Expedia Group has released its annual trends report, Unpack '27, drawing on data from Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, plus a survey of 26,000 travellers in 16 countries and social media signals. The headline from CEO Ariane Gorin: people are becoming more deliberate about travel, choosing trips that feel personal rather than generic. Here are the five trends shaping next year.
Un-adulting is the big one. More than half of travellers surveyed (57%) plan to book a playful, nostalgia-fuelled getaway in 2027 — think theme parks, water parks and generally dropping the responsibilities of grown-up life for a weekend. Among Gen Z and Millennials that figure jumps to 71%. The standout picks: Tokyo Disneyland, Chicago's Color Factory and Park Xcaret in Mexico.
Then there's trip snacking, the successor to last year's snackpacking (travelling to try supermarket snacks). This version is about appetite for breaks rather than food: quick, spontaneous one-night stays that slot between bigger, less frequent holidays. Nearly four in five travellers say they'll book a one-nighter in the next year, and searches for one-night stays on Hotels.com are already up 10%.
On the moodier end of the spectrum, Gothic getaways are having a moment. With a new screen adaptation of Wuthering Heights driving fresh interest in all things brooding, 56% of travellers say they've booked a hotel specifically for its atmosphere or aesthetic — and 65% of those are drawn to Gothic-style stays, from historic castles to folklore-steeped destinations. Demand for castle hotels has climbed 20% year on year.
Hobby hubs extend the skillcation idea: instead of learning a skill on holiday, travellers are booking holiday homes around what they already love — crafting weekends, photography retreats, mahjong nights and antique-hunting trips. Finally, heartland hideouts points travellers away from the coast toward lesser-known landlocked destinations that haven't been overrun yet.
Why it matters: these trends are genuinely useful for planning. If your annual leave is thin, a one-night trip snack can scratch the itch without a big commitment. If burnout is the problem, a theme-park weekend might do more for you than another city break. And if you want a room with atmosphere, booking a castle or folklore-heavy property before the Gothic wave peaks could get you the good rooms at better prices. The heartland hideouts trend is also a nudge to look inland — often cheaper and quieter than the obvious coastal hotspots.
