Minor Hotels has released its annual travel trend report showing luxury travellers want to stay within their own familiar, intimate circle, and cost, not surprisingly, isn’t an issue.
The report by the global hospitality leader, which has five luxury hotel brands, shows 83 per cent of luxury travellers want to stay in their own intimate circle.
But rather than a sign of exclusivity for its own sake, the report points to a deeper trend, saying it’s a “growing impulse to use travel as a protected bubble for reconnection, an opportunity to strengthen existing relationships away from everyday distractions”.
The report says that desire for connection is redefining how travellers book, stay and remember.
“The next generation of hospitality will be built around hotels that host, suites that connect, and experiences designed for people to truly be together.”
The report also shows luxury travellers are nearly twice as likely to travel more in 2026 compared to other travellers.
When they do travel, adventurous activities, along with connection, are high on their to-do list, “reflecting a desire to balance indulgence with excitement with Elewana Collection’s safari holidays in Africa, hot air ballooning in Cambodia and shipwreck diving in the Indian Ocean all gaining traction”.
Minor International Group CEO Dillip Rajakarier says, “the insights are both timely and timeless, reflecting a desire for deeper connection, a hunger for authenticity and a growing focus on well-being”.
“The nature of travel itself is changing: escapism is giving way to an active search for meaning. Rather than using travel to check out of their routines, guests are embracing it as a catalyst for healthier, more fulfilling lives when they return,” says Rajakarier.
“We believe hospitality must meet people where they are: emotionally, personally and within the arc of their journey. Better yet, it should help them reach the place they’re seeking, inside and out.”
Minor Hotels has more than 640 hotels and resorts in 59 countries, including five luxury hotel brands: Anantara, Elewana Collection, Tivolli Hotels & Resorts, The Wolseley Hotels and Minor Reserve Collection.
For more information, visit Minor Hotels’ travel trend report.
