We asked leading trip designers and travel specialists to identify the biggest trends shaping travel in 2026. From cognitively focused wellness retreats to a surge in participatory sports experiences, here are five shifts advisors are seeing — plus the itineraries they’re excited to plan and the places they want to visit next. For Condé Nast Traveler’s full list of Top Travel Specialists, see the travel specialists homepage.
Cognitive-first wellness
Wellness travel is evolving beyond physical recovery and pampering to emphasize cognitive performance and mental resilience. Advisors are pairing high-adrenaline outings with mental-skill training so travelers return stronger mentally as well as physically. Examples include combining heli-skiing and remote desert drives with stress-inoculation techniques to build psychological resilience, or sending clients to meditation-focused mountain retreats and medi-spas that offer neuro-fitness and longevity programming. Popular clinics and resorts for these goals include Sha Wellness Clinic Mexico, Lanserhof Tegernsee in Bavaria, and Clinique La Prairie on Lac Léman.
Chasing winter around the globe
Many travelers are treating winter as a second season, escaping northern-hemisphere heat by heading south. Trips to ski the Andes, explore New Zealand’s glaciers and blue ice caves, or hunt the aurora australis in remote dark-sky reserves have become more common. Those who want a warm interlude nearby can easily combine southern winter adventures with tropical stops such as Fiji or the Great Barrier Reef.
Micro-trips and grand voyages
Demand is polarizing: some clients want epic, months-long odysseys; others want tightly choreographed escapes that last a day. Advisors report bookings for extended world cruises that can run several months, alongside “micro-vacations” and extreme day trips that require precise logistics — say, flying in for a landmark New Year’s Eve event and returning home the following day.
Playing, not just watching, sports
Major sporting events in 2026 are driving interest in sports travel, but travelers increasingly want hands-on experiences rather than just seats. That can mean on-field meet-and-greets, driving experiences on an F1 circuit, or playing alongside pros at curated events. Hotels and travel planners are responding with athletic programming and curated, participatory events that blend competition and leisure.
Learning local craft
Culinary immersion has long been a travel staple; now many travelers want to learn local crafts while abroad. Instead of just buying handcrafted goods, they’re signing up for short courses in traditional skills — weaving in Peru, pottery in Japan, bespoke tailoring in Chiang Mai, and workshop retreats that connect visitors with local artisans. Advisors are partnering with academies and heritage experts to offer creative, hands-on itineraries that preserve and share local techniques.
Itineraries specialists are excited to plan
– A private-charter sail around Svalbard on an innovative solar-sailing polar vessel operated by an all-female crew, with onboard scientists offering daily briefings on Arctic history, climate change, wildlife sightings from polar bears to whales, and remote fjord exploration. (Virgi Schiffino Kennedy, Lux Voyage)
– A ‘‘gas-train-omy’’ rail journey: Eurostar from London to a locals-only bistro in Paris for lunch; a TGV to Bordeaux for dinner and a vineyard spa stay at Les Sources de Caudalie and Château Smith Haut Lafitte; then a morning train to San Sebastián for Basque gastronomic society dining. (Tom Barber, Original Travel)
– A jet-set circuit of pre-Lenten festivities — Carnival balls in Venice, Fasching parades in Germany, Carnival in Rio and then Mardi Gras in New Orleans — a whirlwind of parties and rituals before the Lenten season. (Jeanne Polocheck, Well Traveled Texan)
– A multi-landscape Chile itinerary: remote Easter Island for moai and marine life, glacier trekking in Torres del Paine, the salt flats and starry skies of the Atacama, finishing in Valparaíso for local art and culture. (April Schmitt, Divine Travel Company)
Where specialists want to travel next
– South Korea: a return visit to see how K-beauty, K-dramas and K-pop continue to shape culture and attract younger travelers. (Catherine Heald, Remote Lands)
– The Congo River corridor: sailing from Brazzaville aboard a river vessel to explore Dzanga-Sangha National Park, watch forest elephants and other wildlife, and support bonobo-tracking conservation work. (Cherri Briggs, Explore Inc.)
– Big Sur: to revisit the reopened stretches of the Pacific Coast Highway, rediscover redwood-cloaked mountains and the Esalen Institute after years of limited access. (Sam Highley, All Roads North)
– The Peloponnese: a slow, underscheduled summer of early swims, vineyard visits and ancient sites — letting the wind and local rhythm determine the itinerary. (Mina Agnos, Travelive)
For the full roster of Top Travel Specialists and more ideas, visit cntraveler.com/travel-specialists. This piece originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of Condé Nast Traveler; subscribe to the magazine for regular coverage and curated trip inspiration.