Oct 6, 2026
Autumn has brought a fresh round of travel trend forecasts for the year ahead, and the latest comes from the UK travel and tourism marketing brand Lemongrassaccording to the company. Lemongrass has published its picks for the leading travel trends of 2027, centred on what it calls the anti-optimised holiday.
Under that idea, the company expects much of next year’s travel to involve doing less and staying longer in one place, rather than rushing between stops to complete a list of activities. The report indicates that travellers are turning away from bucket lists, biohacking and itineraries generated by artificial intelligence, favouring deeper, slower and more emotional experiences instead.
Mirjam Peternek McCartney, the chief executive and founder of Lemongrass Marketing, said travel had for years been framed around optimisation, with more destinations, experiences, personalisation and efficiency. She said the 2027 trends suggest travellers are now asking a more human question about how they want to feel. According to her, this is not a rejection of technology, luxury or ambition but a recalibration, with people seeking travel that gives something back, whether calm, a deeper understanding of a place, connection with others, or the freedom to enjoy a moment without maximising it.
Fewer Destinations, Longer Stays
The report suggests that holidays packed with activities could be fading. Travellers are increasingly seeking trips that feel less like a checklist and more like a genuine break, with fewer destinations, simpler itineraries, longer stays and time to let the day unfold. In this framing, luxury can simply mean having nowhere to be.
Wellness Beyond Treatments
Wellness is described as moving past spa treatments, health checks and biohacking fashions. Hotels and destinations are increasingly considering the whole environment, including lighting, sound levels, access to nature, food, movement and chances to connect with other people. Rather than adding more treatments, the emphasis is shifting to spaces that help guests slow down, rest and recover, and leave feeling better.
Human Insight Over Algorithms
As planning becomes more automated, the report notes growing interest in what an algorithm cannot supply, namely context, curiosity and human insight. Instead of pursuing hidden gems or must-see sights, travellers are expected to seek expert-led tours, cultural trails, literature, history, architecture, workshops and conversations with local residents. The appeal lies less in discovering a place first and more in understanding it properly.
With artificial intelligence spreading through travel, judging which information to trust may become as important as finding it. Travellers are increasingly navigating generated content, synthetic images and paid-for recommendations, which the report says makes first-hand experience and local knowledge more valuable. It adds that travellers will likely favour tour operators or travel agents who have seen places for themselves.
Ten Further Trends
Beyond the headline findings, the report identifies ten other trends expected in the coming year. Shifting conversations around masculinity are said to be creating a travel market for men seeking physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, with fitness, nature, mindfulness and outdoor experiences used not only for performance but also for connection, resilience and friendship.
Climate change is affecting not only where people go but how destinations cope. The report expects travellers in 2027 to value places with resilient infrastructure, flexible experiences, strong local knowledge and tourism businesses able to respond when conditions change, rather than simply escaping the heat.
Citizen science is another trend, with travellers moving from observing nature to taking part in its protection through activities such as wildlife monitoring, water sampling or recording species, which can deepen their connection to a place. More tourists are also expected to want to leave places better than they found them, extending beyond nature. The report notes the challenge of making locally led conservation and community projects accessible without falling into traditional voluntourism, a theme linked to the giving journey trend.
A related trend is described as journeys without sacrifice or sermon, in which sustainable travel becomes less about compromise and more about the experience. Rail is cited as an example that can be more scenic, comfortable and enjoyable as well as lower-impact, with sustainability embraced when it delivers a better experience rather than guilt.
Earned travel refers to a rejection of trips that are too easy. Although travel has never been more convenient, the report says some travellers are seeking the opposite, from remote landscapes to independent adventures, where effort, uncertainty and spontaneity make a trip more rewarding and getting there becomes part of the experience.
The joy economy trend points to travellers seeking things that simply make them feel good, from play and surprise to connection and escapism, using travel for emotional restoration rather than merely something to do. This ties into the mystic outlands trend, in which folklore, fantasy and atmospheric landscapes draw travellers wanting to step into another world, whether through dark skies, ancient forests or places steeped in stories.
The report also highlights growing interest in who tells a destination’s story, with female guides, historians, artists, chefs and community leaders offering different perspectives, particularly where the female voice has typically been overlooked.
Finally, the report predicts that near is the new far in 2027. Travellers are expected to recognise that they do not always need to go far to get away, with short-haul trips, rail journeys, staycations and off-season breaks offering an easier escape with less time, cost and hassle. Short-haul travel, it concludes, can be as enjoyable and meaningful as destinations thousands of miles away.
Source: www.indexbox.io
