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The way we travel is constantly evolving. We’ve gone from capturing memories in photos to short-form videos, from beach escapes to city breaks, from tried-and-tested places to the relentless pursuit of the next hidden gem.
Today, tourists are serious about travel – and about exploring in a way that truly immerses us in a destination.
In fact, according to American Express’ 2026 Global Travel Trends Report, 64% of Millennials and Gen Z would take a job with fewer benefits if it meant they could travel more.
The American credit card company polled more than 8,000 adults across the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico and India, who typically travel at least once a year for the report. The results showed that the priority when building itineraries is all about creating memories and engaging with local cultures and flavours.
That means jumping on trends like “sight-doing”, “lore chasing”, or “snackpacking”. No idea what those terms mean? Here’s our guide to the latest 2026 travel trends.
Sight-doing, aka hands-on activities like cooking classes or painting
While cooking classes have long been a popular activity on holiday, travellers today are pushing the boat out, booking everything from fragrance workshops in Paris to knitting classes in Estonia.
By doing something specifically tied to the place you are in, you can gain a higher appreciation for the local culture – something 80% of respondents agreed with. Plus, 76% of people said that the skills would stay with them longer than a physical souvenir.
If you’re looking for ideas, you could try tile painting in Portugal, wood carving in Switzerland, calligraphy in China or batik in Indonesia.
Lore chasing, aka embracing spontaneity and seeking out once-in-a-lifetime experiences
Across social media, you’ll often hear people saying they’re doing something “for the plot”, or that they are heading to a foreign country with no real plans in place and just seeing where the day takes them.
This is particularly true for the younger generations – 82% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed said that they would do something out of the ordinary while traveling if it makes a good story. Another 86% said that chance encounters with locals or new people leave a lasting impression on them.
We can’t give you suggestions on how to build out your personal “lore”, beyond saying yes to things you wouldn’t normally (within reason – safety first, folks). However, this is definitely a travel trend we can get behind, especially if you’re the kind of person that aspires to attain “cool aunt” or “grandpa with the craziest stories” status.
Snackpacking, aka trying local flavours you can’t get at home
This one’s a trend that’s been circulating for a while. You can’t escape viral videos of influencers hitting up 7-Eleven to try a new whacky drink combo or ice cream flavour (sweet corn, anyone?).
Millennials and Gen Z are once again all over this trend, with 89% of those surveyed saying it’s important to enjoy local snacks while abroad.
The trend isn’t limited to supermarkets – while 50% of respondents named the grocery store as a top place to find local snacks, 69% are headed for street food spots and another 53% are hitting up bakeries.
Looking to try some snackpacking of your own? Head to Hungary for chimney cakes, try falafel in Egypt, grab hotteok in South Korea or burek in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Miles on milestones, aka turning a destination wedding into a full-on vacation
As travel has become more accessible, more and more of us have started turning personal milestones like turning 30 (or 40, or 50) or getting married into an excuse to head abroad.
Stag dos, hen dos, destination weddings, birthday parties… there’s no end to the international trips you could be invited on, with two-thirds of those polled saying they were planning on attending a milestone trip for someone else in 2026.
While we love heading to a new place, these trips often involve an itinerary you have no control over and hanging out with people you might not necessarily know. So it’s little wonder that 82% of those people are planning to add on extra days in the destinations, with 72% extending their stay by three to four days.
Try to embrace whatever destination you find yourself in, even if it’s not somewhere you’d typically visit – it might surprise you.
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