The Why Travel report highlights five key themes that are shaping tomorrow’s journeys: Travel as Expression (where identity and aesthetics drive choices), Travel with Purpose (where curiosity and meaning replace cookie-cutter itineraries), Travel to Heal (where wellness and restoration become the agenda), Travel to Connect (where music, sport, and multigenerational moments bring people together), and Travel of Tomorrow (where AI and immersive technologies redefine inspiration and discovery).
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Trip.comTravellers are rewriting the rulebook on why they travel, opting for meaning over mileage, and experiences over rote itineraries.
Trip.com Group and Google explore this shift in “Why Travel?”, a new global consumer report that examines the intersection of purpose, people, and place in travel.
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By combining Trip.com Group’s global booking intelligence and proprietary booking data with Google’s research and search insights, the report uncovers how travellers are seeking deeper purpose and richer connections through culture, community, and technology to create more experience-focused journeys in 2026 and beyond.
The Why Travel report highlights five key themes that are shaping tomorrow’s journeys: Travel as Expression (where identity and aesthetics drive choices), Travel with Purpose (where curiosity and meaning replace cookie-cutter itineraries), Travel to Heal (where wellness and restoration become the agenda), Travel to Connect (where music, sport, and multigenerational moments bring people together), and Travel of Tomorrow (where AI and immersive technologies redefine inspiration and discovery).
Key Insights from the Why Travel? Report
Travel as Expression: Social media channels are driving travel bookings. In markets like Thailand, Indonesia, and India, over 75% of travellers say they watch travel-related livestreams. Over 40% and up to 76% viewers in some markets say they’re likely to book travel directly through links in livestreams.
Travel with Purpose: Travellers increasingly crave cultural experiences with a more thoughtful sense of exploration. Google searches for “Japanese tea ceremonies” show a 53% year-over-year increase, demonstrating the enduring power of traditional rituals and cultural practices to evoke a sense of purpose.
Travel to Heal: Wellness trips are evolving into a combination of physical challenge and restorative indulgence. Searches for “golf & spa resorts” grew by +300%, and “ski & spa” packages rose by +250% year-over-year.
Travel to Connect: Travel is no longer a solo pursuit; it’s a shared experience. Friends, families, and fan communities are influencing where people go, with concerts and sports as key travel drivers. Two-thirds of travellers are willing to travel abroad for concerts, while endurance tourism sees a fivefold increase with runners, cyclists, and Hyrox competitors crossing borders to compete and connect.
Travel of Tomorrow: Technologies like AI become the co-pilot as consumers’ confidence in using technology to plan a trip grows. “Help planning my trip” searches grow by +190% YoY.
“Travel in 2026 will be more than movement; it’s about meaning. At Trip.com Group, we are seeing travellers fly across the globe for fitness events, discover cities through local food scenes, and make booking decisions driven by social influence. By working with Google, we uncover the cultural shifts that explain not just where people go, but why they travel,” said Trip.com Group Vice President Han Feng
“We’re seeing a clear shift in how and why people explore the world, seeking deeper purpose, richer connections and experiences enhanced by technology. Google’s AI tools like Gemini, AI Mode on Search and Google Translate are emerging as travel collaborators to help people plan and make decisions,” said Google LCS Specialists team Managing Director, Greater China Joyce Zhang. “AI is an essential tool also for the industry, enabling partners like Trip.com Group to capture the immense opportunities that lie ahead in 2026 and beyond”.
Trip.com Group is doubling down on comprehensive concert travel packages and continues to expand AI-driven planning tools such as ‘Trip. Planner’ to deliver seamless, personalised journeys. Looking ahead, the next wave of consumer growth will be driven by emotional alignment, cultural fluency, and tech-enabled flexibility – the foundations of the future of travel.
Download the full Why travel? report here
(Source: Trip.com)
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