Booking.com predicts the Top 10 travel trends for Canadians in 2026

Booking.com has released its Travel Predictions for 2026, with research revealing that vacations are becoming more individual, more experimental, and more plugged into any niche your heart desires. From mystical detours to high stakes compatibility tests and tech-driven glowcations, each trip is an expression of self: this is who I am, this is what I want, and this is what I love.

Now in its tenth year, Booking.com’s Travel Predictions have offered insights into shifts in travel, ranging from Cool-cationers avoiding extreme heat to Conscious Travellers reshaping destination choices through social and environmental awareness.

Based on insights from more than 29,000 travellers across 33 countries and territories, including 1,018 Canadian travellers, Booking.com is using this research alongside its unique position as an industry leader in travel and technology to uncover ten defining trends for 2026.

In 2026, with the literary fantasy worlds of dragons, fairies, and other mythical creatures exploding in popularity, expect to see vacations become immersive storyscapes where mystical forests and medieval castle banquets set the stage for otherworldly ‘romantasy’ retreats.

More than half (62%) of Canadian travellers agreed they’d potentially be interested in visiting a destination inspired by ‘romantasy’ and almost half (44%) are open to taking part in a role-play retreat based on their favourite fantasy game, book or film.

Nearly three quarters of Canadian travellers (72%) are open to AI-powered suggestions that match fantasy aesthetics, recommend secluded “storybook” stays, or pinpoint real-world filming locations. No longer confined to fiction, fantasy will become a travel blueprint, offering enchanted escapes where imagination and adventure become the protagonists.

Vacations aren’t just for recharging, in 2026 they will become the ultimate compatibility check as many travellers plan to use time away to test relationships. 65% of Canadian travellers are open to taking a trip with a potential partner, colleague or new friend, specifically to see how well they click. And the ways travellers are testing relationships as creative as they are revealing.

James Waters, Chief Business Officer at Booking.com comments: “In 2026, travel is becoming a reflection of who people truly are, with journeys built around interests that perhaps in the past felt too niche or bold to explore. Travellers are stress-testing relationships, stepping into fantasy worlds, turning their kitchens into reflections of their journeys, and looking at new ways to experience road trips and vacation rentals with enhanced technology features.”

And Waters continued: “At Booking.com, we’re continuously evolving to make it easier for everyone to experience the world and fully lean into their dream trips by offering more choice, flexibility, and convenience than ever before.”

For more of Booking.com’s 2026 travel trend predictions, go to https://www.booking.com/articles/travel-predictions-2026.html .