Is 2026 the year we embrace high-tech travel or head for the hills in search of a digital detox? Global trends even have us taking our pets on holiday with us, all planned and booked by AI. From new pet travel technology to AI-powered trip planning, faster-than-ever plane travel to hyper-personalised hotel stays, a wave of innovation is reshaping travel.
So says tech provider Amadeus in its Travel Trends 2026, released together with Globetrender, a travel trends forecaster. They outline six trends, one of which is called Travel Mixology, where travellers get to be the alchemists of their own trips, blending different technologies and platforms to create highly curated itineraries. Or as someone put it: simply describe the intended vibe and atmosphere, and the tool pulls up near-perfect pairings.
“Picture the scene. Chrome robots relieve travellers of their luggage and dutifully follow them to a connecting train. Tickets are purchased with a flash of a palm, as they hurtle through tunnels aglow with holographic projections.
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After refuelling on 3D-printed room service, guests head to a nearby park for some much-needed R&R, ordering a chilled natural wine that’s delivered to exact coordinates by drone.” On the other hand, mercifully, data from the world’s leading hotel groups, travel firms and trend forecasters suggests that 2026 will be the year of quiet escapes and a return to slower, more intentional travel. BBC Travel reports that a major trend set to dominate 2026 will be thequietcation. Also calledhushpitality, this movement centres on comfort, silence and escaping the stress of modern life.
Unplugged is a series of digital detox cabins in the UK, with guests citing burnout and screen fatigue as their main motivation. The slow travel movement is a counterpoint to the fast travel “bucket list” vibe. Slow down, stay longer in fewer places.
Talk to each other. This is a sustainable tourism trend that focuses on deeper, more meaningful experiences and authentic connections with local culture, food and people. Global travel trends play themselves out in different ways here on the southern tip of Africa.
Cape Town is the country’s biggest attraction. With the Kruger National Park, they are the only hotspots whose tourism figures have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Barcelona has become a poster child for the problems of overtourism and already there is debate about whether Cape Town is becoming another version of this; or Venice, where digital nomads and Airbnbs are pushing prices up and pushing out locals.
At the same time, Cape Town, and more especially Jozi, are attracting Gen Z and millennial visitors from the continent, who are loving our diversity, high-tech urban vibes, creative sectors and freedom of expression, relative to their own countries. Jozi has quietly become the world’s most sought-after destination for mural art and graffiti, and the city is thronging with art fairs, book and music festivals, creative summits and LGBTQI+ gatherings.
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