Across the globe, cultural immersion is emerging as the leading travel priority, according to the latest research from Skift.
The travel research platform’s Skift State of Travel 2026 report looks at how travel and tourism trends are evolving, including what’s shaping travellers’ experiences abroad.
Its findings show that cultural immersion consistently ranks ahead of adventure and luxury seeking worldwide. In Asia, as many as 50% of travellers were found to be cultural immersion travellers, compared to 32% who prioritised adventure and 30% seeking luxury experiences.
This pattern was also seen in the Middle East and North Africa, North America as well as Europe, with 42%, 39% and 36% of people in each market, being classified as cultural immersion travellers respectively.
Skift’s findings also highlight that in-demand experiences bring together culture with authentic luxury, wellness and nature experiences.
Meanwhile, looking closely at activities, , 71% of respondents said they were most likely to spend on food and culinary experiences, far outranking spends on adventure and nature, arts culture and history, live events and entertainment, health and wellness as well as sports which stood at 48%, 42%, 36%, 36% and 24%, respectively.
At the same time, the report acknowledged 2026 as the “year of intelligence”, a nod to the rise of AI. Its research found that 62% of global travellers are familiar with AI travel-planning tools, while a further 81% of high-income travellers familiar with such tools used them to plan a journey.
Although these developments in technology can make it easy to plan a trip, the report suggests that tech-driven travel is developing side-by-side with a desire for authenticity when it comes to experiences abroad.
Describing authenticity as the “north star” of travel experiences, shifting away from placing a premium on places and instead prioritising specific experiences and emotional attractiveness. According to Skift, experiences are now what dominate travel decision-making, with 43% of travellers from the survey saying experiences are the most important part of travel for them.
“Traveller behaviour is evolving, marked by rising demand for AI-driven personalisation and a shift toward more sustainable choices,” Jean-Jacques Morin, group deputy CEO at Accor, said. “[This is] exemplified by the popularity of ‘dupe destinations’ (less crowded, more affordable alternatives to popular hotspots) and ‘coolcations’ (vacations in cooler climates as travelers seek to avoid extreme heat).”
Social media as a travel-planning tool
Skift’s research also found that social media has evolved from a source of travel inspiration to a full-fledged travel-planning tool.
Some 63% of travellers use social media to get destination ideas and inspiration, while 56% use it to find experiences, restaurants to eat at or things to do, and 45% use it to compare hotels and accommodations.
The research found that travellers also use it for watching travel vlogs or itineraries, searching for deals and promotions, following travel influencers for recommendations as well as reading reviews or watching user-generated content.
Skift also pointed toIShowSpeed’s 12-hour livestream powered by Expedia of his Caribbean tour of Dominica, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Maarten, where a staggering 400 million people tuned in. In the immediate aftermath, searches for St. Maarten had a 70% boost, while Guadeloupe and Dominica searches increased by 50% and 35%, respectively.
But this can be a double-edged sword.
Platforms can help travellers discover lesser-known destinations and experiences, yet, that same virality can quickly turn those hidden gems into the next overcrowded hotspot.
“Social media has destabilised the discovery cycle,” Skift said. “The same platforms that make an unknown destination famous in weeks also make it feel overexposed within months.”
As such, the report added that “oversaturated destinations” introduce fees and visitor caps, which creates damage to the image of tourist hubs. The report added that travellers are instead turning to hidden alternatives with unique experiences, rather than choosing wider-known destinations.