Travel Trends

Global searches for premium class flights have doubled, indicating that travelers are increasingly prioritizing comfort and personalization, which may impact hotel and travel service expectations and offerings.

Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was up 0.2% compared to July 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 1.2%. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), increased 0.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 85.2% (-0.1 ppt compared to July 2025).

A Hotels.com report found that 37% of Americans now travel more for work than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, with technology workers and tradespeople among the most frequent business travelers.

Trip.com Group reported a 40% year-on-year increase in gross merchandise value (GMV) for active travel bookings, with significant growth in both Asian and European markets, reflecting a global rise in sportcation and active travel experiences.

Virtuoso’s latest survey and booking data indicate that luxury travelers are increasingly choosing autumn travel, longer multi-city trips, and wellness-focused stays, while booking further in advance and spending more on premium accommodations and experiences.

Tripadvisor booking data for the first half of 2026 indicates that travelers are increasingly choosing participatory cultural activities, outdoor recreation and destinations outside major tourism hubs rather than traditional sightseeing-focused trips.

Despite record-high hotel rates during the summer travel season, overall bookings remained resilient, indicating that many travelers continued to prioritize travel even as costs increased.

Cruises, U.S. national parks, and major European cities are among the most popular destinations for Labor Day travelers, signaling continued strong leisure travel demand for operators serving these markets.

U.S. travel agency air ticket sales reached $9.6 billion in July. Total sales climbed 18% from July 2025.

International air passenger travel to and from the United States totaled 26.4 million enplanements in July 2026, a 2.4% decline from July 2025, according to National Travel and Tourism Office data. Both foreign visitor air arrivals and U.S. citizen departures declined, while Canada was the only one of the five largest country markets to record year-over-year growth.