What Is the Traveller Really Looking For?

Travel Trends 2027: What Is the Traveler Really Looking For?

Forget simply ticking destinations off a bucket list. In 2027, travellers are increasingly looking for experiences that make them feel something, reflect who they are, and give them a reason to escape the everyday.

The travel industry has spent years selling destinations. Beautiful beaches, iconic cities, luxury hotels and must-see attractions have traditionally dominated the conversation. But as we look towards 2027, a more interesting question is emerging: is the destination still the main attraction, or has the experience become more important?

The latest research from two of the world’s leading online travel companies, Expedia Group and Booking.com, suggests that travellers are becoming more personal, more adventurous and more deliberate about how they spend their travel budgets.

And for the hospitality industry, that has important implications.

It’s no longer just about where you go, but how you feel

One of Booking.com’s most striking findings is that 81% of surveyed global travellers would choose a holiday destination based on how they want to feel rather than simply where they want to go.

That is a significant shift in how we should think about travel marketing.

People might be looking for tranquillity, excitement, romance, reconnection or an opportunity to challenge themselves. The destination becomes the vehicle for delivering that feeling.

For hotels and resorts, this creates an opportunity to sell more than a room. It means understanding the experience a guest wants and designing the stay around it.

A couple celebrating an anniversary, a professional escaping work pressures and a family reconnecting after a busy year may all visit the same destination, but they are looking for entirely different experiences.

Source: Booking.com, 2027 Travel Predictions.

Experiences are becoming deeply personal

Travellers increasingly want holidays that reflect their interests, personalities and passions, rather than simply following the conventional tourist itinerary.

Expedia Group identifies several emerging expressions of this trend, including hobby-focused holidays, rural retreats and trips inspired by films and television.

Its research found that nearly one in five travellers had booked a trip after seeing a destination featured on screen. Meanwhile, its 2027 forecast highlights growing interest in holiday homes organised around shared interests, from photography and crafts to birdwatching.

This creates opportunities for destinations that might previously have been overlooked.

A cooking experience with local chefs, a guided wildlife excursion, a visit to a working farm or a weekend built around photography can give travellers a compelling reason to choose one property over another.

The lesson for hospitality businesses is simple: give people something memorable to do, not merely somewhere comfortable to sleep.

Source: Expedia Group, Unpack ’27.

Shorter breaks, more often

Not everyone is waiting for the traditional two-week annual holiday.

Expedia’s Hotels.com brand calls one emerging trend Trip Snacking: shorter, often spontaneous getaways squeezed between longer holidays. Its research found that 79% of surveyed travellers planned to book a one-night stay in the coming year.

Concerts, sporting events, celebrations and the simple need to get away for a night are creating reasons to travel more frequently.

For the hospitality industry, this could mean renewed opportunities for weekend packages, one-night escapes, event-linked accommodation and attractive local offers.

The challenge is to make even a short stay feel worthwhile. Travellers may have less time, but they still want value, convenience and an experience worth talking about.

Source: Expedia Group, Unpack ’27.

Value matters, but it doesn’t always mean cheap

Travel budgets remain an important consideration, and travellers are becoming more selective about what they are willing to pay for.

Booking.com’s research found that half of respondents had reconsidered whom to invite on a trip because of differences in spending expectations. Its findings also point towards greater interest in flexible holiday packages that allow people to exclude services they do not intend to use.

This suggests that value is becoming more personal.

One traveller may happily pay a premium for exceptional food, another for a spectacular location, and another for privacy or an unforgettable activity. What matters is whether the experience justifies the price.

Hotels that communicate their value clearly, offer flexible choices and avoid unnecessary extras may be better positioned to win discerning customers.

The appeal of the unexpected

There is also a growing appetite for novelty and experiences outside the usual holiday formula.

Booking.com reports that 77% of surveyed travellers are interested in choosing a holiday specifically to do something out of character. Expedia, meanwhile, highlights playful adult getaways and dramatic, atmospheric accommodation as emerging trends.

These forecasts point towards a traveller who is open to experimentation: discovering unfamiliar places, trying unusual activities and creating stories that go beyond the standard holiday photograph.

For destinations and hospitality operators, authenticity and imagination could prove powerful differentiators.

What does this mean for hospitality in 2027?

The traveller of 2027 is not one single person with a predictable set of preferences. Some will seek luxury; others will prioritise affordability. Some will want complete relaxation, while others will seek adventure.

But the emerging direction is clear: travellers increasingly want their money, time and effort to deliver something personally meaningful.

For hotels, restaurants and destinations, that means looking beyond the traditional product. Service, comfort and quality remain essential, but they need to be combined with experiences that guests genuinely value.

It also means listening more carefully to customers, understanding why they travel and creating offers that respond to those motivations.

The hospitality industry has always been about people. The opportunity in 2027 is to put that principle back at the centre of the guest experience.

Perhaps the most important question for every hospitality business is no longer simply, “Why should a traveller stay with us?” It is, “How will a traveller feel, what will they experience, and what will they remember long after they have left?”

Because in a competitive travel market, the room may secure the booking. But the experience is what gives people a reason to return.

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Research note: The statistics quoted above come from Expedia Group’s Unpack ’27 report and Booking.com’s 2027 Travel Predictions, published in October 2026. They reflect survey responses and company-specific search or booking data, rather than guaranteed outcomes for every market. Individual findings should be interpreted in the context of their survey populations and methodologies.