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Q1 2026 Traveler Insights:
New year, new adventures

Dive into our exclusive first party data from Q4 2025 and explore the latest travel trends heading into the new year.

author
Richard Kocher

February 17, 2026

With millions of people around the world enjoying some much deserved down-time over the holiday period, many turned their attention to travel plans for the upcoming year. From thrilling ski adventures and global sporting events to relaxing beach vacations and beyond, our Q4 2025 data highlights exciting trends that are set to dominate the travel market in the weeks and months ahead.

The holiday season drives search surges

The end-of-year holiday period traditionally corresponds with a big surge in travel searches and 2025 was no exception. Late December saw double-digit week-over-week (WoW) gains for searches across all super-regions*:

 

Latin America (LATAM): +25%

North America (NORAM): +20%

Europe, The Middle East, and Africa (EMEA): +20%

Asia Pacific (APAC): +15%

 

The week of Black Friday (including Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday) also drove a strong 15% WoW search increase in North America as travelers took advantage of the many attractive deals on offer to start planning their 2026 adventures. 

Takeaway

Start the new year ready for demand

With the holidays behind us, Q1 2026 is the ideal time to fine-tune your strategy for the months ahead.  A great way to do this is through TravelAds Sponsored Listings, which will help increase your brand’s visibility to traveler's who are planning their next trip.

Travelers shift towards long-term planning

Q4 saw a marked global shift away from ultra short search windows (0–6 days) compared to Q3, while longer planning windows (31–181+ days) rose, indicating travelers are researching ahead to spring and summer.

 

The shift toward longer planning windows is consistent with year-over-year (YoY) seasonal patterns. However, there was also a notable 10% YoY increase in searches in the 7–13-day window, indicating that more travelers are planning trips on shorter notice compared with last year. 

Domestic shifts

There was a clear redistribution from last-minute planning windows, with searches for trips
181+ days away growing almost 30% QoQ. 

International shifts

QoQ, search windows shifted toward longer horizons, especially 1–3 months and 6+ months. At the same time, YoY trends show more short-term planning, with searches in the 0–6 and 7–13-day windows up 10% versus last year.

Regional shifts

Travelers in EMEA are particularly planning further out, with a 40% increase in searches in the 91-180-day search window and a 75% increase in planning for the 181+-day search window QoQ.  

Takeaway

Align your strategy to attract early planners

As travelers look further ahead in the new year, make sure your rates, availability, and content are loaded and competitive 6+ months out, especially for EMEA and long-haul international demand.  Advance-purchase offers, longer stay discounts, and clear value messaging can all be used to help secure valuable early bookings. 

Attention turning to spring break and summer escapes

Following the excitement of the holiday period, many travelers look forward to spring as their next opportunity to get away. Spring break typically takes place between mid-March and mid-April, and both NORAM and EMEA saw strong 25% YoY search increases for this period during Q4.

 

For NORAM travelers, the top destinations for early spring break searches are mostly warm weather escapes, with Cancun, Orlando, and Punta Cana topping the list. For EMEA travelers, top spring break destinations tend to be major cities and culture hotspots, including London, New York, and Paris. 

Our data also shows that travelers are planning earlier for summer trips (June-August 2026), with a 15% YoY increase in searches for NORAM travelers and a 5% YoY increase for EMEA travelers during Q4.

 

While Cancun and Orlando remain the top searched summer destinations for NORAM travelers, New York and Boston are right behind. Meanwhile, the top destinations for EMEA summer trips are Hamburg, London, and Nice.   

Takeaway

Map out periods of peak demand

From spring break and shoulder-season getaways to summer trips, mapping out peak demand periods in your market can help you understand where and when to focus your efforts. Ensure you align your rates, availability, and cancellation policies to stay competitive during these busy times of year. 

Travelers seek out new year ski and beach destinations

Q4 in the Northern Hemisphere typically sees travelers either gearing up to hit the slopes or escape to warmer climates. As such, it’s no surprise that searches for both ski towns and beach destinations jump significantly over the quarter (from October to December).

Ski towns showing strong growth:

  1. South Lake Tahoe, California: +115%
  2. Whistler, British Columbia: +45%
  3. Vail, Colorado: +40%
  4. Breckenridge, Colorado: +30%
  5. Aspen, Colorado: +30%  

Beach destinations showing strong growth:

  1. St. Augustine, Florida: +115%
  2. Naples, Florida: +60%
  3. Acapulco, Mexico: +60%
  4. Hollywood, Florida: +50%   

Takeaway

Learn what winter sports travelers value the most

Understanding winter sport enthusiasts and their booking behavior is crucial to securing their business during peak skiing season in the Northern Hemisphere. Download our recent mountain travel report to gain key insights into what these travelers look for when planning and booking their next trip.

Soccer fans prepare for 2026

2026 will see a wide range of global sporting events taking place, but nothing will be bigger than this summer’s major soccer tournament, being hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. With millions of sports fans gearing up to attend, demand for flights, accommodation, and entertainment in host countries/cities is already skyrocketing.  

 

During Q4, searches to the three host countries during the tournament (June 19 - July 11) increased by 35% YoY. The strongest search increase was to Mexico, with a 70% YoY increase.

+35% YoY

increase in searches to the three host countries during the tournament

At the city level, Monterrey, Mexico stands out with an impressive 330% YoY growth during the tournament, making it the top-performing city over the quarter. Other notable YoY search increases include Kansas City (+260%), Dallas (145%), and Houston (+80%) in the U.S., and Guadalajara in Mexico (+100%) reflecting heightened interest and engagement across key host cities. 

 

There was also a significant jump in travel searches following the tournament’s group stage draw on December 5, with searches to Boston during the tournament jumping by a massive +1000% between December 5 – 8, making it the top trending soccer city over this period. 

Takeaway

Prepare now to score big with sports fans

This summer’s tournament represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to convert unprecedented levels of demand into successful bookings and revenue driving initiatives. Use our comprehensive guide to prepare effectively in advance and set yourself up to score big with soccer fans in 2026.

Four new capital cities enter EMEA search ranks

Q4 saw a number of exciting new cities enter the regional search ranks, while Miami and Tokyo both moved up the global ranks. 

 

In EMEA, new entrants included the capital cities of Amsterdam, Netherlands; Rome, Italy; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Edinburgh, Scotland. LATAM saw Orlando, Florida; Porto Seguro, Brazil and Acapulco, Mexico join the top ten, while NORAM saw Fort Lauderdale, Florida and San Francisco, California enter the rankings at positions 8 and 10 respectively.

Top searched destinations by region

*New top 10 searched destinations

For APAC travelers

  1. Tokyo, Japan
  2. Sydney, Australia  
  3. Seoul, South Korea  
  4. Osaka, Japan    
  5. Melbourne, Australia  
  6. Fukuoka, Japan   
  7. Gold Coast, Australia  
  8. Singapore  
  9. Incheon, South Korea  
  10. Taipei, Taiwan 

For EMEA travelers

  1. London, England    
  2. Istanbul, Türkiye  
  3. Paris, France  
  4. Dubai, UAE    
  5. New York, New York  
  6. Amsterdam, Netherlands*  
  7. Stockholm, Sweden  
  8. Rome, Italy*  
  9. Copenhagen, Denmark*  
  10. Edinburgh, Scotland* 

For LATAM travelers

  1. Mexico City, Mexico   
  2. Sao Paulo, Brazil   
  3. Cancun, Mexico    
  4. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil   
  5. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico  
  6. New York, New York  
  7. Orlando, Florida*  
  8. Madrid, Spain  
  9. Porto Seguro, Brazil*  
  10. Acapulco, Mexico* 

For NORAM travelers

  1. Cancun, Mexico  
  2. Las Vegas, Nevada  
  3. Orlando, Florida    
  4. New York, New York    
  5. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic  
  6. Los Angeles, California    
  7. Miami, Florida  
  8. Fort Lauderdale, Florida*  
  9. Chicago, Illinois  
  10. San Francisco, California*  

Warm weather destinations rise up Vrbo ranks

Among the top searched Vrbo destinations, warm weather destinations like Scottsdale, Arizona and Fort Lauderdale, Florida entered the NORAM rankings in Q4***. Culture hotspots New York, New York and Amsterdam, Netherlands joined the list of most searched locations amongst EMEA travelers. Check out the full top ten lists for each region below. 

Top searched vacation rental destinations 

*New top 10 searched destinations

For APAC travelers

  1. Melbourne, Australia    
  2. Sydney, Australia    
  3. Perth, Australia   
  4. Adelaide, Australia   
  5. Brisbane, Australia   
  6. Auckland, New Zealand  
  7. London, England  
  8. Christchurch, New Zealand  
  9. Canberra, Australia  
  10. Tainan, Taiwan*

For EMEA travelers

  1. Paris, France    
  2. London, England   
  3. Rome, Italy  
  4. Berlin, Germany   
  5. Barcelona, Spain  
  6. Hamburg, Germany  
  7. Kissimmee, Florida  
  8. New York, New York*  
  9. Amsterdam, Netherlands*  
  10. Nice, France  

For LATAM travelers

  1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil     
  2. São Paulo, Brazil  
  3. Florianópolis, Brazil  
  4. Mexico City, Mexico  
  5. Camaçari, Brazil  
  6. Guarapari, Brazil  
  7. Ipojuca, Brazil  
  8. Orlando, Florida  
  9. Salvador, Brazil*  
  10. Kissimmee, Florida  

For NORAM travelers

  1. Orlando, Florida  
  2. Nashville, Tennessee  
  3. New York, New York  
  4. Scottsdale, Arizona*  
  5. Kissimmee, Florida  
  6. Paris, France  
  7. Las Vegas, Nevada  
  8. New Orleans, Louisiana  
  9. Fort Lauderdale, Florida*  
  10. London, England  

Start 2026 on the right foot

2026 may have only just begun, but travelers around the world are already deep into their travel planning for the year ahead. Taking the time now to fully understand your audience, fine tune your strategy, and position yourself to capitalize on new and emerging travel trends will undoubtedly pay dividends many times over in the months to come.  

RESEARCH & INSIGHTS

Explore top travel trends

Explore the latest travel trends and learn how your business can adapt to attract more travelers with our data-driven guide to the year ahead – Unpack ‘26 

Dive into the trends
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A headshot of Richard Kocher

Richard Kocher

Senior Director, Media Insights & Planning

 

Richard is senior director of Media Insights & Planning. His team is responsible for mining Expedia Group’s exclusive first-party search and booking data and market insights to inform partners’ strategies, product selection, and audience targeting. Prior to overseeing the global Media, Insights, and Planning team, Richard led Business Development and Account Management teams in display and sponsored listings across EMEA and APAC. He has postgraduate degrees in Anthropology from the University of Sussex and Business Administration from Warwick Business School – and lives with his family in Redmond, Washington.

 

Read more posts by Richard

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*Except where noted, all on-page data sourced from Expedia Group internal data, Q4 2025

**Based on lodging searches made on Expedia global from 5 – 8 December 2025 compared to 30 November 2025 – 1 December 2025. For group stage stay dates 11 – 27 June 2026 in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Kansas City, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Monterrey, Mexico City & Guadalajara. 

***Expedia Group, Vrbo data, Q4 2025