FlightHub Unveils the Travel Trends Shaping 2026

FlightHub has released the third edition of its Unveiled list, revealing where travellers are going in 2026.

Drawing on booking data from October 2025 to August 2026, compared with the same period the previous year, this year’s report highlights destination shakeups, generational divides, and the impact of major global events. From shifting travel habits to emerging destinations around the world, the data offers a snapshot of how travel is evolving across Canada.

Henri Chelhot, CEO of FlightHub, observed that: “2026 has been a transformative year for travel, with major events both at home and internationally. This year’s data gives us a unique snapshot of how Canadians travelled during the year, and we’ll be watching to see whether these patterns continue into 2027.”

Casablanca, Morocco emerges as the breakout destination of the year, with a dramatic 250 per cent increase in bookings compared to 2025. Other destinations saw significant growth, including Liberia, Costa Rica (145%), Aruba (118%), and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (109%).

Hanoi, Vietnam, is also one to watch, with bookings accelerating 98 per cent year over year. Meanwhile, Las Vegas, U.S. is stabilizing after a 40 per cent slump last year, with bookings up 1.3 per cent in 2026.

Delhi, India is the most popular international destination for Canadians, climbing one spot to dethrone last year’s number one, Tokyo, Japan, now in second. London, U.K., Cancún, Mexico and Paris, France round out the rest of the Top 5, followed by Manila, Philippines, Lisbon, Portugal, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Hong Kong and Rome, Italy.

Closer to home, Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal and Calgary stay in the Top 4 inbound Canadian destinations, respectively.

But growth doesn’t tell the whole destination story. Among Canadians’ most popular international destinations, there was also a changing of the guard at the top.

Host cities all saw real travel increases during this spring’s soccer tournament.

Vancouver saw a 34 per cent increase compared to last year, whereas Toronto experienced an 18 per cent increase. U.S. host cities also saw increases, including Kansas City (165%), Boston (78%) and New York/New Jersey (24%). For Canadian travellers, tournament travel was overwhelmingly domestic, with travellers largely moving between Canadian cities rather than crossing the border. Interestingly, there were no specific spikes around individual matches, with travel instead building steadily throughout the tournament.

Beyond soccer, Montréal saw a 32 per cent increase in travel around the Canadian Grand Prix from last year, while the Las Vegas Grand Prix saw a 22 per cent decrease. Meanwhile, the Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina saw a 243 per cent surge compared to last year.

Where travellers went was also shaped by what was happening when they got there.

Gen Z gained the most share among generations in both markets, gaining 3.1 percentage points in Canada and 4.2 percentage points in the U.S. Millennials saw slight declines, falling 0.7 percentage points in Canada and 0.5 percentage points in the U.S., while Gen X dropped 0.8 and 1.9 points, respectively. Boomers are also pulling back, falling 1.4 points in Canada and 1.7 in the U.S.

Ayoub Hissar, Director of Communications at FlightHub, said that: “What makes Unveiled valuable is the bigger picture that emerges when we look at these trends together. Where travellers are going is only part of the story. What influences their decisions and how those behaviours change over time can tell us a lot about what travellers are looking for.”

Search interest in travel between Canada and the U.S. increased in both directions, though growth was stronger among U.S. travellers looking to Canada:

• U.S. search interest in travel to Canada increased 16 per cent year-over-year, while Canadian search interest in travel to the U.S. increased just two per cent.
• Toronto was the most searched Canadian destination among U.S. travellers, followed by Vancouver, Calgary, Montréal, and Edmonton. Search interest in both Toronto and Vancouver increased approximately 20 per cent year over year.
• New York was the most searched U.S. destination among Canadians, followed by Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
• Washington, D.C. is an emerging destination of interest for Canadians, with search interest increasing almost 23 per cent year-over-year.

Québec travellers show some distinct travel patterns compared to the rest of Canada, including taking longer trips, averaging around 11 days compared to seven days for other Canadian travellers. They also tend to travel more in July and December, driven in part by Québec’s Construction Holidays.

Hissar said that: “It’s been another busy year for FlightHub and the overall travel sector, and Unveiled really showcases some interesting trends. It will be fascinating to look back at this data in 12 months’ time to see if it is a marked change.”

Looking ahead, FlightHub is also using this year’s Unveiled to spotlight 10 worldwide destinations it recommends travellers have on their radar.

Check out FlightHub’s Unveiled report at https://unveiled.flighthub.com/