Travel’s go-to data-based trend report releases a first-ever summer edition — Unpack ’26 Summer: The Trends in Travel

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2026-- Today, Expedia Group released Unpack ’26 Summer: The Trends in Travel, the latest edition of its industry-leading report, revealing how travel behavior is shaping summer travel decisions.

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Expedia Group's Unpack '26 Summer Trends Report reveals domestic demand rising as travelers choose closer-to-home getaways, value trips and event-led escapes for summer vacation.

Demand for domestic travel is dominating summer vacation planning. Social conversation about domestic vacations has increased by 77% year-over-year globally, doubling in the U.S. in particular, and 63% of U.S. travelers are planning a domestic trip this summer.* From major sporting events and concerts to reading escapes and screen-inspired travel, Unpack ’26 Summer builds on insights from the flagship Unpack ’26: The Trends in Travel™ report to highlight where travelers are headed this summer. Each trend is backed by first-party data from Expedia®, Hotels.com®, and Vrbo®, as well as insights from travelers and social listening.

“This summer, travel isn’t slowing down — it’s being reshaped,” said Melanie Fish, Vice President, Global Public Relations, Expedia Group. “As major global events and rising costs influence decisions, travelers 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 travelers are gravitating towards nearby escapes, from beach towns to mountain trails only a short drive or quick flight away. ​Searches for Florida and California beaches are up 50% this summer, and interest in local outdoor hotspots like lakes, mountains, and national parks has spiked 65% year-over-year.

Four of the Destinations of the Summer also meet the criteria for Expedia’s Smart Travel Health Check, which was first introduced in 2025. This check is a first-in-travel framework from Expedia, inspired by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), to recognize destinations that offer meaningful travel experiences while proactively managing tourism in a sustainable way.​

Explore the Destinations of the Summer here.

Hotels.com —Hotel Hop Summer

Hotel Hopping — booking multiple hotels on a single trip — is gaining momentum as travelers look to experience more of the destination and make the most of the 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 favorite musical artist or cheer on their favorite sports teams. Pairing a hotel near the concert venue or stadium with a second stay in a different part of the city means travelers can experience more of the destination in one trip.
  • See BTS in Los Angeles (Sept. 1-6): Stay at The Anthem Los Angeles Stadium District for the show, then hop to The Aster for a taste of Hollywood luxury.
  • Catch Harry Styles in NYC (Aug-Oct): Stay near Madison Square Garden at Virgin Hotels NYC, then hop out of Manhattan to the Arlo Williamsburg.
  • Cheer at the big match in Seattle (June 19): Stay at The Paramount Hotel for the game, then hotel hop to The Magnolia Hotel and Spa in Victoria, B.C.

• Road Tripping — Road trips are back in a big way as travelers pair open-road adventures with hotel hopping. Online buzz around road tripping along iconic routes this summer has increased, especially as Route 66 celebrates its centennial. Mentions about driving Route 66 lead the way (+302%), followed by the Blue Ridge Parkway (+206%), the Great River Road (+183%), and the Pacific Coast Highway (+75%).*
  • Route 66: Start at the Palmer House in Chicago and hop your way to the Americana Motor Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona.
  • The Great River Road: Kick off your trip in the middle of the Mississippi at Nicollet Island Inn and end your trip in the rooftop pool at Virgin Hotels New Orleans.
  • The Pacific Coast Highway: Begin at the Quileute Oceanside Resort on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington and wind your way to the Casa Del Mar overlooking the Santa Monica Pier.

• 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 spa on property.
  • 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 here.

Vrbo — Beach Readaways

Books are becoming must-pack items for summer travel as more travelers build vacations around reading, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones. Social buzz for “Beach Readaways” is up 213% year-over-year while, as first mentioned in the Unpack ’26 report, mentions of reading-related terms in Vrbo guest reviews have surged 285% year-over-year.

With searches for some of the most in-demand beach destinations also up by over 30% compared to last summer, travelers are packing their beach reads and continuing to make books the main character of their summer vacation rental stays.

Find more Beach Readaways inspiration here.

Kick Off or Take Off?

With the world gearing up for the major soccer moment in North America this summer, traveler behavior is diverging. Sports fans are booking last-minute trips to host cities to be a 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 soccer anticipation builds, interest is surging across North American host cities in June and July. Kansas City, U.S.; Philadelphia, U.S.; and Monterrey, Mexico, are topping the list of destinations for fans eager to catch a match in person.

While match-day crowds are concentrating in North America, deal-seekers are taking off in the opposite direction. Average daily rates for hotels in some popular European, Asian, and South American vacation 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 travelers looking to escape the games and take value-driven trips.

Read more about Kicking Off or Taking Off this summer here.

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, U.K., 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, U.K. — 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 Parisexpanded 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 movies 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 historic sites of Williamsburg, Virginia, to the dramatic peaks of Italy’s Dolomites.

Read more about Set-Jetting here.

*Notes to Editor:

Online mentions of domestic destinations based on global social media mentions about summer domestic vacations between February 1-April 29, 2026 vs. February 1-April 29, 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 across nine countries who travel and have stayed in a hotel.

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.

✔ denotes destinations that meet the Expedia Smart Travel Health Check framework, aligned with World Travel + Tourism Council (WTTC) principles. The Smart Travel Health Check helps travelers identify destinations that offer rich cultural and natural experiences without the overcrowding seen in many of the world’s most popular cities.

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.

Vrbo – Beach Readaways

Beach Readaways data based on searches on Vrbo from June 1, 2025 to March 9, 2026, for travel from May 22, 2026 to August 31, 2026, vs. June 1, 2024 to March 9, 2025, for travel from May 23, 2025 to August 31, 2025.

Reviews data based on global mentions in post stay reviews collected on Vrbo from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024, vs. May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025.

Online mentions based on news, broadcast, and social mentions between September 15, 2025-March 16, 2026, vs. September 15, 2024 to March 16, 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 January 12 to February 1, 2026, for travel between January 12-December 31, 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 traveler insight data from Unpack ’26 to forecast traveler behavior 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 behavioral insights, booking patterns, and cultural signals, making it a trusted resource for media, industry leaders, and travelers alike.

Q: What is the Smart Travel Health Check and how is it used in Unpack ’26 Summer?
A: Expedia’s Smart Travel Health Check assesses destinations based on the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) six principles for sustainable tourism management. Destinations that meet these criteria are better equipped to manage tourism sustainably, protect local environments, and support communities. Destinations without a ✔ may not yet meet or have measurable data for all six principles; however, they still offer rich travel experiences. Their inclusion reflects Expedia’s commitment to showcasing a diverse range of destinations while encouraging progress toward sustainable tourism.

Q: How are destinations evaluated for the Smart Travel Health Check?
A: The Smart Travel Health Check indicates that a destination has been assessed against six key principles to ensure responsible and resilient tourism. These include having stewardship bodies with legitimacy and funding, a shared vision with local communities, data-driven planning, smart monitoring systems, transparent reinvestment of tourism revenue, and meaningful empowerment of residents. Destinations that meet these criteria are better equipped to manage tourism sustainably, protect local environments, and support communities. To read more about WTTC’s research, follow this link.

Q: What are the key travel trends identified in Unpack ’26 Summer?
A: The report spotlights several major trends shaping summer travel in 2026:

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

Q: Where can I access the full Unpack ’26 Summer report and assets?
A: Visit www.expedia.com/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 travelers explore the world, one journey at a time. Expedia Group™ connects travelers, 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 business, and a premier advertising network. Guided by an experienced and passionate global team, Expedia Group helps millions of travelers 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.

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Source: Expedia Group, Inc.