the luxury travel trends set to shape 2026

There are three main trends for luxury travel in 2026: organising trips to suit multiple generations, travelling to lesser-visited destinations, and planning around the schedules of busy HNWs.

These trends were revealed in ‘Luxury Tailormade Travel Trends 2026’, a report that predicts upcoming luxury travel trends from tour operator Audley Travel and trend forecaster Globetrender.

An overarching theme of the report was the importance of time for wealthy people. For HNWs with busy work and family lives, their time is often planned meticulously, and they expect no less from their travel itineraries.

‘In 2026, the true currency of luxury travel is time,’ said Mark Hanson, managing director of Audley Travel. ‘Not just its scarcity, but an acute awareness of its preciousness.’

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The importance of time was emphasised throughout the report – whether that was making the most of the time spent with multiple generations of a family, travelling to exciting new destinations before they are flooded with tourists, or planning small pockets of time around demanding business schedules.

Hanson said: ‘All of this is to say, travellers are spending their time mindfully – not like there’s no tomorrow but as the precious and finite resource that it is.’

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Multi-generational itineraries

Planning trips and excursions with multiple generations in mind was a key trend highlighted in the report.

Hanson said: ‘Family travel, while broader in scope and more multi-generational than ever before, is splintering into “Multi-Spoke Itineraries” that see less time spent together but a greater sense of connection.’

For Audley Travel, there is tangible demand for these family trips. 70 per cent of the travel operator’s country specialists said their clients asked for itineraries that were adaptable for different generations.

For instance, a younger generation of a family travelling through Japan in Kyoto might want to visit the city’s Manga Museum, whereas a grandparent could be drawn to the nearby temples of the Philosopher’s Path.

Planning for accessibility was also highlighted in the report – parents and children may want to cycle part of the journey to Preah Vihear temple, while older generations may find more comfort in a tuk-tuk. These shared, yet different, experiences can make the most of travel for everyone involved, the report showed.

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Exploring what others haven’t

While the wealthy explorer of the past is perhaps an outdated image, HNWs want to experience destinations before their friends and colleagues, the report showed.

With many wealthy people being entrepreneurs and ground-breaking businesspeople, they want their travel to be equally as forward-thinking. 24 per cent of millionaires look for experiences that other people have not had. 

Less heavily travelled destinations like Bhutan and Central Asia have become increasingly popular options for HNW clients, Audley Travel revealed. The company has recently reopened its business in Central Asia, and luxury resorts like Amankora in Bhutan are drawing wealthy travellers who wish to balance luxury with discovery.

Egypt and the Middle East were also noted as destinations increasingly popular with HNW travellers, with the latter no longer being seen as a pit stop for places further afield.

Accessing rare destinations is not just reserved for the young and able-bodied, said Audley Travel private travel manager Bradley Kewley.

‘A recent client of mine is circumnavigating Iceland, which is really cool,’ he said. ‘His wife has recently had a hip operation, so she can’t do loads of sailing on small inflatable boats. We had to work together to find an offering that fitted for them both.’

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Aligning your travel and business plans

For HNW entrepreneurs and businesspeople, their years are often meticulously mapped out, with very little time available for travel – and for this reason, when they are abroad they want to optimise their journeys, the report revealed.

‘Nine times out of 10, they have either had really intense jobs or have dedicated a lot of their time to their families and their education,’ said Kewley. ‘Either way, they have often not had time to plan travel on this level.’

The report likens a holiday concierge service to a business strategist, mapping out the most high-reward experiences from a limited number of days spent travelling.

Some clients plan trips 18 to 24 months in advance, reported Audley Private Concierge, a section of Audley Travel that works with clients to create bespoke trips.

Some travellers have especially limited timeframes for travel, even trying to pack layered experiences into long weekends, said Alex Bentley, head of product at Audley Travel.

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‘We are seeing an increase in a lot of our repeat clients looking for shorter duration holidays,’ said Bentley.