Search icon
Log in Join us

BLOG POST

Q4 Traveler Insights: Fall and winter planning in full swing

Dive into the latest travel trends and insights revealed in our exclusive Q3 2026 first-party data — and what they mean for the season ahead.

author
Richard Kocher

November 10, 2026

As summer memories fade, travelers are already looking ahead to fall getaways, festive breaks, and year-end plans. Q3 search patterns offer partners a timely read on where interest is building — and how to prepare for the months ahead.

APAC planning is on the rise and search windows are shifting 

Aligning with seasonal trends, global search activity held steady in Q3, but Asia Pacific (APAC) ramped up travel planning. APAC travelers showed the strongest growth of the super-regions with a 30% increase quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and a 25% increase year-over-year (YoY). This was followed by Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), which also saw a 15% increase QoQ, as travelers ramped up on short-term summer getaways and planning for the fall.¹

30%

QoQ search increase in APAC

25%

YoY search increase in APAC

Q3’s search windows also followed seasonal patterns; last-minute summer plans gave way to longer lead times as fall approached. The QoQ share of searches in the 0-6-day window rose by 15% globally in Q3, with increases in every super-region (NORAM, LATAM, EMEA, and APAC). This peaked in July as travelers planned last-minute trips in the northern hemisphere.

 

By September, search windows were shifting toward longer lead times as travelers looked beyond last-minute summer trips.

Takeaway

Stay visible as planning windows lengthen

Stay top of mind by keeping both near-term and far-term inventory current and consider leveraging visibility boosters as we enter popular booking periods in the remainder of Q4 and early Q1 2027.  

Travelers lock in plans for the holiday season

Holiday planning picked up in Q3 as summer trips were already underway.

 

Early searches for Thanksgiving 2026² were up +10% YoY amongst U.S. travelers during Q3, searches for the Christmas period³ were up 5% in the NORAM region, while New Year’s Eve travel searches⁴ were up 10% in LATAM. The destinations showing the strongest YoY growth during each of these timeframes were:

Thanksgiving

1. Québec City, Canada (+110%)
2. Eugene, Oregon (+90%)
3. Columbus, Ohio (+70%)

Christmas

1. Québec City, Canada (+60%)
2. San Pedro Sula, Honduras (+55%)
3. Sevierville, Tennessee (+35%). 

New Year's Eve

1. Gulf Shores, Alabama (+100%)
2. North Carolina (+70%)
3. Salt Lake City, Utah (+55%)

Searches and bookings set to surge over Black Friday week

Our historical data shows us these holiday periods are not just moments for travel and retail shopping, they are travel planning moments that present strong opportunities for capturing demand. In Q4 2025, we saw the week of Black Friday (including Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday) drove a 15% WoW search increase. 

15%

WoW search increase for the week of Black Friday in 2025

20%

WoW search increase for the week between Christmas and New Year

A closer look at our first-party data during this period gives us a better view of how search and booking patterns differ across markets. 

 

One of our main findings is that the peak demand day shifts by market: Black Friday in Germany, the Saturday after in Canada, the Sunday after in Australia, Cyber Monday in the UK, and Travel Tuesday in the U.S.

 

Travelers also plan further ahead and for longer during this week, and the share of bookings made 91+ days out rises significantly across most major markets.

 

Our data also shows that the week between Christmas and New Years brings another distinct wave in searches, as people use their time off work to plan for the year ahead. In Q4 2025, we saw a 20% WoW global search increase the week of December 30, driven by a 25% surge in EMEA and 20% in both NORAM and LATAM regions. 

Takeaway

Join our Black Friday sale

Join our biggest sale of the year for Black Friday  to take advantage of increased demand and early planning. On average, properties who participated in the 2025 Black Friday sale saw an increase in their room nights by over 50%.⁵

 

Read our dedicated blog post on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday for more on traveler demand and practical ways to prepare.   

Major sporting events spark global interest 

Sports is well known for bringing fans from around the world together — both figuratively and geographically — and several flagship events did exactly that in Q3 with strong YoY searches for:

 

  • 2026 NFL International Games, Munich (Nov 13–15): +300%
  • 2026 NFL International Games, Melbourne (Sep 10–11): +70%
  • Spanish Grand Prix, Madrid (Sep 10–12): +30%, led by LATAM (+50%)
  • US Open, New York (Aug 28–Sep 14): +20%, led by Canada (+55%)

 

Looking ahead to the Australian Open, there was already a 5% YoY increase in searches in Q3 for January, with the largest increase from NORAM travelers.

Takeaway

Use Expedia Group insights to spot demand signals early

Major events continue to move fast and drive high search volumes globally. The partners who win are the ones who see demand coming before it peaks.

 

Talk to your Account Manager about which events on the calendar apply to your market and check Revenue Management (Rev+) in Partner Central, which leverages data from PredictHQ to help you spot relevant demand signals as early as possible.  

Las Vegas and New York climb up the global search rankings 

In Q3, Las Vegas overtook Cancun for the top spot globally, while New York also moved up in both the global and NORAM rankings, and re-joined the EMEA rankings. 

 

In EMEA, Turkey gained steam as Fethiye moved from number 10 to number five and Bodrum joined the list at number six. Meanwhile, Spanish destinations lost ground with both Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona falling out of the top 10.   

Top searched destinations by region

*New top 10 searched destinations

For APAC travelers

 

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

For LATAM travelers

 

  1. Mexico City, Mexico  
  2. São Paulo, Brazil  
  3. Cancun, Mexico  
  4. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  
  5. Madrid, Spain  
  6. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico  
  7. New York, New York  
  8. Paris, France  
  9. Mazatlán, Mexico  
  10. Rome, Italy* 

For EMEA travelers

 

  1. London, England  
  2. Istanbul, Türkiye  
  3. Paris, France  
  4. Antalya, Türkiye  
  5. Fethiye, Türkiye  
  6. Bodrum, Türkiye*  
  7. New York, New York*  
  8. Rome, Italy  
  9. Stockholm, Sweden  
  10. Copenhagen, Denmark  

For NORAM travelers

 

  1. Las Vegas, Nevada  
  2. Cancun, Mexico  
  3. Orlando, Florida  
  4. New York, New York  
  5. Los Angeles, California  
  6. Punta Cana, Dom. Republic  
  7. Chicago, Illinois  
  8. Miami, Florida  
  9. Boston, Massachusetts  
  10. San Diego, California  

Brazil dominates LATAM Vrbo rankings 

Brazilian destinations surged up the Vrbo rankings for LATAM travelers in Q3, with Camaçari and Ipojuca both joining the list and Florianópolis jumping up to number three.    
 
In EMEA, Clermont, Florida joined the rankings at number 10, while Scottsdale, Arizona joined the NORAM list at number 10 as well.  

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. Paris, France  
  10. Canberra, Australia  

For LATAM travelers

 

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

For EMEA travelers

 

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

For NORAM travelers

 

  1. Nashville, Tennessee  
  2. Orlando, Florida  
  3. Chicago, Illinois  
  4. New York, New York  
  5. Las Vegas, Nevada  
  6. Port Aransas, Texas*  
  7. Paris, France  
  8. Kissimmee, Florida  
  9. New Orleans, Louisiana  
  10. Scottsdale, Arizona*

Prepare for travel moments
before interest peaks

Travel moments, global as well as local, spark search interest. Prepare your inventory and advertising before it peaks, while travelers are still deciding. We’ll keep sharing insights to help you show up at the right time.

 

Join us to accelerate your growth

Unpack ‘27 uncovers top travel trends for the year ahead  

Earlier this fall, Expedia Group’s launched the annual travel trends report: Unpack ’27. The latest data explores the ideas and experiences set to shape travel over the year ahead. 

 

That might mean a carefree Un-Adulting escape, a bite-sized Trip Snacking getaway, or a passion-fueled Hobby Hub. For partners, these trends offer fresh ways to connect with the moments and interests shaping travelers’ plans. 

 

Explore the full Unpack ’27 report for a closer look at the traveler mindset and ideas for the year ahead. Find more partner-specific inspiration in our blogs for hotel, vacation rental, activities, and advertising partners. 

2027 TRAVEL FORECAST

Bring 2027 trends into your plans

Learn more about emerging travel trends and actionable takeaways to fuel your business in 2027. 

Explore the full list of 2027 travel trends
A headshot of Richard Kocher

Richard Kocher

Senior Director, EGA Planning & Insights, Expedia Group

 

Richard is senior director of Expedia Group Advertising Planning & Insights. 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 Planning & Insights 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

Was this page helpful?

Tell us how we did so we can improve our site.

Recommended for you

¹ Except where noted, all on-page data sourced from Expedia Group internal data, Q3 2026 

² denotes travel taking place between November 25-29 

³ denotes travel taking place between December 19 - January 3 

⁴ denotes trips starting December 29-31 and ending after January 1 

⁵ Expedia Group internal data 2026; average results for properties that participated in Black Friday 2025 compared with properties that did not participate