What is the biggest luxury travel trend in 2026?

Experiential luxury — privileged access and meaningful, personalized experiences — is the defining 2026 trend, ahead of material or purely material extravagance.

Is multigenerational travel still growing?

Yes. Multigenerational and celebration travel is one of the fastest-growing segments, driving demand for private villas, guides and age-inclusive itineraries.

How is the 2026 World Cup affecting luxury travel?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup across the US, Mexico and Canada is a marquee travel event; demand for host cities like Miami, Los Angeles and New York is high, so early planning is essential.

How do I plan a trip around these trends?

A luxury advisor translates a trend into a personalized journey. Start at /inquire/ to design yours.

What are the top luxury travel trends for 2026?

The top luxury travel trends for 2026 are experiential over material spending, multigenerational and celebration trips, wellness and longevity travel, expedition and set-jetting journeys, private aviation, and demand around the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The common thread is access and meaning: travelers now measure luxury by the private moment, the exceptional guide, and the trip a family remembers for a decade rather than by possessions.

What luxury travel trends go beyond the suite in 2026?

Beyond the suite, luxury in 2026 is defined by access and expertise rather than square footage. The differences are private after-hours entry to landmarks, guides who reshape how you understand a place, expedition voyages to remote regions, wellness and longevity programs, and private aviation that removes friction. The room matters less than what surrounds it: the people, timing, and access only a connected advisory can arrange.

What are the 2026 luxury travel predictions for wellness and longevity?

For 2026, wellness travel is shifting from short spa breaks to longevity-focused journeys built around measurable health, sleep, movement, and preventive care over multi-day stays. Affluent travelers increasingly plan trips around diagnostics, restorative programs, and expert-led regimens rather than pampering alone. The prediction is clear: wellness becomes a reason to travel in its own right, integrated into itineraries rather than added as an afterthought.

What is set-jetting and why does it matter in 2026?

Set-jetting is planning travel around films and series filmed on location, and in 2026 it is driving demand toward specific landscapes and remote regions seen on screen. It pairs naturally with expedition travel and private access, letting travelers experience a place with a guide rather than a crowd. The value of an advisory here is securing the private timing and local expertise that turn a familiar backdrop into a genuine encounter.

Is private aviation becoming a bigger part of luxury travel in 2026?

Yes. Private aviation is expanding in 2026 as affluent travelers prioritize time, privacy, and access to remote or underserved destinations over commercial schedules. It increasingly anchors complex itineraries, connecting expedition ports, multigenerational gatherings, and hard-to-reach regions without friction. The trend is less about the aircraft and more about what it unlocks: reaching places and moments on your own terms, then handing the logistics to an advisory that coordinates the rest.

Luxury Travel Trends Shaping 2026

In 2026, luxury travel is defined by experiences over possessions: multigenerational journeys, wellness and longevity retreats, expedition and “set-jetting” to remote destinations, private aviation, and once-in-a-generation events like the FIFA World Cup across North America. The through-line is personalization — affluent travelers want private, meaningful access designed around them.

Curated by Juan David· Travel Agent, Forest Travel· Updated August 2026

Key takeaways

Experiential luxury — access and meaning — outranks material luxury in 2026.
Multigenerational travel is surging: villas, private guides, and trips designed for three generations.
Wellness & longevity is a primary trip driver, from spa retreats to preventative-health resorts.
Expedition travel and ‘set-jetting’ to remote, uncrowded destinations keep growing.
Private aviation and slower, deeper itineraries are increasingly the default for HNWI travelers.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup across the US, Mexico and Canada is a marquee travel moment.

Experience over possession

The defining trend is not a place — it is a shift in what luxury means. Affluent travelers increasingly value access and meaning over material extravagance: the private after-hours moment, the guide who changes how you see a place, the trip your family will still talk about in a decade. That is exactly the ground a private advisory occupies.

Multigenerational & celebration travel

Families are travelling together across three generations, driving demand for private villas, dedicated guides and itineraries that work for every age. See Family & Multi-Generational and Celebrations & Milestones.

Wellness, longevity & the far corners

Wellness and longevity have moved from add-on to reason-to-travel — explore Wellness & Retreat. At the same time, expedition and “set-jetting” to remote, uncrowded places continue to rise; see Adventure & Expedition and destinations across The World, Privately.

The 2026 moment

The FIFA World Cup across the US, Mexico and Canada makes 2026 a landmark year, with cities like Miami, Los Angeles and New York at the centre — book early. Whatever moves you this year, a private consultation turns the trend into a journey designed for you.

Emerging influences shaping the future

AI-enabled personalization — technology narrows the options, but a human advisor still designs the trip and unlocks the access.
Regenerative tourism — travelers increasingly choose journeys that leave a place better, from conservation-led safaris to community-rooted stays.
Longer, slower stays — fewer destinations, deeper immersion, and more time in each place.
Expedition cruising — small-ship journeys to remote coastlines and the polar regions.
Privacy as the ultimate luxury — private villas, full buy-outs and off-grid escapes.

Wellness & longevity as a reason to travel

One of the clearest luxury trends beyond the suite in 2026 is wellness that goes deeper than the spa. Affluent travelers are building itineraries around longevity: measurable sleep, movement, nutrition and preventive care over multi-day, expert-led programs. The room is the base camp, not the point. As an advisory, we match travelers to the right specialists and destinations, then weave the program into the wider trip so it feels like a journey rather than a clinic.

Expedition & set-jetting: access over address

Expedition travel and set-jetting share the same logic driving 2026: the value is access, not the address. Travelers want the remote landscape, the private timing, and the guide who changes how they see a place — whether that place is a polar coastline or a film location seen on screen. This is where a connected advisory earns its keep: securing after-hours moments, expert local guides, and the routing that turns a familiar backdrop into a genuine, uncrowded encounter.