The top travel trends set to shape 2026 - including the long-haul destinations Britons will flock to

British Airways Holidays has released its 2026 Travel Trends Report, and wellness culture is heavily shaping how Britons want to spend their time away. Holidaymakers are also keen to visit the United States, with New York, Orlando and Las Vegas on the top 10 list.

The tour operator teamed up with Globetrender, a leading travel trend forecasting agency, to dig into what's driving holiday decisions for the year ahead.

Top 10 in 2025 for 2026 travel

1. New York
2. Orlando
3. Dubai
4. Maldives
5. Barbados
6. Las Vegas
7. Cancun
8. St Lucia
9. Dominican Republic
10. Antigua

New York continues to draw British holidaymakers, thanks to its world-class culture, iconic landmarks and ever-evolving food and arts scene. Orlando promises famous theme parks and hot weather, and outside of the United States, Dubai's year-round sun and focus on luxury is proving appealing to Britons.

But it's not just about where people are heading, it's about how they're choosing to experience their breaks. The report shows wellness is weaving its way through nearly every major travel trend emerging for 2026.

One of the standout trends is a phenomenon known as Chronocations. Nearly one in five UK travellers are ditching the clock entirely when they're away, eating, sleeping and exploring whenever the mood strikes.

It's a gentle pushback against the rigid schedules of everyday life, with people using their holidays to sync up with their natural body rhythms instead.

Then there's the growing focus on cognitive health. A quarter of UK adults say sleep deprivation affects their mental balance more than social media or lack of exercise. Travellers are increasingly seeking out breathwork, meditation and ecstatic dance to achieve genuine relaxation.

The report also highlights Stream Parks as the next big thing in theme park travel. Streaming giants and gaming platforms are transforming their digital worlds into real-life destinations, and 38 per cent of UK travellers are keen to step inside their favourite show or video game.

Managing director of British Airways Holidays, Andrew Flintham, said: "I always look forward to what our annual Travel Trends Report will reveal. It's clear the prevailing interest in wellness culture is continuing to impact the way we holiday, with many of our trends leaning into this overarching movement.

"With 82% of British Airways Holidays customers thinking loyalty programmes are a great way for brands and businesses to reward their customers, I wasn't too surprised to learn of The Valueverse, and the ever-increasing demand for new ways to collect and spend points. We're excited to make these trends a reality for our customers."

Editor, founder and CEO of Globetrender and author of the report, Jenny Southan, added: "In a world shaped by economic pressure, digital saturation and rising social fragmentation, holidays are becoming spaces of transformation opportunities for people to test new identities, restore mental balance and discover forms of joy that everyday routines suppress.

"This shift marks a profound redefinition of what a holiday is for: not just escape, but expansion. The findings in this report show a British traveller who is more experimental, more introspective and more values-driven than ever before.

"Whether it's embracing body-positive liberation through Uninhibited Holidays, stepping inside screen-born worlds via Stream Parks, rethinking loyalty through The Valueverse, syncing holidays with biological rhythms in Chronocations or exploring the frontiers of cognitive wellbeing through Neurosurfing, what unites these trends is a desire to feel more alive when we travel."