Expedia's top escapes
Expedia’s 2026 travel trends list has Big Sky, Montana at No.1, Okinawa No.2 and Sardinia No.3 — Hobart, Australia also makes the top ten as travelers chase less‑crowded nature and regional culture. If you’re planning April solo trips, these are the trending outposts people are booking now. (x.com)
Expedia says the Destinations of the Year ranking is based on year‑over‑year increases in flight + accommodation searches for travel dated Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2024 vs. Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2025, drawn from real‑time data across millions of visits to its site and app. (expedia.com) The full top‑10 list and the year‑over‑year search gains are: Big Sky (92%), Okinawa (71%), Sardinia (63%), Phu Quoc (53%), Savoie (51%), Fort Walton Beach (45%), Ucluelet (44%), the Cotswolds (39%), San Miguel de Allende (30%) and Hobart (25%), with six of those destinations marked as meeting Expedia’s Smart Travel Health Check. (expedia.com) Expedia describes the Smart Travel Health Check as a first‑in‑travel framework inspired by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) to recognize destinations that “proactively manage tourism” and offer sustainable, community‑minded experiences. (prnewswire.com) Unpack ’26, the report packaging these lists and trends, combines first‑party platform signals with survey input from 24,000 travellers across 18 countries and was released by Expedia Group on Oct. 15, 2025. (expedia.com) The report also flags product and interest shifts for 2026: salvaged‑hotel searches jumped as much as 194%, 54% of travellers plan to “hotel hop” within a trip, 91% expressed interest in book‑centered Readaways, and 84% said they’re open to farm‑stay vacation rentals. (prnewswire.com)
