These are the travel trends of 2027

As I write this, I am sitting on the rooftop terrace of a lovely hotel in Rome (write it down; Hotel Adriano, , a recommendation), the sun is slowly sinking behind the towers and rooftops and the city is turning an orange-coral red that you really only see in Rome. Because whenever I travel, I prefer to immediately book or think of the next exciting trip, I am browsing the travel trends that Booking.com predicts for 2027, and they are more surprising than I expected. Dutch people want to have their work taken over by AI next year, are increasingly seeking the mysterious and even the afterlife (okay, is that a new toy from Elon Musk?), and are choosing a destination more often based on how they want to feel there rather than where it is located.

Am I accidentally a trendsetter?

I am an incredibly steadfast traveler. Where others pin a new dot on the map every year, I return to the places where I once tasted great happiness whenever possible, to that one terrace or that little street where you can get deliciously lost and to that restaurant where the waiter no longer gives you a menu because he knows what you eat. For a long time, I actually found that a bit tame, until retro travel suddenly turned out to be all the rage this year. Without having to do anything for it, I suddenly became a trendsetter, and you understand that I am now curious whether I will remain one in 2027.

What are the travel trends for 2027 according to Booking.com?

Booking.com researched for the eleventh time how we want to travel, this time surveying 28,000 travelers in 32 countries, including 1,006 Dutch people. The common thread is that the vacation is becoming less about the destination and more about how you want to feel, who you travel with, and what you want to experience. Almost three-quarters of the Dutch (73 percent) would choose a destination primarily based on the feeling they want to have there, and 66 percent would like to use a search tool that suggests destinations based on their mood. So you might not type “Italy” anymore, but “I want to feel carefree and a little in love“, and then you will naturally end up somewhere, but maybe also totally somewhere else in a place you didn't know yet, that can also happen. in Rome out, but maybe also totally somewhere else in a place you didn't know yet, that can also happen.

Can you really be out-of-office on vacation with AI?

That is at least what we would like, because 84 percent of the Dutch find it important to completely disconnect from work while on vacation. Nevertheless, 44 percent worry before departure about what will be left undone, and for 51 percent, the last vacation day is spoiled by thoughts of Monday morning, recognizable when I worked for a boss, now thankfully not anymore. It is therefore not surprising that 70 percent of the Dutch are interested in an AI agent that monitors your email during your vacation and signals what is really important, a lot more than the global average of 64 percent. At the same time, 63 percent are open to a completely tech-free vacation where people arrange the planning and activities for you. That sounds contradictory, but it actually makes a lot of sense: the more technology takes over at home, the more space you have on the road for what is human. Not for nothing does 70 percent want to experience something of the local culture and heritage, 66 percent want to learn to cook like the locals, and 61 percent look forward to traditional crafts like ceramics or glassblowing. By the way, I will skip this trend because I will not come close to the pasta qualities of the average Roman nonna in a week, so I prefer to spend my Roman hours visiting the Sistine Chapel and Galleria Borghese and watching AS Roma in the Stadio Olimpico in the evening.

Why are the Dutch seeking the mysterious in 2027?

Sun, sea, and a good book will face competition next year from something much more exciting. More than half of the Dutch (55 percent) are looking forward to vacation experiences inspired by horror, gothic, or thrillers, 48 percent are interested in experiences related to death, the afterlife, or spirituality, and 45 percent are even open to an attempt to make contact with someone on the other side. In Rome, you don't have to look far for that, with kilometers of catacombs beneath your feet. It fits into a broader desire to do something on a trip that doesn't seem to fit you at all, because 60 percent want to do something on vacation that is completely outside their character, 59 percent want to be surprised on the way, and a third would prefer to amaze friends and family with an unexpected travel choice.

Who are you traveling with in 2027?

You choose your travel companions in 2027 based on the wallet. Of the Dutch who travel with others, 40 percent have ever doubted a travel companion because they did not want or could not spend the same amount, and 45 percent have had trouble with money while traveling. Children are no longer automatically on the guest list, as 64 percent of Dutch parents prefer to travel without their self-baked offspring to keep more budget for themselves. By the way, those who go alone do not have to stay alone: 68 percent of the Dutch who took on a sporting challenge alone while traveling ended up with a lasting friendship. Couples are increasingly taking their difficult conversations on vacation, and more than a third (36 percent) would even go on a trip together to resolve a conflict. In this regard, we are a lot more reserved than the rest of the world, where that is 47 percent. For 29 percent, a long walk works best to talk openly with each other.

What does luxury travel look like in 2027?

Luxury next year mainly means choice. We are moving from all-inclusive to all-exclusive, as 62 percent find a package attractive in which you can simply drop services you don't use, and 52 percent want more alcohol-free options in all-inclusive. We also keep it nice and practical in the air. No less than 82 percent would consider a long-haul flight if they were guaranteed to arrive rested, and it doesn't have to involve a spa at 35,000 feet. Spacious seats are at the top of the wish list (38 percent), followed by cabins where you can really sleep (27 percent) and enough space to stretch your legs (23 percent).

What else can you book via Booking.com besides a hotel?

By the way, what I discover while browsing on Booking.com is that their platform is so much more than hotels. You can also find apartments, villas, holiday homes, B&Bs, and even treehouses, ideal if you are traveling with your family or a group of friends, if you are staying longer and need more space and privacy. In addition, you can easily arrange the rest of your trip there, from your flight and rental car to the pick-up or transfer from the airport to your accommodation. And I haven't even mentioned that tour where you skip the line, so you are already inside while the rest is still waiting outside in the cutting sun. Everything in one place, and that provides exactly the kind of peace I am looking for on vacation.

So here I am, on my rooftop terrace in Rome, as a steadfast traveler who accidentally became a trendsetter and is already looking forward to 2027. Whether I will seek contact with the afterlife next year, I don't know yet, but that I will return to this place is certain.