Travellers are prioritising cultural immersion over adventure and luxury, report finds

Cultural Immersion Drives 2026 Travel Choices

Poinews.com – A landmark study published by the travel-research firm Skift confirms that travellers are prioritising cultural immersion above adventure thrills and luxury indulgence when planning their next journey. The findings, drawn from the Skift State of Travel 2026 report, map how preferences are reshaping across every major tourism market surveyed.

How Each Region Ranks Its Top Travel Motive

The hierarchy is remarkably uniform. In Asia, half of all respondents (50%) self-identified as culture-first travellers, pulling well clear of the 32% drawn to adventure and the 30% chasing luxury. Comparable majorities appeared in the Middle East and North Africa (42%), North America (39%), and Europe (36%), where the immersion category again outpaced every alternative.

Skift adds that the experiences travellers now crave are hybrid in nature — weaving together cultural depth with touches of authentic luxury, wellness, and natural scenery rather than treating those elements as mutually exclusive trip types.

Where the Money Actually Goes

Asked to name their single biggest spending category, 71% of respondents pointed to food and culinary experiences. The gap to every other option is stark: adventure and nature spending registered at 48%, arts and history at 42%, live events at 36%, health and wellness at 36%, and sports at just 24%.

The report also flags 2026 as the “year of intelligence,” noting that 62% of travellers globally now report familiarity with AI-powered planning tools. Among high-income travellers aware of such tools, 81% have already used them to organise at least one journey. Skift stresses, however, that technological convenience runs alongside — not as a substitute for — a deepening appetite for emotionally resonant, authentic moments. Experiences, not destinations, now anchor decision-making: 43% of surveyed travellers named experiences as the single most important element of their trips.

“Traveller behaviour is evolving, marked by rising demand for AI-driven personalisation and a shift toward more sustainable choices,” said Jean-Jacques Morin, group deputy CEO at Accor. “[This is] exemplified by the popularity of ‘dupe destinations’ (less crowded, more affordable alternatives to popular hotspots) and ‘coolcations’ (vacations in cooler climates as travelers seek to avoid extreme heat).”

These signals point to a broader recalibration: travellers are gravitating toward lesser-known alternatives that offer distinctive experiences, rather than defaulting to the most widely recognised destinations.

Social Media Compresses the Discovery Cycle

Platforms once used purely for inspiration have become full planning instruments. The research shows 63% of travellers turn to social media for destination ideas, 56% use it to locate experiences, restaurants, or activities, and 45% rely on it to compare hotels and lodging. Additional uses span watching travel vlogs, hunting deals, following influencers, and reading user-generated reviews.

One case study underscores the speed of this shift: IShowSpeed’s 12-hour Expedia-powered livestream covering a Caribbean tour of Dominica, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts & Nevis, and St. Maarten reached roughly 400 million viewers. In the immediate aftermath, searches for St. Maarten surged by 70%, while Guadeloupe and Dominica saw increases of 50% and 35% respectively.

Skift warns that this virality compresses a destination’s lifecycle. “Social media has destabilised the discovery cycle,” the report states. “The same platforms that make an unknown destination famous in weeks also make it feel overexposed within months.” The consequence, the authors argue, is that oversaturated destinations respond with entry fees and visitor caps — measures that erode the appeal of established hubs and push travellers further toward hidden alternatives where unique experiences remain intact.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of travellers now place cultural depth above adventure or luxury? Across every region surveyed in the Skift State of Travel 2026 report, the culture-first segment ranges from 36% (Europe) to 50% (Asia), consistently outpacing both adventure and luxury categories.

Which spending category dominates trip budgets? Food and culinary experiences top the list at 71%, well ahead of adventure and nature (48%) and arts or history (42%).

How widely are AI planning tools adopted? Globally, 62% of travellers report familiarity with AI-powered planning tools; among high-income travellers who know such tools exist, 81% have used them to organise a journey.

What are “dupe destinations” and “coolcations”? Dupe destinations are less crowded, more affordable alternatives to famous hotspots. Coolcations refer to vacations booked in cooler climates as travellers seek to avoid extreme heat. Both trends were highlighted by Accor’s Jean-Jacques Morin as markers of the shift toward sustainability and authenticity.