Australian travellers have revealed their deepest travel desires and drivers in Luxury Escapes‘ annual 2026 Travel Trends survey as 98 per cent of those who holidayed in the last 12 months plan to go again next year. And the good news for advisors? Aussies expect to take more overseas trips and allocate more travel budget to do so.
Luxury Escapes’ annual survey found that while Aussies are still keen on traditional luxe holidays, there are some distinct travel trends shaping their desires and destinations in 2026.
2026 travel trends
Similar to other recent research, sports tourism (aka sportcursions) continues to motivate Aussies to travel with several global events on next year’s radar, including the Formula One Grand Prix season, FIFA World Cup and AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Aussies are also keen on live events, gigs and concerts with big names and popular artists influencing an increase in travel for exclusive performances, as seen with Oasis and Lady Gaga in 2025.
All age groups continue to embrace multi-gen travel with Luxury Escapes bookings up for family trips.
2026’s hot (and not) destinations
Trending destinations for 2026 include those offering value-for-money luxury holidays, such as Bali, Thailand and Vietnam; as well as the Maldives for all-out ultimate luxe.
Luxury Escapes reports that South Korea hotel bookings recorded a 109 per cent year-on-year jump, while Palau is also shaping up as an emerging destination in 2026.
Italy and Japan are noted as bucket-list destinations for next year as well as countries where Aussies desire to visit multiple times.
The UK and New Zealand remain popular for VFR (visiting friends and relatives) and repeat holidays, while the US attracts Aussie travellers for sporting and concert events.
However, China took a dive in desirability with year-on-year bookings down, which Luxury Escapes attributes to current exchange rates.
More travel, more spend
A whopping 70 per cent of those surveyed are saving for their holidays and plan to travel more than ever in 2026 with travel coming out on top as their big ticket spend.
And in good news for add-ons, 88 per cent of Aussies intend to purchase travel insurance in 2026 to protect themselves and their trips with a comprehensive policy.
