{"id":61171,"date":"2025-10-15T06:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T06:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/?p=61171"},"modified":"2025-10-15T09:06:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T09:06:26","slug":"where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to travel in 2026: Expedia reveals data-driven travel hotspots"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>Expedia\u2019s Unpack <\/em><\/strong>\u2019<strong><em>26<\/em><\/strong><em> <strong>report reveals the next wave of must-visit destinations.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Expedia has unveiled its <strong>2026 Destinations of the Year<\/strong>, showcasing where global travel interest is surging. The list is spotlighted in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/unpack26?brandcid=EXPEDIA-UK.COMMS.PR.UNPACK26.GENERIC\">Unpack \u201926<\/a> travel trends report and powered by real-time data from millions of daily searches across Expedia\u2019s site and app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrom Big Sky in Montana to Savoie in France, Expedia\u2019s data clearly shows which places are on 2026 itineraries,\u201d comments Melanie Fish, VP of Communications at Expedia Group. \u201cThis is the first time Expedia has assessed the destinations for how ready they are to welcome a surge, without damaging the community. It\u2019s not just about over-tourism; it\u2019s about smart planning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Six of the featured destinations also meet the criteria for Expedia\u2019s new <strong>Smart Travel Health Check \u2013 <\/strong>a first-in-travel framework inspired by the World Travel &amp; Tourism Council (WTTC). This framework evaluates destinations against six key principles of sustainable tourism management, including community empowerment, transparent reinvestment of tourism revenue, and data-driven planning. Destinations that meet these standards are better equipped to manage tourism responsibly, protect local environments, and support local communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expedia\u2019s 2026 Destinations of the Year \u2013 Beyond the Crowds*:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Big Sky, Montana, U.S. (+92%) \u2714\ufe0f<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Okinawa, Japan (+71%) \u2714\ufe0f<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sardinia, Italy (+63%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Phu Quoc, Vietnam (+53%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Savoie, France (+51%) \u2714\ufe0f<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fort Walton Beach, Florida, U.S. (+45%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ucluelet, Canada (+44%) \u2714\ufe0f<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cotswolds, U.K. (+39%) \u2714\ufe0f<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (+30%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hobart, Australia (+25%) \u2714\ufe0f<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cExpedia responded to WTTC\u2019s Call to Action on Destination Stewardship with the launch of the Smart Travel Health Check. This innovative tool reflects the urgent need to embrace responsible growth models that safeguard communities, protect cultural and natural heritage, and ensure the long-term resilience of destinations,\u201d said Christopher Imbsen, Vice President Policy at WTTC. \u201cBy applying WTTC\u2019s framework, Expedia is celebrating destinations that work collaboratively to empower residents, strengthen stewardship, and deliver richer, more meaningful travel experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Explore each 2026 Destination of the Year <a href=\"http:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/unpack26\/destinations-of-the-year?brandcid=EXPEDIA-UK.COMMS.PR.UNPACK26.GENERIC\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Notes to Editors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>*Expedia \u2014 2026 Destinations of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Destinations of the Year list based on increases in flight + accommodation searches on Expedia for travel on January 1-December 31, <a>2024<\/a> vs. January 1-December 31, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714\ufe0f denotes destinations that meet the Smart Travel Health Check framework, aligned with World Travel + Tourism Council (WTTC) principles. The Smart Travel Health Check helps travellers identify destinations that offer rich cultural and natural experiences without the overcrowding seen in many of the world\u2019s most popular cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Unpack \u201926<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What is Unpack \u201926?<\/strong><br><strong>A:<\/strong>&nbsp;<em>Unpack \u201926<\/em>&nbsp;is the&nbsp;<strong>annual global travel insights report<\/strong>&nbsp;from Expedia Group, building on years of trend forecasting and traveller behaviour analysis. It draws on&nbsp;<strong>first-party data<\/strong>&nbsp;from Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, along with insights from&nbsp;<strong>24,000 travellers across 18 countries<\/strong>, making it one of the most comprehensive travel <a>trend<\/a> reports in the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What makes Unpack \u201926 a credible source for travel trends?<\/strong><br><strong>A:<\/strong>&nbsp;The report combines&nbsp;<strong>real-time platform data<\/strong>&nbsp;from millions of users with&nbsp;<strong>third-party research<\/strong>&nbsp;conducted by OnePoll, following the Market Research Society\u2019s Code of Conduct. Its findings are backed by behavioural insights, booking patterns, and cultural signals, making it a trusted resource for media, industry leaders, and travellers alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Where can I access the full Unpack \u201926 report and assets?<\/strong><br><strong>A:<\/strong>&nbsp;Visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/\">www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/<\/a> for the full&nbsp;Unpack \u201926&nbsp;report, downloadable assets, and brand-specific insights from Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Expedia\u2019s Unpack \u201926 report reveals the next wave of must-visit destinations. Expedia has unveiled its 2026 Destinations of the Year,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":61174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,101],"tags":[],"companies":[43],"locations":[46],"class_list":["post-61171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-travel-trends-2","companies-expedia","locations-london","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Where to travel in 2026: Expedia reveals data-driven travel hotspots<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Expedia has unveiled its 2026 Destinations of the Year, showcasing where global travel interest is surging.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Where to travel in 2026: Expedia reveals data-driven travel hotspots\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Expedia has unveiled its 2026 Destinations of the Year, showcasing where global travel interest is surging.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Expedia Newsrooms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-15T06:01:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-15T09:06:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Expedia_Destinations-of-the-Year_Cotswolds_Credit-Courtesy-of-Expedia-Group-1-1024x684.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"684\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"akazzim\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"akazzim\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots\/\",\"name\":\"Where to travel in 2026: Expedia reveals data-driven travel hotspots\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Expedia_Destinations-of-the-Year_Cotswolds_Credit-Courtesy-of-Expedia-Group-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-15T06:01:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-15T09:06:26+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/fee35c46b78e8c94b0229ff347dab165\"},\"description\":\"Expedia has unveiled its 2026 Destinations of the Year, showcasing where global travel interest is surging.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/where-to-travel-in-2026-expedia-reveals-data-driven-travel-hotspots\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Expedia_Destinations-of-the-Year_Cotswolds_Credit-Courtesy-of-Expedia-Group-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Expedia_Destinations-of-the-Year_Cotswolds_Credit-Courtesy-of-Expedia-Group-1.jpg\",\"width\":2922,\"height\":1951,\"caption\":\"A stunning view of historic homes in a quiet village within England's Cotswolds. 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