Let’s be honest: the kind of holiday most of us default to—sun lounger, buffet breakfast, a carefully curated Instagram grid—can start to feel a little predictable. That’s exactly why Booking.com’s travel predictions for 2027 are telling us to expect a serious shake-up. They call it the “plot twist trip,” and it’s one of nine trends identified in a report based on the responses of more than 28,000 travellers from around the world. The central idea is that people are increasingly interested in going off-script: choosing destinations and experiences that are completely out of character, not because they’ve always dreamed of them, but precisely because no one would ever expect them to. According to the data, 77% of travellers are interested in picking a holiday specifically to do something out of the ordinary for them, and 36% actively want to surprise their friends and family with their choices. There’s a delicious mischief to it all. Booking.com notes that “the reaction from others will be part of the appeal,” and that these trips are designed to “disrupt the status quo, rewrite the story everyone thought they knew, and deliver the twist nobody predicted.” For many of us, part of the fun is the reveal: 29% of respondents have even deleted or avoided posting about a holiday because it felt too predictable or ordinary. So maybe 2027 is the year we finally stop saving our trips for likes and start taking them for the story. As Booking.com puts it, “the best souvenir? The look on everyone else’s face.” That’s not just a clever line—it’s an invitation to rediscover travel as a way of surprising yourself, not just ticking boxes.
Of course, not every plot twist needs to involve a secret mountain retreat or a sudden solo adventure. The report also reveals that travellers are rethinking the very shape of their holidays, wanting them tailored to their real lives and budgets rather than some one-size-fits-all package. The “all-exclusive” trend, for instance, isn’t about paying for everything you can possibly get; it’s the opposite. 66% of respondents said they want packages that let them remove services they won’t use. The most appealing travel package moving forward, Booking.com argues, isn’t the one that includes everything—it’s the one that includes exactly what matters to you. That could mean skipping the airport transfer, the welcome dinner, or that premium drink package you never fully use. Then there’s “vibe check(in),” which sounds like something your group chat might do before booking, and essentially it is: 81% of travellers say they would choose a destination primarily based on how they want to feel rather than where they want to go. Do you want to feel calm, adventurous, romantic, or alive? The place follows the feeling. Money is also playing a bigger role in shaping the guest list. Under the “social currency” trend, 50% of travellers have reconsidered who to invite on a trip because of spending differences, and 38% have removed people from a travel group entirely. It’s a little awkward, but it makes sense—nobody wants to feel guilty about ordering the nice bottle of wine or, conversely, anxious about splitting a bill that’s way over their budget. And perhaps most tellingly, 61% of parents are keen to travel child-free so they can spend more on themselves. That’s not a sign that they love their kids less; it’s a sign that they’re finally allowing themselves to admit that a holiday can be for adults, too. In all these little ways, travel is becoming less about impressing other people and more about creating an experience that actually fits the life you live.
Then there are the travellers who want to push things even further, into the strange, the spiritual, and the hyper-convenient. Booking.com found that 65% of people are interested in paranormal experiences, which they’ve dubbed a “trip to the beyond.” Ghost tours, haunted hotels, séances, abandoned asylums—these are no longer niche interests for goths and horror fans; they’re becoming mainstream holiday activities. Nearly half of respondents (48%) said they would seek an experience with the hope of speaking to someone on the “other side.” Whether that means visiting a medium, exploring a centuries-old cemetery, or staying in a castle with a resident ghost, people seem to be craving a connection to something bigger than themselves. At the same time, technology is stepping in to make sure we can actually take those trips without falling behind at work. The trend called “PTO: powered by AI” found that 64% of travellers are interested in having artificial intelligence cover their work while they’re away. Imagine an AI assistant drafting emails, joining meetings on your behalf, and keeping projects moving while you’re wandering through a haunted forest or sitting in a hot spring. It’s a little strange to think about, but for anyone who’s ever answered a work email from a beach towel, it sounds like freedom. And because travel should also leave you feeling better than when you left, the “hotel in the sky” trend is all about wellness in the air. 89% of respondents said they would take a long-haul journey if it guaranteed they would arrive rested and refreshed. That might mean lie-flat seats, better air quality, in-flight yoga, or carefully designed lighting that tricks your body into resetting its clock. Suddenly, the journey itself becomes part of the holiday rather than an ordeal to survive. Together, these trends point to a future where travel is both more magical and more practical—where you can talk to a medium, let AI answer your boss, and land from a 14-hour flight feeling like you actually slept.
Connection, it turns out, is also getting a makeover. We used to think of holidays as a chance to bond over cocktails and conversation, but the report suggests that shared physical challenges are becoming the new social glue. Under “sweat synergy,” 66% of respondents who have travelled alone say that a shared physical activity or challenge—think hiking a volcano, learning to surf, doing a cycling tour, or training for a charity run—has led to a lasting connection or friendship. There’s something about being out of breath together that breaks down walls faster than small talk over dinner. It’s not just about making new friends, either. “Trailside therapy” is the trend that might change the romantic getaway forever. Instead of candlelit dinners and long, awkward conversations across a table, couples are heading out on walking and hiking trips specifically to have the tough conversations they’ve been avoiding. 47% of respondents said they would consider a trip to resolve conflicts or arguments with their partner, and it makes sense: walking side by side is so much easier for difficult talks than sitting face to face. There’s no pressure to maintain eye contact, no busy restaurant noise, and the rhythm of your footsteps can help keep your emotions steadier. A beautiful trail, some endorphins, and a safe space to say the hard thing—that might be the most romantic thing of all. These trends remind us that travel isn’t just a break from real life; it’s a way of doing real life better. Whether you’re sweating through a mountain climb with a stranger who becomes a lifelong friend, or finally telling your partner what’s been on your mind while you walk through the countryside, the point is that travel is becoming less about escape and more about transformation.
If all of this sounds a little abstract, Booking.com has also done the practical work of telling us where these plot twists might take place. The platform has revealed ten trending destinations for 2027, and they are wonderfully varied, a mix of familiar-sounding names and places you might not have considered before. In Europe, you’ve got Reims in France, a city that offers champagne houses and Gothic cathedrals without the overwhelming crowds of Paris; Bratislava in Slovakia, a compact, charming capital that’s perfect for a weekend of castle views and quirky cafes; and Pescara in Italy, a coastal city on the Adriatic that feels like the less-polished, more authentic cousin of Rome or Florence. Across the Atlantic, there’s Monterey in California, famous for its dramatic coastline and the Monterey Bay Aquarium; Rosario in Argentina, a riverside city with a rich history and a growing food scene; Goiânia in Brazil, a laid-back city in the country’s interior known for its parks, music, and hidden natural beauty; and Asunción in Paraguay, a capital that’s slowly emerging from the shadows as a destination for slow travellers and history lovers. In Asia, Sendai in Japan offers a more relaxed entry point into Japanese culture, with temples, greenery, and incredible seafood, while Puri in India is a sacred coastal town where spirituality, ocean breeze, and sand meet in a whirlwind of colour and devotion. And down in the South Pacific, Christchurch in New Zealand is reinventing itself after the earthquakes, with a creative arts scene, vibrant gardens, and easy access to the country’s breathtaking landscapes. These are not the places that usually top everyone’s bucket lists, and that’s exactly the point. They’re for people who want to arrive somewhere without any preconceived expectations and let the place reveal itself to them.
So what does all this mean for 2027? It means that travel is becoming less of a status symbol and more of a personal statement. The report’s nine trends paint a picture of travellers who are tired of the ordinary, who want to surprise themselves as much as their friends, and who are no longer willing to accept holidays that feel like they were designed for someone else. They want packages they can strip down to the essentials, destinations chosen by feeling rather than checklist, trips that allow them to talk to ghosts, work out with new friends, have difficult conversations with their partners, and maybe even land on the other side of the world feeling refreshed instead of wrecked. They are willing to let AI hold down the fort while they’re away, and they are absolutely ready to drop a fortune on a journey that makes everyone else say, “Wait, you went where?” There’s something deeply human about all of this: the desire to be seen as more interesting, more adventurous, more authentic than we give ourselves credit for. But the real twist is that these trips aren’t just about the reactions of other people. They’re about giving ourselves permission to be surprised—to find out that we are braver, weirder, and more open than we thought. So if the usual beach break has lost its shine, maybe it’s time to start planning something that doesn’t look like you at all. Because by 2027, the best souvenir won’t be a keychain or a postcard. It’ll be the story you can’t stop telling—and the look on everyone’s face when you tell it.
