Travel Trends Shaping 2027

New research from Booking.com revealed a growing appetite for unexpected adventures, more personalised experiences, and mood-driven holidays.

Now in its 11th year, these Travel Predictions draw on research with more than 28,000 travellers across 32 countries and territories, including more than 1,000 Kiwis.

As the platform celebrates 30 years of innovation, the research identifies nine trends that will shape how people search for, book, and experience travel in 2027.

The All-Exclusive

The all-inclusive buffet has served its last course; the most appealing travel package is one that doesn’t include everything.

As medications reshape appetites and sobriety culture grows, travellers are portion-controlling their holidays too, with 51 percent of Kiwis saying at least one health, body or lifestyle change has influenced their choice of holiday destination or activities in recent years.

In 2027, less is more, with 70 percent of travellers wanting a package that lets them remove services they don't expect to use, such as an open bar or buffet. Furthermore, 44 percent would let their diet influence the accommodation or destination, showing that the destination now needs to fit the lifestyle.

Trip to the Beyond

While most typical trips promise sun, sea and relaxation, a growing number are seeking something altogether more unsettling: haunted histories and paranormal encounters. The appetite for darker, more mysterious travel is on the rise, with 56 percent of Kiwi travellers interested in experiences that confront the paranormal head-on.

And for those who want to go further? Nearly half (42 percent) would seek an experience with the hope of speaking to someone on the “other side,” while 43 percent are curious to take part in experiences that confront difficult questions about the afterlife, death or spirituality.

Hotel in the Sky

Wellness culture has taken over hotels, attractions, and destination experiences; now travellers want the same from 35,000 feet in the air.

Unsurprisingly, 92 percent of Kiwi travellers who are well used to crossing the globe say they'd take a long-haul journey if it guaranteed they'd arrive rested and refreshed, reporting higher than the global average (89 percent).

Experienced long-haul flyers, 40 percent of Kiwis want to prioritise a menu designed to support sleep compared to just over a third of global travellers (33 percent).

Kiwis also want lighting designed to reduce jet lag (31 percent) and, while only 19 percent of global travellers want to treat themselves with a skincare kit on flight, over a third of Kiwis (27 percent) want them as the bare minimum survival kits.

Sweat Synergy

Solo travel is getting a team upgrade. In 2027, the real reason solo travellers are crossing finish lines around the world isn't the medal; it's who's next to them at the end.

The strongest proof of this comes from the experience, as over half (53 percent) of Kiwi travellers who have travelled alone say a shared physical activity or challenge has led to a lasting connection or friendship.

Next year, the 41 percent of Kiwi solo travellers who are interested in traveling to attend a fitness or sporting event want more to find friendships that go the distance.

Plot Twist Trip

In 2027, travellers will humble everyone who thought they had them figured out and surprise themselves in the process with a trip nobody saw coming, with 30 percent actively wanting to surprise their friends and family with their travel choices.

Gone is "that's not really me", with 72 percent of Kiwi travellers interested in choosing a holiday specifically to do something completely out of character.

These trips are designed to disrupt the status quo, rewrite the story everyone thought they knew, and deliver the twist nobody predicted.

Alongside this, over a fifth of Kiwis travelling (23 percent) have deleted or avoided posting about a holiday because it felt too predictable or ordinary; this could be the year they finally have something worth sharing.

Social Currency

Your travel budget isn't just deciding where you go. It's deciding who comes with you. In 2027, budget is becoming the most ruthless filter on the guest list - and nobody is safe.

Just under half of travellers (43 percent) have reconsidered who to invite on a trip because of differences in spending, given that 45 percent have experienced tension or disagreements during a trip because people had different expectations around money.

For just over a quarter of Kiwis (28 percent), the solution has been even more drastic: admitting they have removed people from a travel group entirely.

And for parents? The kids might not make the cut either, with 67 percent of parents keen to leave the kiddos at home so they can spend more on themselves.

PTO: Powered by AI

More than half (58 percent) of Kiwis say the last day of holiday is less enjoyable because they are thinking about returning to work, and 33 percent of them even bring their laptop to stay on top of their inbox. AI can offer a welcome sense of relief. But do travellers trust AI enough to leave the laptop at home?

With almost half of Kiwis (48 percent) interested in having AI cover their work while on holiday, the out-of-office could have a clever new deputy.

Nearly one third (31 percent) would be fully comfortable allowing AI to manage their emails and admin while away. And for the bold 30 percent who would ask AI to catch them up on everything they missed, there is an even sweeter upside: a cheeky extra day off, completely under the radar.

Vibe Check(In)

Destination? Irrelevant. Vibe? Non-negotiable. In 2027, 73 percent of Kiwi travellers would choose a holiday destination primarily based on how they want to feel, rather than where they want to go.

And the search filter of the future? Emotional state. Three quarters (71 percent) of Kiwi travellers would use a search tool that recommends destinations based on how they feel or their mood.

Gen Z are ready to hand over their wearable data, phone metrics, and entire emotional state to find the right destination, with 67 percent of Gen Z travellers willing to share this information with a travel provider to help personalise their trip, compared to just 16 percent of boomers.

Trailside Therapy

Couples aren’t just travelling to escape their problems; they may increasingly be travelling to talk about them. Almost half (43 percent) said they would consider taking a trip to resolve conflicts or arguments, and 69 percent said at least one holiday activity helps them have honest or difficult conversations.

Simply walking or hiking together (27 percent) ranked the most effective activity. This year, couples will take tough conversations offsite on holiday, swapping date night for daylight, hitting the trail, and letting a long walk do the talking.

Todd Lacey, Regional Manager, Oceania and Korea at Booking.com, said that travel has become less about following a formula and more about expressing who you are.

“Kiwis are challenging the conventions of how, why and with whom we travel, and technology is giving them more freedom to do it with confidence,” he said.

“We’re actively building for the future of travel by combining AI with deeper personalisation to tailor every step of the journey to individual intent and emotion, making it easier for everyone to experience the world - on their own terms.”

More trends and insights here