Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo, Japan
Return to childhood with beloved characters and storybook rides.
Unpack '27: The Trends in Travel
Destinations of the Year
Spotting 2027’s top trending destinations
Powered by Expedia’s real-time search data
Expedia’s Destinations of the Year ranks some of 2027’s fastest-growing travel destinations, using real search data to track where traveller interest is climbing. These places might not be dominating mainstream travel content just yet, but they’re gaining attention.
Encouraging travel to popular destinations should also be done with care. Six of this year’s destinations meet the criteria to receive a ✓ from Expedia’s Smart Travel Health Check. This framework was first introduced with Unpack ’26 and highlights destinations that manage tourism responsibly while offering memorable experiences—inspired by the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) report on actions for sustainable tourism management.
Explore Expedia’s 2027 Destinations of the Year
Expert tip
Use the Expedia app to bundle and save when booking flights, hotels and activities for your trip, and unlock member deals available exclusively for travellers with a free One Key rewards account.
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Un-Adulting
Ditching adult responsibilities for joyful, carefree and nostalgic trips
Childlike joy meets grown-up freedom
According to Expedia, in 2027 travellers are escaping from adult responsibilities and going on carefree vacations full of childlike joy—known as Un-Adulting. 57% of travellers are likely to book an Un-Adulting trip in 2027, soaring to 71% among Gen Z and Millennials. Social mentions of carefree, adult-only trips are also up 41% year over year.
Top motivations include wanting a carefree day (69%), quality time with loved ones (64%) and a genuine break from everyday responsibilities (56%). The leading reason for booking an adults-only trip to a theme park is simply going “just for fun.”
From Walt Disney World’s adults-only GEO-82 lounge at EPCOT to Universal Studios Japan’s adults-only Halloween Horror Nights overnight experience, the travel industry is designing new offerings specifically for Un-Adulting getaways.
57%
of travellers are likely to book an Un-Adulting trip in 2027 (71% among Gen Z and Millennials)
Expert tip
Plan the ultimate itinerary all in one place by booking experiences on the Expedia app, from theme park tickets and guided tours to adults-only cruises.
Un-Adulting experiences to book
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Trip Snacking
Squeezing in bite-sized breaks between longer vacations
One-night hotel stays for short weekend getaways
Hotels.com is seeing a surge in Trip Snacking—one-night hotel stays that fit around stacked schedules, tighter budgets and wanting to get away more often. Instead of saving for one big annual vacation, 79% of travellers are planning to book a one-night stay in the coming year, rising to 83% of Gen Z and Millennials.
Searches on Hotels.com for one-night stays have also increased nearly 10% year over year, and social buzz for 24-hour getaways is up 12% compared to the previous year.
The top reasons travellers are Trip Snacking include celebrating a life milestone (34%), attending a concert, show or sporting event (32%), and needing a quick reset between longer trips (28%). With more travellers booking frequent, last-minute one-night escapes, 45% say finding a good deal is the most important consideration, and 71% agree that a Trip Snack holds them over until the next longer trip.
79%
of travellers plan to book a one-night trip in the coming year, rising to 83% among Gen Z and Millennials.
Top spots for Trip Snacking:
Expert tip
Use Hotels.com Rewards to help fund your next Trip Snack. With free cancellation on thousands of hotels and no blackout dates on rewards, there’s no downside to booking a spontaneous getaway.
Top properties for Trip Snacking
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Gothic Getaways
Checking into 2027’s trending hotels—colour-rich, moody and full of dramatic flair
Swap minimalist lobbies for Gothic-style stays
Moody, dramatic Gothic Getaways are trending for 2027 on Hotels.com, and interest is climbing fast: 65% of travellers want to book a Gothic-style hotel, jumping to 71% among Gen Z and Millennials. Think neo-Gothic architecture, dark colour-drenched rooms, candlelit corridors and a sense of mystery and heritage.
Over half (56%) of travellers already book a hotel for the atmosphere or aesthetic alone. Hotels.com has seen a 20% increase in demand for castles year over year, and social mentions of Gothic-style travel have also increased by 38%, peaking in the spring and summer.
Driven by dark fantasy fiction and storytelling in popular culture, Gothic Getaways are now a year-round trend that reflect a growing appetite for distinct hotel experiences. Motivations for booking a Gothic-style hotel include interest in historic hotels with a rich past (46%) and destinations tied to folklore, legends or the supernatural (35%).
65%
of travellers are interested in booking a Gothic-style hotel, jumping to 71% among Gen Z and Millennials.
Expert tip
Booking a work trip? Switch to Hotels.com’s personalized business travel mode to find hotels that match your work travel preferences and earn rewards for future stays.
Gothic Getaways worth checking into:
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Hobby Hubs
Booking group vacations now starts with a hobby
Your hobby finds its vacation home base
2027 marks the emergence of Hobby Hubs: Vrbo vacation rentals booked specifically to enjoy hobbies. From group crafting weekends and photography retreats to mahjong game nights and antiquing escapes, 68% of travellers say they’re likely to take a hobby-focused trip in 2027, climbing to 79% of Gen Z and Millennials. 38% also report hobbies play a bigger role in how they travel compared to five years ago.
Searches on TikTok for analog hobby content have surged and searches for “grandma hobbies are cool” have nearly tripled. The top hobbies travellers want to pursue on vacation include puzzles and board games, photography, stargazing, crafting and antiquing.
Travellers are taking Hobby Hub trips to enjoy their hobby in a new setting (41%), spend time with like-minded people (41%) and disconnect from daily distractions at home (34%), making vacation rentals the ideal home base for a hobby-fuelled getaway.
68%
of travellers are likely to take a hobby-focused trip in 2027 (79% of Gen Z and Millennials)
Vrbo rentals built for Hobby Hub trips
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Heartland Hideouts
Choosing charming, landlocked locales over coastlines
The coast can wait
In 2027, travellers are heading to Heartland Hideouts destinations and discovering that some of the most exciting hidden gems are landlocked. These emerging Vrbo vacation spots are smaller inland destinations known for vibrant culture and charm, from college towns famous for sports and music festivals to foodie cities and lakeside escapes.
Nearly 65% of travellers have vacationed in non-coastal destinations in the past 12 months, driven by interest in the local culture, food and art scene, a desire for off-the-beaten-path exploration, fewer crowds and affordability.
With searches for hotspots like Bentonville, Arkansas and Deadwood, South Dakota, spiking 140% and 120% year over year respectively, destinations with a strong sense of local character and cultural identity are capturing traveller attention.
Book a Heartland Hideout Vacation Rental
Expert tip
Use Vrbo’s early booking or last-minute discount filters to find the ideal home base for a Heartland Hideout vacation and stretch your budget further.
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2027 Set-Jetting Forecast
Scouting travel destinations inspired by 2027's most anticipated TV shows and movies.
Screen-inspired travel is here to stay
Expedia first named Set-Jetting as a travel trend five years ago, and since then screen-inspired travel has become the new normal. Nearly 1 in 5 travellers globally have booked a trip to a destination after seeing it featured in a TV show or movie.
In 2027, travellers aren’t waiting to watch before planning a Set-Jetting trip on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. Nearly half of surveyed travellers reported proactively researching or booking trips to destinations featured in still-unreleased TV shows and movies, rising to 58% among Gen Z and Millennials.
Searches for Monaco also spiked by over 120% in the 30 days after Emily in Paris confirmed season 6 was filming there, and social mentions of travelling to Miami rose 64% year over year with the Miami Vice reboot on the way. See which highly anticipated and well-known TV shows and movies will inspire travel in 2027.
Nearly
1 in 5travellers globally have booked a screen-inspired trip
Expert tip
Use Expedia’s Set-Jetting travel hub to find curated trip ideas inspired by the latest buzz-worthy movies and TV shows. Bundle flights, hotels and activities to unlock package savings.
Explore the 2027 Set-Jetting Forecast
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