Demand for domestic travel is dominating summer vacation planning, according to new data from the Expedia Group. Social conversation about domestic vacations has increased by 77% year-over-year globally, and 53% of Canadian travellers are planning a domestic trip this summer, says the ‘Unpack ’26 Summer: The Trends in Travel’ report.
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 travellers are headed this summer. Each trend is backed by first-party data from Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo® as well as insights from travellers and social listening.
“This summer, travel isn’t slowing down – it’s being reshaped,” said Melanie Fish, VP, Global Public Relations, Expedia Group. “As major global events and rising costs influence decisions, travellers are either staying closer to home or seeking out destinations where they can get more for their money.”
2026 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 travellers are gravitating towards nearby escapes, from beach towns to mountain trails only a short drive or quick flight away. Search data increases include:
- Jasper – 55%
- Moncton – 40%
- & Labrador – 40%
- Halifax – 35%
- Muskoka, Ont. – 35%
- Kamloops, BC – 30%
- Revelstoke, BC – 25%
- Blue Mountains, Ont. – 25%
- Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. – 25%
- Tremblant, Que. – 25%
Trends
- Hotel Hopping – booking multiple hotels on a single trip – is gaining momentum as travellers 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 around concerts and sports teams. Pairing a hotel near the concert venue or stadium with a second stay in a different part of the city means travellers can experience more of the destination in one trip. Examples include seeing the Jays play in Toronto, then hopping down to Niagara-on-the-Lake.
- Road Tripping is back in a big way as travellers pair open-road adventures with hotel hopping. Online buzz around road tripping along iconic routes this summer has increased, especially the iconic Sea-to-Sky route, followed by the Cabot Trail.
- Bleisure Hopping, combining business and leisure, is trending online with over 165K mentions, and the hottest destinations dominating social conversations for bleisure hotel hopping include Helsinki, London, Oslo, Paris, Cape Cod, and Chicago.
- Beach Readaways – Books are becoming must-pack items for summer travel as more travellers 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. Top destinations include Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
- Kick Off or Take Off? – With the world gearing up for the major soccer moment in North America this summer, traveller behaviour is diverging. Sports fans are booking last-minute trips to FIFA World Cup 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.
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 travellers looking to escape the games and take value-driven trips.
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.
New entries this year include Muskoka, Ont. for which 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%); also Rome as Emily in Paris expanded its storyline in season 5.
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