th World Travel Market (WTM) in London this month, the Global Travel Report found the desire for uncrowded destinations is higher than ever. \u201cExpense and overcrowding are the two biggest deterrents when travellers consider destinations,\u201d the report states before highlighting two unusual spots starting to experience \u201cexceptionally strong growth\u201d; Albania in Europe and El Salvador in Central America. <\/p>\n
Albania has been identified as a trending destination in Europe. Photo \/ Unsplash<\/p>\n
What we\u2019ll do<\/p>\n
Destinations aren\u2019t the only things affected by trends. Travellers \u201cin the know\u201d are also changing how they travel and what they do when abroad.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll immerse in experiences<\/p>\n
It\u2019s long been trendy to forgo sightseeing bucket-lists and all-inclusive resorts for immersive experiences and purpose-driven trips and this won\u2019t change next year. Rather, we\u2019ll continue to seek deeper ways to connect with a culture or community. Lonely Planet\u2019s 25 best experiences give us plenty of inspiration.<\/p>\n
Authentic and immersive experiences will increasingly be key for travellers in 2026. Photo \/ Sarah Pollok<\/p>\n
The list features staying in a Ryokan in Japan and cruising the Mekong River, becoming a citizen scientist in the Amazon, Peru, or attending a Premier League game in England. Food has also been identified as a new motivation for Kiwis to travel. If you\u2019re one such foodie, you could dig into Kerala\u2019s cuisine in India, or take a food tour in Old Dubai, UAE, visit Oregon\u2019s Willamette Wine Country or eat your way around Melbourne.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll go alone<\/p>\n
One of the biggest shifts that will continue into 2026 is the rise of the solo traveller. Once a niche sector consisting of young backpackers, dozens of reports have found people (and, most notably, women) of all ages and stages are travelling without partners, friends or family. Intrepid Travel has seen solo bookings up 10% year-on-year, while G Adventures described it as a \u201cfast-growing\u201d trend in tourism.\u2019<\/p>\n
Solo travel is set to keep rising as people embrace travelling alone. Photo \/ Sarah Pollok<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll let literature lead<\/p>\n
Cracking open a novel beside the pool or beach has long been a top holiday pastime, but in 2026, we\u2019ll travel specifically to get away and read or visit famous literary settings. <\/p>\n
From New York to New Zealand, there has been a boom in \u2018reading retreat\u2019 businesses, while Bookabach data found 94% of Kiwis want getaways that focus on reading, relaxation and quality time with loved ones. Globally, hotel bookings using the \u2018library\u2019 filter on Skyscanner are up 70% this year and Pinterest reported a 265% increase in searches for \u201cbook club retreat ideas\u201d. Want to get ahead of the bandwagon? Plan a trip with your book club, a getaway \u2018themed\u2019 on reading or a certain novel, or set an intention with your family to swap devices for books during certain times of the day. <\/p>\n
Next year will see books and reading strongly influence travel decisions. Photo \/ Sarah Pollok<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll hit the farm <\/p>\n
It seems the viral \u201ctrad-wife\u201d aesthetic from social media has finally trickled down to our travel plans, with 90% of Kiwi travellers expressing interest in staying on or near a farm. That\u2019s right, \u201cfarm charm\u201d is set to be big in 2026 according to Expedia data, with mentions of farm-related experiences in guest reviews up 300% year-on-year. <\/p>\n
Much like the social media trend, the desire is almost certainly about engaging with the romantic notions of rural life (nature walks, collecting fresh eggs, reading outside), which often feel like antidotes to our fast-paced, digitally tethered ones.<\/p>\n
Kiwis have expressed a rising interest in farm stays for holidays. Photo \/ Sarah Pollok<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll stay active<\/p>\n
The last two years have seen community wellness boom (think run clubs, lifestyle gyms, cult fitness classes), so it\u2019s no surprise people want to maintain their active, social lifestyles when abroad.<\/p>\n
In October, Strava and Airbnb announced a UK collaboration to encourage travellers to take a \u201cruncation\u201d in rural parts of the UK.<\/p>\n
In Aotearoa and Australia, Intrepid Travel\u2019s \u201cmulti-active\u201d trips (where you participate in several activities) are up 28% in revenue year-on-year. For the trend-setters, demand is particularly spiking for hiking trips in lesser-trod spots such as Patagonia and Bhutan, which have seen bookings increase 81% and 71%, respectively.<\/p>\n
Hiking, biking, walking and more; active holidays will be strong travel options in 2026. Photo \/ Sarah Pollok<\/p>\n
*<\/p>\n
Next year may be when you tick off a bucket-list trip firmly on the beaten path. Perhaps you\u2019re bound for the bright lights of New York City or the Northern lights, India\u2019s Taj Mahal or the ruins of Machu Picchu. If so, you\u2019re guaranteed awe-inspiring scenes and unforgettable memories.<\/p>\n
But if you\u2019re curious to venture further afield, to trade predictability for discovery, earmark the spots and activities we\u2019ve got for you this week. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Where we\u2019ll go With 80% of travellers visiting just 10% of the world\u2019s destinations, \u201cundiscovered gems\u201d will always…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":153252,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[2246,95,30642,138,14218,3105,102040,9185,6309,31787,102039,32896,2082,29419,807,58661,111,139,69,91211,6967,1973,9873,210,3010,274,41182,11418,6923,540,1533],"class_list":["post-153251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-2246","tag-and","tag-ball","tag-business","tag-crystal","tag-data","tag-digs","tag-discerning","tag-do","tag-doing","tag-dusts","tag-editor","tag-for","tag-go","tag-kiwis","tag-magazines","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-pollok","tag-sarah","tag-sets","tag-theyll","tag-through","tag-top","tag-travel","tag-traveller","tag-trends","tag-what","tag-where","tag-will"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}