Priceline's annual Where to Next? report is out, and it reads less like a list of hot destinations and more like a portrait of how people actually want to travel now. Drawing on 2026 booking behaviour and traveller surveys, the report identifies eight trends heading into 2027 — and a few of them are genuinely surprising.
The headline theme, summed up by Priceline SVP Lesley Klein, is that travellers are being deliberate about what a trip delivers. That shows up first as "tripmaxxing": 62% of Americans now cut back on one part of a trip to splurge on another. Nearly one in five would happily accept an eight-hour layover for a high-end hotel, and swapping a basic breakfast for a five-star dinner is a common trade.
Then there's "checkmark chasing" — goal-oriented travel like hitting all 32 NFL stadiums or ticking off all 50 states. A striking 80% of Americans want in on a checklist goal, and for 32% finishing a meaningful list beats a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. Partying is big business too: 75% of respondents are steering daytime budgets toward festivals and pool parties, and 68% plan group celebrations on trips with friends.
Service and personalisation round out the mindset shift. Two-thirds of travellers will pay extra for warm, memorable hospitality — one reason luxury stays justify their rates. And younger travellers want trips built around who they are: 61% of Gen Z and 62% of Millennials would share personal details to get a tailored itinerary, fuelling the rise of AI trip planners like Priceline's own Penny tool.
Two trends stand out for how new they feel. "Vacation vetting" sees 66% of travellers wondering whether their destination could actually be home — and 21% of Americans have already moved to a city they first visited as a tourist, nearly half of them within a year of that trip. Meanwhile, food-led travel keeps climbing: 80% of Millennials and Gen Z would book a trip purely for a meal, whether that means flying to Asia or hunting down an internet-famous dish closer to home.
The most unexpected trend is the GLP-1 effect. Among users of medications like Ozempic, 85% say the drug has changed how they travel. They're seeking hotels with medication refrigeration, protein-forward menus, and suitable fitness options — 74% would change plans to stay somewhere GLP-1-friendly, and 28% would pay a premium for it. Expect hotels to start advertising these amenities explicitly.
Why it matters: whether you're a trade-a-layover saver, a checklist chaser, or someone scoping out real estate on holiday, 2027 travel looks set to reward intention over impulse — and hotels that pay attention to how their guests actually live.
