Trip.com and Google reveal a new era of purpose-driven, tech-enabled, and community-centered travel
Oct 15, 2025
A new joint report by Trip.com Group and Google, Why Travel?, explores how travellers are redefining the purpose of travel — moving from ticking destinations off a list to seeking meaning, community, and wellness. The findings highlight five major trends shaping how people will explore the world in 2026 and beyond.
Key takeaways
- Travel as expression: Identity and aesthetics are influencing booking decisions, with over 75% of travellers in Asia watching travel livestreams — and up to 76% booking directly through them.
- Travel with purpose: Cultural curiosity is replacing checklist tourism, as searches for traditional experiences like “Japanese tea ceremonies” have risen by 53% year-on-year.
- Travel to heal: Wellness now blends exertion and relaxation — searches for “golf & spa resorts” and “ski & spa” packages are up 300% and 250%, respectively.
- Travel to connect: Shared experiences are the new social currency. Two-thirds of travellers are willing to fly abroad for concerts, while endurance events like marathons and Hyrox are seeing fivefold cross-border growth.
- Travel of tomorrow: AI has become the new travel companion. Searches for “help planning my trip” are up 190%, reflecting growing trust in AI tools such as Google Gemini and Trip.com’s Trip.Planner.
- Emotional alignment and tech fluency: The report concludes that the future of travel will be shaped by purpose, culture, and AI-enabled personalization — where meaning matters more than mileage.
Get the full story at Trip.com
