New travel trends: lore‑chasing

The travel labels spreading across 2026 are less about landmarks than motives: travelers are booking trips to collect stories, skills and snacks. (americanexpress.com) American Express released its 2026 Global Travel Trends Report on April 8, based on survey data from travelers in seven countries, and named four headline patterns: “Miles on Milestones,” “Sight-Doing,” “Lore Chasing” and “Snackpacking.” The company said 80% of global respondents planned the same or more international trips in 2026 than in 2025. (americanexpress.com) “Sight-doing” means building a trip around doing a place, not just seeing it. In the report, 79% of Millennials and Generation Z respondents said they were likely to seek out destination-specific workshops or activities in 2026, and 76% of global respondents said skills gained on a trip last longer than material souvenirs. (americanexpress.com; americanexpress.com) “Lore chasing” is the story-first version of travel: unusual stays, unplanned detours and experiences that feel discovered rather than scheduled. American Express said 87% of global respondents intentionally leave room in itineraries for unplanned discoveries, and 76% said they were likely to step outside their comfort zone. (americanexpress.com) “Snackpacking” shifts the food trip away from reservation-only restaurants and toward grocery aisles, bakeries, street carts and hotel minibars. American Express described it as travelers making time for supermarket souvenirs and regional specialties that fit in a suitcase. (americanexpress.com)) The numbers behind the mood are bigger than the buzzwords. American Express said 40% of global respondents plan to spend more on travel in 2026 than last year, while 74% of Millennials and Generation Z called travel a “non-negotiable” expense. (americanexpress.com) The same report also points to longer add-on travel around weddings, reunions and birthdays. Two-thirds of global respondents said they plan to take a trip in 2026 to celebrate someone else’s milestone, and 72% of those extending the trip said they expect to add at least three to four days. (americanexpress.com; americanexpress.com) Outside the survey, industry forecasts still show a large travel market, even if demand is uneven by route and region. Phocuswright projected global gross travel bookings at $1.67 trillion in 2025, with international demand strengthening, while the World Travel and Tourism Council said international visitor spending reached $1.9 trillion in 2024 and projected a record $2.1 trillion in 2025. (phocuswright.com; wttc.org; wttc.org) Some of the complementary travel chatter has already shown up in booking data. Fortune India reported on April 9 that Scapia saw Hyderabad flight bookings rise 37% week over week during the opening stretch of the 2026 Indian Premier League, while Jaipur bus bookings jumped 83% and Dharamshala hotel bookings rose six-fold. (fortuneindia.com) Wellness travel is moving on a parallel track. Research and Markets said the wellness tourism market was projected to grow from $974.57 billion in 2025 to $1.06 trillion in 2026, a sign that activity-led, food-led and health-led trips are all competing for the same vacation budget. (researchandmarkets.com) The through line in 2026 is that trips are being sold less as checklists and more as personal plots. The itinerary is now the souvenir. (americanexpress.com; americanexpress.com)