The 2026 travel trend reports have started flooding in (and it’s not even December). Keeping up is nearly impossible.
So let me save you a few hours of scrolling.
I read and assessed the first dozen 2026 travel outlook reports and mapped the eight major ones into a simple framework to evaluate insight quality (not marketing polish).
(This is my personal, honest assessment; meant to be constructive, not critical):
For the full write-up incl. explanations and placements, pls go here: https://lnkd.in/eizaFvnC
📉 Content Fluff (Light reads with lack of depth)
1) Expedia: “Unpack ’26: The Trends in Travel”
https://lnkd.in/eSSyUgY4
2) Priceline: “Where to Next in 2026?”
https://lnkd.in/evgNME65
3) Omio: “NowNext 2025–2026”
https://lnkd.in/e7iVb4JY
📊 Excel Dumps (Strong data foundations, but missing the “so what”)
4) Amadeus: “How Will Technology Transform Travel?”
https://lnkd.in/eAJkc9c9
5) SITA: “Traveler Voice Report”
https://lnkd.in/exX-CVXx
🔥 Hot Takes (Creative angles that could use more research depth)
6) Skyscanner: “2026 Travel Trends”
https://lnkd.in/eYH75yHM
7) Lemongrass: “Travel Trend Report 2026”
https://lnkd.in/eZMrJYVa
8) Hilton: “2026 Trends Report”
https://lnkd.in/e3yfGCsV
⭐ One key observation:
The Insight Leadership quadrant remains empty (for now).
This isn’t criticism. It simply shows how rare it is to combine:
→ proprietary data
→ analytical depth
→ and a bold, truly research-backed narrative
Will we see a true INSIGHT LEADERSHIP report for 2026?
I’m optimistic.
The potential contenders that could pull it off:
Skift: Their new Megatrends report is already being teased by Rafat Ali and team. I’m bullish the promo lives up to its quality, especially if it leans more into data.
McKinsey and the likes: They all have the analytical firepower to deliver a killer deep dive, though travel isn’t usually at the top of their agenda. Anything planned Vik Krishnan, Nina Lind, Jaap Bouwer?
What I am most excited about:
Bold travel companies that are using their own proprietary booking and user behavior data. Last year, KAYAK‘s WTF 2030 report (powered by The Future Laboratory), Mews‘ Hospitality Outlook (led by Wouter Geerts, PhD), and Travelport‘s “Tipping Point” report (by Kyle Moore & team) were my favorite reads.
And of course, Hopper is always good for a killer, data-rich insights piece (-> Hayley Berg & Dakota Smith)
We’ll see in the next few weeks.
P.S. If I missed any major report, feel free to link below👇
