Travel is constantly changing and 2027 looks set to bring plenty of new ways to see the world.
From holidays designed around health and longevity to a growing appetite for slower, more meaningful escapes, travellers are becoming more selective about how they spend their time away.
Next year will be huge for astronomy lovers, with August’s so called “eclipse of the century” viewable in parts of southern Spain and north Africa, while those in the know will be eschewing Bali for lesser explored parts of Indonesia.
It’s likely in 2027 that travellers will also look beyond the usual hotspots, rethink when and where they travel, and find new reasons to visit destinations that have long been overlooked.
There’s plenty to get your teeth into – from the rise of longevity retreats and the changing face of wellness travel to new takes on adventure, culture and accommodation.
These are the trends the Euronews Travel team expects to shape travel over the year ahead.
Our predictions and trends for travel in 2027
Eyes on the skies
It was already a big year in 2026 for those who dream of the stars, with the Artemis II mission successfully completing a lunar flyby and a solar eclipse that plunged parts of Spain and Iceland into darkness for more than two minutes.
Next year will be even bigger, with the “eclipse of the century” on 2 August and Artemis III planned for some point in 2027.
The August eclipse earned its moniker as it will be the longest total eclipse on easily accessible land in the 21st century, with cities in Egypt near the point of greatest eclipse seeing the sun blocked by the moon for more than six minutes.
Spain will be lucky once again, with totality in cities including Cádiz, Marbella and Málaga, but the eclipse will also be visible in countries including Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Saudi Arabia.
It’s also a big year for those who fantasise about exploring the universe, with Star Wars celebrating its 50th anniversary.
While there will of course be re-runs of the original Star Wars in cinemas, on the travel front, I imagine there will be a resurgence in visiting iconic filming locations around the globe, like the limestone karsts of Guilin, Lake Como, and Wadi Rum. Think set-jetting, but with a hint of nostalgia. Dianne Apen-Sadler
Beyond second and third cities into ‘undertourised’ destinations
Earlier this year, I made the case for giving European destinations beyond the famed capitals a little more love by venturing to “second cities” – the places travellers may overlook because they sit beyond countries’ main tourist hubs.
My guide to some of the continent’s best second cities included Basel in Switzerland, for its dynamic art scene, and Cambridge in the UK for its punt vessel cruises across the River Cam.
If 2026 was the year of second cities, 2027 could take that instinct even further. I see travellers increasingly seeking out destinations that are largely under the radar.
Social media continues to have a major impact on how we discover and plan trips, but it can also very quickly turn obscure destinations into a must-see, and overcrowded, destination overnight.
As travellers become more conscious of this, with Skift research finding as many as 42% of travellers saying they would actively avoid overcrowded places, the search for slower-paced and quieter travel could see second and even third cities lose their allure.
As such, we may see more footfall next to cities such as Japan’s Toyama over Tokyo or Osaka. Around an hour away from the Japanese capital by air, the prefecture’s tourism strategy has been to retain its rural charm and offer visitors a slow mountain escape with scenic hikes and local delicacies.
At the turn of the year, we may also see more initiatives from destinations to not only spotlight “undertourised” destinations, but also manage tourist flows. Earlier this year, I spoke with Mayor of Dubrovnik Mato Franković, who discussed the “Respect the City” strategy to tackle overtourism in the “Pearl of the Adriatic”. Could this strategy work across other popular tourism destinations? Fakhriya M. Suleiman
Chinamaxxing
It seems nowadays that you can add -maxxing to the end of anything and turn it into a trend. Euronews Travel is not above this, and I will not be apologising for it, even if it’s “cringe”.
Post-Covid, there was a massive influx of tourists to Japan, but with the easing of visa restrictions, I think China is enjoying its long overdue moment in the spotlight.
Citizens from nearly 80 countries can now visit for up to 30 days visa free, which is barely enough time to discover the country’s futuristic cities, many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and varied landscapes that will take your breath away.
Social media is also a big factor – when TikTok was temporarily shut down in the US last year, many users flocked to Douyin, the Chinese version of the app, and autotranslate on X has meant more people are interacting with users from the country.
Just last week, the payment app TenPayGo, which works with Apple Pay and international cards, launched, making it easier for international travellers, too.
I visited China earlier this year (read all about it here) but I’m desperate to go back, and I can easily see it becoming somewhere I visit again and again. Dianne Apen-Sadler
The ‘Inception trip’: A holiday within a holiday within a holiday
Multi-destination travel is not a new trend by any means, but whenever we book a holiday these days we seem to have a regular habit: we book one trip, then start booking other trips within it – often after we’ve arrived.
Inspired by Christopher Nolan’s epic dream within a dream within a dream concept, I call this the “Inception trip” – a holiday within a holiday within a holiday. We’ve done this a few times now, but this summer in Spain was a perfect example.
What began as an escape to the Spanish Pyrenees, and a few days in Barcelona tagged on at the end, somehow evolved into a much bigger road trip. Taüll in the Vall de Boí was our base, but once we arrived, we extended our exploration even further. Much, much further.
As well as day trips into the Val d’Aran and across the mountains to the medieval town of Aínsa, we made the decision to drive across northern Spain for an afternoon and night in San Sebastián to watch the solar eclipse. That happened on 12 August and we only decided that morning to venture north to see it.
It was a long drive, but totally worth it. Not just for the eclipse itself but also to scratch San Sebastián off my bucket list. Being in this trendy city for around only 18 hours, we did pack a lot in and got a taste, literally, of why it’s so popular.
The more I travel the more I seem to like the “Inception trip” format – and I suspect I’ll be doing more of it in 2027. Where’s next on my list? Who knows, but whatever we plan to travel to definitely won’t be the final itinerary. Mike Starling
Type B travel
Social media is great for exposing you to new cities you hadn’t considered visiting before, but once you’ve booked a trip it seems like the algorithm knows and keeps pumping your feed full of content about it.
It’s ruining the element of surprise in travel, with more than two thirds of tourists saying a destination felt familiar because of the amount of videos they had consumed about it, even if they hadn’t been before.
Which is why I think Type B travel is going to have a big moment in 2027.
Spontaneous, and maybe slightly chaotic, Type B travel means rocking up to a new place with no plans and nothing booked, and letting your heart decide what to do.
I think it’s a natural extension of 2026’s lore chasing, which involves doing things you wouldn’t usually do because you’re on holiday and you want some great stories to travel home with.
I also think it could go a long way to helping with problems around overtourism – you won’t end up in line for the next viral spot if you simply haven’t heard or seen it. Dianne Apen-Sadler
The evolution of longevity retreats
Like multi-destination travel, longevity retreats may also be nothing new, but the way they’re being approached is likely to shift in 2027.
The move will be towards healthspan rather than simply lifespan, namely helping people stay healthier and more active for longer.
Next year, expect longevity retreats to become less about a quick wellness reset and more about understanding your body, identifying potential health risks and returning home with changes you can actually maintain.
For travellers, that could mean anything from metabolic testing and tailored nutrition plans to sleep analysis, movement assessments and consultations with doctors or other qualified practitioners. Some retreats are also experimenting with treatments such as cryotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Obviously, part of the purpose of healthspan retreats is still very much with longevity in mind – and there are plenty of new openings to be aware of if any aspect of this trend is up your street.
Clinique La Prairie in Phuket is slated to open its doors this November. In a Tri Vananda – or multigenerational living community – setting, its offerings will include preventive health, personalised nutrition, movement and overall wellbeing.
Meanwhile, in Austria, Naturhotel Forsthofgut in Leogang recently expanded its wellness facility by introducing a dedicated, science-backed longevity space known as waldSPA Health. Health programmes here include intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia training, a non-invasive oxygen therapy thought to rejuvenate cells. Saskia O’Donoghue
Ditch hotel stays for checking into authentic experiences
Are all hotels the same? Well, according to research, as many as 74% of people either strongly or somewhat agreed that many hotel brands feel very similar to one another. Its findings also revealed that travellers are increasingly seeking authenticity when they go abroad. While I don’t think hotels are going anywhere in 2027, travellers may become more curious to look beyond them.
Rather than simply being an afterthought, I see niche stays forming part of the reason why someone chooses to travel abroad. I for one am very tempted to visit Morocco just to experience what the travel guides have been raving about: staying in a riad rather than a conventional hotel.
A scroll through the “#riadmorocco” hashtag is filled with snaps of travellers’ experiences these technicoloured architectural marvels built around an inward facing design where an open-air courtyard with a fountain take centre stage.
Meanwhile, Japanese Ryokans may be among the world’s oldest forms of a hotel, dating back to the 8th century. Traditionally, these inns feature tatami flooring of woven straw-based rectangular mats, iconic futon bedding and yukata robes. A stay at a ryokan usually starts with a Japanese breakfast and ends with kaiseki ryori – a Japanese multicourse dinner of local delights, such as fish, soup and seasonal veggies.
There’s also the trend of volunteer exchange-for programmes, where visitors work for a set number of hours each week in exchange for their bed and board. Whether taking care of animals or painting and decorating, this sounds like a great way to not only meet like-minded people, but during downtime, explore a new destination, without having to worry about accommodation costs. Fakhriya M. Suleiman
Indonesia – so much more than just Bali
Think of Indonesia, and you’ll probably immediately land on Bali. The island has long been an enormously popular holiday destination for westerners seeking affordable luxury and a beautiful – and varied – landscape.
More recently, though, there’s been something of a backlash against Bali, with travellers unhappy at developers knocking down long-established local businesses.
I went two years ago and while it’s absolutely a fun spot and, in parts, stunning, it did feel incredibly overtouristed, with congested roads full of travellers packing in as many destinations as possible.
As Bali’s popularity has grown, so have its prices. In some cases, accommodation and food costs rival those in Europe, meaning one of the biggest reasons to visit is no more.
Luckily though, Indonesia is huge – and has countless little-visited places, so a more affordable, authentic and quieter experience is very much possible.
If you’re into nature-based, off-the-beaten-path trips, you don’t have to go far from Bali. Lombok is right next door, and boasts lower prices as well as unspoilt beaches, waterfalls, endless hiking opportunities and Mount Rinjani, the second-highest volcano and mountain in the whole country.
True nature lovers should head to Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon.
You can still spot them here, as well as other creatures including the orange-footed scrub fowl, the Timor deer and various species of whales, dolphins, and sea turtles.
For true remote exploration, you could do worse than to visit Raja Ampat. The remote archipelago is famous for having some of the richest marine biodiversity on earth.
Only reachable by ferry, the region is made up of hundreds of jungle-covered islands, and is known for its beaches – with the bluest water you’ve ever seen – and coral reefs, all rich with marine life. Saskia O’Donoghue
Urban active travel: The city is the gym
Sports tourism used to be relatively easy to define: fans travelling to events to watch their favourite teams, or taking part in activities such as marathons, cycling or golf. But since the pandemic, the sector has really evolved, with outdoor adventure, wellness and fitness now becoming part of the offering.
In 2027, I predict that evolution will be reflected in our cities and towns. Running and walking are perhaps the most obvious examples. Look at any major city’s tourism website and you’ll find recommended routes for a jog or a stroll.
Some hotels have even been embracing this idea for years. For example, Westin Hotels & Resorts has more than 150 “Run Concierges” worldwide, who can accompany guests on group runs and help them discover a destination while exercising.
With city-break visitors looking to the outdoors rather than just hitting the gym, I expect more hotels and destinations to follow, offering curated routes through parks and past landmarks. This could be particularly useful for solo and business travellers who want an active way to explore.
The “race-cation” trend may be booming, but runners don’t necessarily need an event as a reason to travel. Running, cycling and fitness are increasingly becoming ways to experience a destination. Mike Starling
