Travellers have finally had enough of frantic, overscheduled holidays and social-media-driven sightseeing. The Hilton 2026 Trends Report, aptly titled “The Whycation: Travel’s New Starting Point,” suggests that next year, holidays will begin not with a location but with a question: “Why are we going?”
In partnership with Ipsos, Hilton surveyed 14,000 travellers across 14 countries and found that emotional motivation has quietly become the new compass of travel. Gone are the “tick-the-box” itineraries and hurried bucket lists.
Hilton’s President and CEO, Chris Nassett, put it succinctly:
“As travellers seek more meaning from their journeys, trust and familiarity have never been more important. This year’s report shows that 74% of travellers value booking with brands they know and trust a clear signal that comfort and consistency are essential in today’s travel landscape.”
And so, the whycation is born to travel with a purpose, whether reconnecting with loved ones, rediscovering yourself, or simply resting without guilt.
Hushpitality: The New Sound of Silence
Move over, luxury. Step aside, adventure. The next big indulgence in travel is silence, which is sweet, uninterrupted, stress-melting silence.
Hilton’s study reveals that travellers in 2026 will chase destinations where they can mute the world’s background noise. After years of “revenge travel” and airport chaos, there’s a collective yearning for calm.
Almost half of travellers (48%) are carving out solo time by sneaking in extra days before or after family holidays. In fact, more than half (54%) admit they’d gladly take a business trip to get a break from their family or partner. One can almost hear the sigh of relief echoing through the departure lounge.
Even business travellers are in on it. Nearly 30% confess to indulging in private, late-night meals after work events, a gentle rebellion against corporate small talk. And almost one in five would rather sleep than socialise with colleagues.
Technology, however, is quietly enabling this hush. Three-quarters of respondents value digital check-ins, and more than a quarter now communicate with hotels via apps and chat. “Silence” has found its place in the modern hotel lobby.
Comfort Is the New Currency
Hilton’s report signals a return to the familiar in an era where “authentic” travel once meant shared dorms and dubious Wi-Fi. The humble creature comfort has regained its crown.
Nearly 80% of travellers say they find reassurance in familiar foods, and almost half cook their own meals while away. The joy of browsing a foreign grocery store, which 77% admit loving, has become the new form of cultural immersion.
Then there’s the rise of the pet parent and plant parent. Sixty-four percent of travellers now prioritise their pets’ needs over their own, and 75% plan their holidays around watering schedules. It’s clear that “home” is no longer a place but a feeling that travels with you, with a leash and watering can in hand.
Comfort also extends to personal growth. Seventy-two percent of travellers want to take time off to explore a hobby or passion, while 60% would gladly disconnect for months, even years, to rediscover themselves. In other words, comfort is no longer about thread count but emotional clarity.
The Family Trip Gets a Makeover
Remember when family holidays were decided by parents and tolerated by children? Not anymore. The Generation Permutation trend shows kids are now literally and figuratively in the driver’s seat.
Seventy-three percent of parents say they encourage their children to help plan the family trip, and nearly eight in ten admit their kids inspire them to try new things. The days of dragging teenagers through museums are fading fast; today’s family holidays are powered by imagination and play.
Then there’s the skip-gen phenomenon, grandparents whisking away grandkids for holidays, leaving parents behind. Nearly 30% of families embrace it, and half of parents with multiple children opt for one-child-at-a-time trips to nurture stronger bonds.
Moreover, 84% of travellers say they’ll seek opportunities to “play together,” with over half introducing designated no-screen time during holidays. The message is clear: the family that unplugs together actually connects.
Inheritourism: Travel as a Family Heirloom
Hilton’s report coined a term that might become travel’s next buzzword: Inheritourism. As children grow up, they’re not leaving family travel traditions behind; they’re extending them.
Two-thirds of travellers admit their hotel choices are influenced by their parents, and 58% say their loyalty program habits are inherited. Seventy-three percent confess that family experiences shaped their travel style from destination type to pace.
Even as adult children travel independently, more than half of families still holiday together, often with parents footing the bill. (Only 11% of adult offspring reportedly pay their way, which may raise a few parental eyebrows.)
For many, travel is now a legacy project. Nearly 70% of families plan trips to explore local traditions, and 52% aim to trace their roots. The suitcase, it seems, carries not just clothes but stories.
The Great American Road Trip Reborn
Hilton forecasts a distinctly nostalgic revival of the Road Trip Renaissance in the United States. The open road is again calling as the nation prepares for its 250th anniversary in 2026.
Sixty-one percent of travellers say they won’t drive more than five hours without stopping for a hotel stay, and 90% list a comfortable bed as their top priority. (Free breakfast ranks a close second at 83% because no one wants to start the day with an empty stomach and a map full of miles.)
Even pools are back in demand, and 63% of travellers call them a “must-have” on road trips. They serve as much-needed rest stops for families and energy outlets for kids.
This isn’t just about travel logistics; it’s a yearning for simpler times for small-town diners, long stretches of countryside, and a reminder that journeys are meant to be enjoyed, not endured.
Purpose, Presence, and the Future of Hospitality
Hilton’s 2026 report doesn’t just capture a mood; it defines a movement. These emerging trends, from Hushpitality to Inheritourism, mark a collective shift from “doing more” to “being more.”
It’s an evolution in hospitality that balances technology with humanity, efficiency with empathy, and familiarity with discovery.
Nassetta notes, “More than ever, it’s the feeling behind the trip that’s guiding where the journey begins.”
Perhaps that’s the most significant trend, a reminder that, amid apps, analytics, and algorithms, travel remains beautifully, defiantly human.
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Explore Hilton’s full 2026 Trends Report here: stories.hilton.com/2026trends.
To plan your next whycation, visit Hilton.com.
