Hilton has released its 2027 Trends Report, based on a survey of nearly 15,000 travellers across the UK, Germany, Türkiye, the US, Australia and beyond. The big picture? A shift the hotel group calls "the great rebalance" — people are ditching someone else's idea of a perfect holiday and planning trips on their own terms.
The headline trend is the "micro-travel mindset": shorter, more frequent escapes that slot easily into everyday life. A quarter of respondents like short trips because they fit around work, while 29% say it lets them be more spontaneous. Hilton splits micro-trippers into two camps — "selectors", who build a whole trip around a single experience such as a concert, match or restaurant booking, and "stackers", who cram in as much as possible; 57% enjoy hitting multiple cities in one go.
Then there's "the rise of 'ish'" — a welcome dose of realism about holidays not needing to be flawless. Travellers are going "healthy-ish" by picking which habits to keep on the road, "adventure-ish" with 28% improvising as they go against 18% who want a fixed itinerary, and "solo-ish": three in 10 travel alone but meet someone they know at the destination, and 20% join group day trips with strangers.
Skills are the new souvenirs. "Growth getaways" — skillcations built around language, cooking or art classes — are on the up, and 34% of travellers want their trips to shift their mindset, not just fill a photo album. Wellness remains huge but is heading outdoors: 79% say fresh air and nature are essential to relaxing, and over half spend more time outside on holiday than they do at home.
One nuance for the AI era: while most people now use tech to plan, trust still flows through humans. 87% turn to family for advice, 70% trust hotel staff tips, and — interestingly — 50% say they're more likely to act on a recommendation from someone with loyalty status.
Why it matters: if your annual leave is precious, these trends are permission to travel differently. A 48-hour city dash built around one gig, a cooking course instead of a beach week, or a solo trip that comes with built-in company — all are going mainstream in 2027, so expect more short-break deals, learning-focused packages and nature-forward wellness retreats to book.
