From Romantasy Retreats To Robo-Hotels: Take A Look Inside 2026’s Biggest (And Best) Travel Trends

Forget travel itineraries—Australians are booking emotional plot twists. According to Booking.com’s 2026 Travel Predictions, in the new year, we’re set to swap sun loungers for soul-searching, compatibility quests, romantasy storylines and the occasional robot concierge, because, well, why the hell not? 2026 might just be the year we chase meaning with the same energy we once chased cheap flights.

From astrology-steered itineraries to glow-up getaways, here’s everything you need to know about the way we’ll be travelling next year.

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Image Credit: Getty Images

Turbulence Test: Holidays As Compatibility Checks

Move over dinner dates—the new frontier of romance is long-haul. According to the report, 67% of Aussies are open to travelling with a potential partner, colleague, or brand-new friend as a compatibility litmus test. Because nothing reveals true chemistry like navigating delayed flights, questionable hostels, and the existential test that is sharing a bathroom.

Travel has become the real-life soft launch: part intoxicating escapism, part psychological stress test, all wrapped into one very revealing long weekend away. Make it work, and you might have something real. Don’t? Well, at least the photos will look good.

Romantasy Retreats: Enter Your Fantasy Era

Blame Fourth Wing. Blame A Court of Thorns and Roses. Blame the collective desire to escape the late-capitalist dread of modern living—whatever the reason, 66% of Aussie travellers want to visit destinations inspired by their favourite romantasy stories. Think mist-covered forests, brooding castles, windswept cliffs and mythical-creature-adjacent vibes.

Travel is becoming fan fiction with a passport: a chance to step inside a world where the tension is slow-burning, and the love interest has at least one morally confronting secret. Expect to see romantasy-coded escapes everywhere—from Scottish Highlands stone circles to medieval Spanish villages to any Airbnb featuring a four-poster bed and taxidermy.

Image Credit: Unsplash

Destined-ations: Astrology-Steered Itineraries

If you’ve ever cancelled a date because Mercury was in retrograde, congratulations—you’re now part of a global movement. Half of Aussies (yes, 50%) are willing to change their travel plans based on horoscopes or spiritual advice, and 46% would adjust their entire trip if Mercury decided to misbehave.

Astro-travel isn't new, but 2026 is the year it goes mainstream. We’re talking Venus-friendly beach escapes, Jupiter-aligned solo trips, Saturn-return wellness retreats and destination choices based on whether your rising sign needs “more grounding” or “less chaos.” The star-sign-ification of everything continues.

Hushed Hobbies: The Rise Of Silent Escapes

After years of noise—digital, emotional, existential—Aussies are craving quiet. 40% are seeking nature-focused escapes, while 20% are turning to quiet hobbies like birdwatching, pottery, wild swimming or simply staring at a log in the forest and thinking about their life choices.

Silence has officially become a luxury. Expect more off-grid stays, no-phone chalets, forest bathing packages, and retreats where the loudest sound is your own thoughts.

Image Credit: Unsplash | Henry Chen

Shelf-ie Souvenirs: Edible Memories And Craft Keepsakes

Forget fridge magnets—the new way to remember a holiday is through your taste buds. Nearly a quarter of Aussies (22%) now relive destinations through food, while 23% are seeking out locally made craft and sustainable souvenirs.

This is the era of edible nostalgia: jars of Sicilian pistachio paste, Mexican hot chocolate tablets, artisanal Japanese miso, handmade ceramics and textiles you can trace to a real human being.

PastPorts: Nostalgia As The New Frontier

In 2026, nostalgia isn’t retro—it’s futuristic. 65% of travellers would use tech to revisit old photo locations and recreate memories, essentially turning holidays into emotional reunions with past versions of themselves.

Think augmented reality trails matching old travel pics to exact GPS coordinates, couples returning to the place they first met, and solo travellers doing a “healing lap” around the world. Time travel, but make it sentimental.

Image Credit: Kyah Boutique Hotel

Roadtrip Rewired: Carpooling Goes Cool

Carpooling is no longer the domain of uni students and people with “adventurous spirit” in their bios. 82% of Aussies are open to sharing drives, while 56% are using apps to link up with travellers on similar routes.

It’s sustainable, social, budget-friendly and weirdly romantic—a little bit like Before Sunrise, except instead of a train through Europe it’s the Hume Highway and a shared Spotify jam.

Humanoid Homes: Robo-Enhanced Stays

Your 2026 holiday might include a robot chef frying your eggs or a cleaning bot tidying your room while you’re at the beach. 74% of Aussies say they’re ready to book robotic-enhanced stays, with cleaning bots (45%) and robot chefs (36%) topping the wishlist.

It’s part novelty, part efficiency. Expect to see more high-tech hotels merging hospitality with robotics in surprising ways.

Glowcations: Welcome To Wellness

Glow-ups are no longer skin-deep—they’re destination-deep. 75% of travellers are open to glow-cations, meaning trips centred around personalised skincare treatments, dermatological rituals, high-tech facials and holistic rebuild-your-entire-life energy.

Think LED beds, custom serums, lymphatic massages and retreats centred not on mindfulness but on meticulous skin rituals.

Modern Milestones: No Reason Required

Here’s the biggest mood shift of all: 62% of Aussies say they don’t need a reason to book a trip, and 68% believe a holiday is justified simply because they’ve earned it.

Travel has officially become a lifestyle, not a luxury. A need, not a treat. A right, not a reward.

Image Credit: Unsplash | Darren Tierney

The One Australian Destination On The Global Trending List

Among Booking.com’s trending destinations for 2026, only Port Douglas, QLD made the global cut. With reef-to-rainforest beauty, luxury stays, sailing adventures and calm tropical energy, it’s the perfect match for Australians embracing a fresh wave of feel-something travel.

Port Douglas is having its moment—and, judging by the data, so are we.

What are you waiting for? Get ahead of the trends and book your next star-crossed vacay here.

Looking for more inspo? We've rounded up the absolute best getaways for your 2026, you can thank us later.