Travel Trends 2026: What UK Travellers Will Be Looking For Next

London. January 2026 - With 2026 well underway, and January traditionally being a peak period for holiday planning and bookings, UK travellers are already showing clear preferences for meaningful experiences, flexibility, and authenticity. Rather than focusing solely on price or familiar destinations, many are seeking holidays that deliver emotional, cultural, and adventure-led return, combining nature, culture, wellbeing, and personal enrichment.  Destinations and hospitality brands that offer depth, diversity, and convenience within a single journey are well placed to capture this growing demand. 

Destinations and hospitality brands that offer depth, diversity, and convenience within a single journey are well placed to capture this growing demand. 

Experience-Led Travel Remains a Priority 

Purposeful travel continues to dominate the UK market. Trips that combine wildlife, rainforest, beaches, culture, and immersive local experiences are increasingly sought after. For example, Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo offers lush rainforest, unique wildlife encounters, and rich indigenous culture — appealing to travellers looking for authentic, layered experiences beyond the usual tourist trail. 

This trend is mirrored across Southeast Asia, where travellers are embracing multi-stop itineraries that combine urban hubs, nature escapes, and cultural immersion within one trip. 

Two segments expected to continue growing in 2026 are multi-generational travel and solo travel: 

Destinations like Malaysia and Thailand, with strong infrastructure, diversity of experiences, and welcoming hospitality, are well positioned to meet the needs of both segments. 

Value remains important, but its meaning is evolving. For UK travellers, value now encompasses quality of experience, convenience, and personal relevance, rather than just cost. Destinations that offer a combination of multi-centre itineraries, seamless connectivity, and memorable experiences are likely to perform strongly. 

Regional connectivity is supporting this trend. Firefly, a subsidiary of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), launched a daily direct jet service between Kuala Lumpur and Krabi in late 2025, making it easier for travellers to combine destinations like Malaysia and Thailand in a single trip without complicated connections. 

While iconic destinations remain popular, travellers are increasingly seeking lesser-known, authentic destinations that offer discovery, cultural depth, and space. ABTA’s Destinations to Watch 2026 highlights Borneo as a standout example of a nature-led, under-visited destination. Within Malaysia, Sarawak is perfectly aligned with this trend, offering rainforest treks, wildlife encounters, and rich cultural experiences. 

In Thailand, destinations such as Bangsaen, a coastal town east of Bangkok, are attracting attention as alternatives to more famous beach resorts. Twinning emerging destinations with established hotspots — for example, Bangsaen with Bangkok or Phuket — allows travellers to experience both familiarity and discovery, creating richer, more balanced itineraries and helping to manage over-tourism in traditional hotspots. 

Hospitality groups with portfolios spanning both high-profile and emerging locations are particularly well positioned to meet this demand. ONYX Hospitality Group, for example, operates across Thailand, Malaysia, and Laos, with properties in Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Bangsaen, Penang, and Vientiane, enabling travellers to craft seamless multi-stop itineraries that combine comfort, variety, and authenticity. 

UK travellers in 2026 will prioritise authentic, layered, and flexible experiences. Destinations and brands that can cater to multi-generational families, solo travellers, and experience-driven holidaymakers, while offering meaningful, immersive activities and smooth connections across multiple locations, are likely to capture the greatest interest. 

For Malaysia — and particularly Sarawak — the combination of natural beauty, cultural richness, adventure opportunities, and regional gateway connectivity positions the destination strongly to attract this growing segment of experience-driven travellers. 

Hospitality groups like ONYX, with portfolios spanning both established and emerging destinations, demonstrate how brands can respond to evolving demand, offering flexible, multi-stop, experience-rich journeys across Southeast Asia. 

2026 will reward destinations and brands that go beyond traditional marketing by telling authentic stories, providing immersive experiences, and enabling travellers to craft journeys that reflect their interests and values. Destinations like Malaysia and Thailand, with rich diversity, cultural depth, and emerging as well as established locations, are well placed to capture the interest of multi-generational families, solo travellers, and experience-driven holidaymakers. By highlighting sustainability, under-visited gems, and multi-centre itineraries, travel brands can inspire UK travellers to plan richer, more meaningful journeys in the year ahead. 

For further information on ATW Travel Marketing, please visit:  

Jessica Hopton, PR Global Director  

Tel: +44 (0) 7813 133 158 

Email: jess@atwtravelmarketing.com   

Press Centre: https://atw-travel-marketing.prowly.com  

ATW is a dynamic integrated PR and marketing consultancy specialising in content creation, photography, and PR services tailored specifically for the global travel industry. With over 40 years of combined experience, the all female team brings a unique perspective to every project they undertake.