If you like getting somewhere before the crowds do, new booking data has a shortlist for you. The Advantage Travel Partnership, a UK consortium of independent travel agents, has crunched its numbers and named Albania as the destination most likely to take off in 2027 — largely on the strength of its beaches and the fact that it still costs less than most of the Mediterranean.

Beyond the Balkans, the same data flags Hong Kong, Egypt and Vietnam as the other destinations set for a strong 2027. And it's not just general wanderlust driving things: big events are shaping where people book. The Ryder Cup in Ireland, the FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil and the Men's Rugby World Cup in Australia are all expected to pull serious visitor numbers, while a total solar eclipse crossing North Africa and Spain has astronomy fans planning trips around the moon's shadow.

The data also reveals a lot about how 2026 shaped up, which hints at where things are heading. Spain dominated short-haul bookings from the UK — Tenerife, Mallorca and the Costa Blanca led the pack, with Lanzarote, the Costa del Sol and Antalya in Türkiye also popular. Long-haul, it was New York, Orlando, Jamaica and Thailand taking the top spots.

There's a geopolitical story in there too. With conflict in the Middle East, travellers who might otherwise have visited that region pivoted to the USA, the Caribbean and the Far East — and the US got an extra lift from World Cup hosting duties. Family holiday bookings dipped around Easter but climbed about 5% in the summer and October school breaks.

The most interesting trend, though, might be the rise of the touring holiday. Bookings where travellers move through multiple destinations rather than parking themselves in one resort grew strongly between 2025 and 2026. South Africa, Kenya and Japan are the big long-haul winners here — trips built around wildlife, culture and exploration rather than a sun lounger. Italy, France and Spain lead the short-haul touring game. As John Sullivan, Advantage's commercial director, put it, people increasingly want to properly experience a destination instead of a traditional fly-and-flop week.

For 2027, Sullivan is tipping China, Indonesia and South America as ones to watch on the touring front. China in particular has quietly opened up: it eased entry rules in 2025 for citizens of 74 countries, including many across Europe, who can now visit for up to 30 days without a visa. That's a low-friction way to explore a country known for food, scenery and culture that many travellers have never seriously considered.

Why it matters: if you want value, Albania is the obvious 2027 pick before prices catch up. If you want variety, the touring trend suggests multi-stop itineraries through Italy, Japan or Kenya are where the smart money is going. And if you're flexible, planning around a major event or that eclipse could give you a trip with a genuine once-in-a-lifetime hook.

Via Euronews Travel