A new wave of travel trends is rewriting the question travelers ask before they book a trip. Instead of starting with “where should we go?”, a growing share of vacationers now start with “what do we want to feel?” According to Expedia Group’s newly released annual outlook, which draws on first-party booking data from Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo alongside global traveler surveys, the trips people are planning next are less about ticking off a famous skyline and more about recreating a mood, a hobby or a scene from a screen.
The report, unveiled this month, identifies seven distinct shifts in traveler behavior. Three of them stand out for how clearly they show travelers trading rigid itineraries for flexible, emotionally driven choices: a rediscovery of carefree play, a surge in passion-led trip planning, and the steady rise of the short, frequent getaway.
The first trend, nicknamed “Un-Adulting,” describes travelers deliberately engineering trips around play, spontaneity and zero obligations. Expedia’s data shows 57 percent of travelers say they are likely to book this kind of getaway in the coming year, chasing theme-park events built for grown-ups, immersive attractions and nostalgic experiences rather than packed sightseeing schedules. It is a notable shift for an industry long organized around checklists of landmarks, and it echoes a broader cultural pullback toward comfort and lighthearted escapism after several stretched, high-pressure years.
This appetite for unstructured fun pairs naturally with destinations built for leisure rather than logistics, the same instinct that has reshaped how hotel restaurants are now designed to anchor a traveler’s whole stay instead of functioning as an afterthought between excursions.
The second shift flips the usual order of trip planning. Rather than picking a destination and filling it with activities, a rising share of travelers are starting with a passion, whether that is pottery, birdwatching, cycling or cooking, and letting that passion dictate where they stay. Vrbo research cited in the report finds 68 percent of travelers say they are likely to take a hobby-focused trip, favoring rentals and locations purpose-built around a single interest over generic, crowd-pleasing itineraries.
Closely tied to this is “set-jetting,” the now well-established habit of booking travel around a favorite film or television show. Nearly one in five travelers has already booked a trip inspired by something they watched on screen, and close to half are researching or booking trips tied to shows and movies that have not even premiered yet, a figure that climbs to 57 percent among Gen Z and millennial travelers. The Lord of the Rings remains the single biggest driver of this behavior worldwide, which is expected to keep fueling interest in New Zealand as a new installment in the franchise approaches release.
The third notable shift, dubbed “Trip Snacking,” reflects how busy schedules are reshaping the rhythm of travel itself. Searches for one-night stays on Hotels.com are up nearly 10 percent year over year, suggesting travelers are swapping one long annual holiday for several short, easy-to-plan breaks scattered through the year. It is a pattern that rewards destinations within easy reach and properties that can deliver a complete experience in a single overnight stay.
That appetite for compact, high-impact getaways overlaps with another pattern already visible across how overnight trains are quietly reshaping the way Europeans travel, where a single night on board can replace a flight, a hotel booking and a full day of transit all at once. It also fits a wider consumer mood in which people are becoming choosier about where their leisure money goes, a shift documented in recent analysis of why households are trimming entertainment budgets while still prioritizing memorable experiences.
Together, these trends point to a traveler who is less interested in prestige destinations and more interested in trips that deliver a specific feeling, whether that is nostalgia, mastery of a hobby, or simply a quick reset. For browsing more coverage in this space, readers can also explore the Travel – Tourism section, the Leisure – Pleasures category, or the latest additions under Trend – New Arrivals.
Set-jetting refers to choosing a travel destination because it was featured in a movie or television show. Industry data shows nearly one in five travelers has already booked such a trip, and interest is rising sharply among younger travelers who plan around titles that have not even been released yet.
Busy schedules and a preference for flexibility are pushing many travelers toward frequent one or two-night breaks instead of a single long annual vacation. Booking data shows searches for one-night hotel stays climbing nearly 10 percent year over year, a pattern industry watchers describe as “trip snacking.”
Instead of picking a destination first, many travelers now start with a personal interest, such as cooking, cycling or crafting, and choose a destination and accommodation built around that passion. Industry surveys suggest more than two-thirds of travelers are likely to take this kind of hobby-first trip in the near future.
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