UNPACK '26 SUMMER TRAVEL TRENDS: DOMESTIC DEMAND RISES AND HOTEL PRICES DROP IN POPULAR INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS

Hotel hopping boom: travellers double up stays to chase live events and make the most of bleisure escapes this summer

Kick Off or Take Off? Football fever sends fans to host cities as savvy travellers head elsewhere for deals

Lights, camera… getaway: film and TV hits spark a summer surge in screen‑inspired travel

Today, Expedia Group has released its Unpack '26 Summer: The Trends in Travel, the latest edition of its industry-leading report, revealing how travel behaviour is shaping summer travel decisions.

Demand for domestic travel is dominating summer holiday planning. Social conversation about domestic holidays has increased by 77% year-over-year globally, while 45% of Britons are more interested in UK breaks than they were last summer.* From major sporting events and concerts to screen-inspired travel, Unpack '26 Summer builds on insights from the flagship Unpack '26: The Trends in Travel™ report to highlight where travellers are headed this summer. Each trend is backed by first-party data from Expedia® and Hotels.com®, as well as insights from travellers and social listening.

"This summer, travel isn't slowing down - it's being reshaped," said Melanie Fish, Travel Expert and Spokesperson at Expedia Group. "As major global events and rising costs influence decisions, travellers are either staying closer to home or seeking out destinations where they can get more for their money."

Expedia - Destinations of the Summer

Domestic travel is shaping up to be the season's unexpected but understandable travel trend. Rather than far-flung destinations, more travellers are gravitating towards nearby escapes, from beach towns to walking trails just a short drive or quick flight away. ​Searches for coastal towns like Scarborough and Tenby are up 40% this summer, and interest in rural destinations or hotspots with easy access to national parks have spiked too.​

Explore the Destinations of the Summer.

Hotels.com - Hotel Hop Summer

Hotel Hopping - booking multiple hotels on a single trip - is gaining momentum as travellers look to experience more of the destination and make the most of their stays, with demand increasing during the summer season.

This summer, key motivations for hotel hopping include:

• Event Hopping — Hotel hoppers are planning their summer hotel stays around events to see their favourite musical artist or cheer on their favourite sports teams. Pairing a hotel near the concert venue or stadium with a second stay in a different part of the city means travellers can experience more of the destination in one trip.
  • Sing along to Harry Styles in London (12 June – 4 July): Stay at Abbey Point Hotel for the show, then hop to Leonardo Royal London St Paul's to be right where the London action is.
  • Indulge in strawberries and cream at Wimbledon (29 June – 12 July): Stay at the Pelican London Hotel & Residence for the matches, then hop to the boutique St Paul's Hotel in Hammersmith for its lively mix of entertainment and cultural venues.
  • Feel the thrill at the British Grand Prix (2-5 July): Stay at The Greyhound Coaching Inn in the charming town of Lutterworth for the race weekend, then hop to Stanbrook Abbey near Worcester for a quintessentially romantic countryside retreat.
    
    

• Bleisure Hopping — There's no better time to add a leisure stay onto a business trip than summer. Bleisure travel is trending online with over 165k mentions, and the hottest destinations dominating social conversations for bleisure hotel hopping include*:
  • Helsinki (+71%): Stay at the Solo Sokos Hotel near Stockmann, then hop to Espoo to stay at Noli Otaniemi and explore Nuuksio National Park.
  • London (+47%): Stay at The Ned near Borough Market, then hop to Brighton to stay at the Sea Spray to enjoy the coast.
  • Oslo (+46%): Stay at the Karl Johan Hotel just steps from Norwegian Parliament, and then hop to the Sundvolden Hotel near King's View to enjoy golf and the on-site spa.
  • Paris (+24%): Stay at Le Cinq Codet near Rue Cler, then hop to the French countryside and stay at Château de Courcelles near Reims.
  • Other trending summer bleisure destinations: Cape Cod (+97%), Lake Michigan (+88%), Seoul (+36%), Chicago (+35%), Sao Paulo (+28%), and Boston (+23%).

Check out Hotel Hop Summer combinations.

Kick Off or Take Off?

With the world gearing up for the major football moment in North America this summer, traveller behaviour is diverging. Sports fans are booking last-minute trips to host cities to be part of the excitement, while others are heading elsewhere to take advantage of lighter crowds and lower prices in popular destinations across Europe, Asia, and South America.

As football anticipation builds, interest is surging across North American host cities in June and July. Kansas City, US; Philadelphia, US; and Monterrey, Mexico, are topping the list of destinations for fans eager to watch a match in person.

While match-day crowds are concentrating in North America, deal-seekers are travelling elsewhere. Average daily rates for hotels in some popular European, Asian, and South American holiday spots are down nearly 25% this summer even as interest has climbed over 35% year-over-year on average, making these destinations a compelling alternative for travellers looking to escape the games and find better value.

Read more about Kicking Off or Taking Off this summer.

The 2026 Set-Jetting Summer Forecast

From streaming hits to blockbuster films, Set-Jetting - travel inspired by TV shows and movies - continues to shape summer demand. Expedia first spotted the Set-Jetting trend in 2022 and predicted a surge in interest in 2026 for destinations like Yorkshire, inspired by Wuthering Heights; Samoa (Polynesia) and Hawaii inspired by the soon-to-be-released Moana (Live Action); and Peloponnese, Greece, inspired by the upcoming The Odyssey as part of the Unpack '26 forecast.

Several destinations, both expected contenders and surprise breakouts, have since emerged as Set-Jetting standouts this year:

• Yorkshire — Search interest spiked by 60% in the first six weeks after the release of the Emily Brontë adaptation, and searches for this summer are up 35% year-over-year.
• Muskoka, Canada — Interest climbed by 110% after the debut of Heated Rivalry, alongside strong interest in other featured cities including Boston (+85%), Montreal (+65%), and Toronto (+55%).
• Rome — As Emily in Paris expanded its storyline in season 5, so did interest from fans of the show, with searches for the city increasing by 35% in the two months after the season dropped.

With an influx of films and shows planned for summer releases, the 2026 Summer Set-Jetting Forecast highlights a fresh slate of screen-inspired destinations poised to transform on-screen scenes into warm-weather travel plans, from the vibrant, cultural streets of Glasgow, to the dramatic peaks of Italy's Dolomites.

Read more about Set-Jetting.

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Notes to Editor

Find imagery here.

*Methodology

Online mentions of domestic destinations based on global social media mentions about summer domestic holidays between 1 February – 29 April, 2026 vs. 1 February – 29 April, 2025.

Third-party research was conducted by market research partner OnePoll in accordance with the Market Research Society's Code of Conduct. The Study was conducted online among 11,000 adult respondents who travel and have stayed in a hotel, across nine countries.

Expedia — Destinations of the Summer

Destinations of the Summer list based on increases in accommodation searches on Expedia for travel between May 23-August 31, 2025 vs. May 22-August 31, 2026.

Hotels.com — Hotel Hop Summer

Hotel Hop Summer data supported by increase in attach (hotel + hotel) demand on Hotels.com globally in 2024 and 2025 for summer vs. other seasons.

Online mentions based on news, broadcast, and social media mentions of classic road trips and bleisure travel from March 16, 2025 to March 8, 2026, vs. March 17, 2024 to March 7, 2025.

Kick Off or Take Off:

Kick-Off Destinations based on increases in accommodation searches on Expedia and Hotels.com for travel between June 10-July 20, 2026 vs. June 10-July 20, 2025.

Take-Off Destinations data based on Average Daily Rates and accommodation searches on Expedia and Hotels.com from August 4, 2025 to February 1, 2026, for stays between May 22-September 30, 2026.

​2026 Summer Set-Jetting Forecast

Set-Jetting data based on increases in accommodation searches on Expedia and Hotels.com for travel between May 22-August 31, 2026 vs May 23-August 31, 2025, during specific periods following the release of a film or TV series.

Heated Rivalry data based on accommodation searches made on Expedia.co.uk from 12 January to 1 February, 2026, for travel between January 12 December – 31 December, 2026 vs. the same period in 2025.

About Unpack '26 Summer

Q: What is Unpack '26 Summer?

A: Unpack ‘26 Summer highlights summer travel trends and is a seasonal update on the Unpack '26: The Trends in Travel™ report released in October 2025. The Unpack ‘26 Summer report draws on first-party data from Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo and social listening, and builds on first-party and traveller insight data from Unpack '26 to forecast traveller behaviour this summer.

Q: What makes Unpack '26 Summer a credible source for travel trends?

A: The report combines real-time platform data from millions of users and builds on third-party research conducted by OnePoll, following the Market Research Society's Code of Conduct, first shared in the Unpack '26 report. Findings are backed by behavioural insights, booking patterns, and cultural signals, making it a trusted resource for media, industry leaders, and travellers alike.

Q: What are the key travel trends identified in Unpack '26 Summer?

A: The report spotlights several major trends shaping summer travel in 2026:

• Destinations of the Summer: Trending summer hotspots
• Hotel Hop: Multi-hotel itineraries motivated by road trips, bleisure travel, and event travel
• Kick Off or Take Off: Diverging travel behaviour during this summer's international soccer tournament in North America
• Set-Jetting: Screen-inspired travel

Q: Where can I access the full Unpack '26 Summer report and assets?

A: Visit www.expedia.co.uk/newsroom for the full Unpack '26 Summer report, downloadable assets, and brand-specific insights from Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) is the global travel marketplace with one purpose: to help travellers explore the world, one journey at a time. Expedia Group™ connects travellers, partners, and advertisers through its trusted brands, leading technology, and rich first-party data, delivering predictive, personalized experiences that shape the future of travel.

Expedia Group's ecosystem includes three flagship consumer brands — Expedia®, Hotels.com®, and Vrbo® — the largest B2B travel businesses, and a premier advertising network. Guided by an experienced and passionate global team, Expedia Group helps millions of travellers in more than 70 countries explore the world with confidence and ease.

© 2026 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Expedia Group and the Expedia Group logo are trademarks of Expedia, Inc. CST: 2029030-50.

For more information, visit www.expediagroup.com.

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Media contact: press-uk@expedia.com