Pets, pop culture, and à la carte hotels: the trends that will shape travel this year
The rise of the pet-friendly industry
One of the notable trends is the consolidation of a travel industry designed to integrate pets as "full members" of the trip. Amadeus predicts that 2026 will be the year of genuine care for animals during travel, driven by new regulations, innovation, and proposals specifically aimed at this segment. The report also includes market and behavior indicators: Bloomberg estimates that by 2030, the global pet industry could reach $500 billion, and a survey cited in the article notes that 27% of travelers who took their pet on vacation in 2025 did so for the first time.
Examples initiatives such as the pet-friendly travel trial on China Railway Express trains (Beijing-Shanghai route), new rules in Italy to allow medium and large dogs to travel in the cabin, and the planned launch of transpacific flights with pets in the cabin by SkyePets are mentioned.
"Mixed and multi-source" planning: the mixed-mode traveler
The second trend paints a new profile: the traveler who builds their itinerary by combining multiple sources?AI, communities, social networks, and branded conversational tools?to design an almost artisanal plan.
Amadeus describes these as "travel mixologists", hyperconnected users who alternate between the consensus of large language models, recommendations on Reddit, videos on YouTube, or corporate AI assistants to obtain a more flexible trip that is tailored to their personal expectations.
In this hybrid planning, integration between platforms will be key: the company mentions tools such as Google Flight Dealsor Expedia's Trip Matching feature, which allows visual content from Instagram to be translated into itineraries with booking links.
Nonstop flights: "marathons" that will become "sprints"
Air connectivity will be another major driver of change in 2026. Amadeus anticipates an expansion of long-haul flights operated by new-generation narrow-body aircraft, capable of reducing stopovers, shortening transit times, and opening up previously unthinkable direct routes.
In this context, the Airbus A321XLR appears to be one of the key players, with an extended range thanks to an extra fuel tank and demand that, according to the report, has reached 500 orders, with the first deliveries scheduled for the second half of 2025. The report mentions specific connections planned for 2026: IndiGo will operate the first direct flight between India and Athens (January 2026) and Air Canada will connect Montreal with Mallorca.
Pop tourism: from screen to destination
The influence of pop culture is consolidating as a catalyst for tourism, and growing. From viral collectibles to global series, major franchises are building experiences that transform fandom into tourism demand.
For example, Labubus sales reached $1 billion in 2025, and Visit Bath predicts that Bridgerton will contribute around £5 million annually to the local economy. There is also a notable increase in interest in iconic events: searches for international flights to San Diego during Comic-Con are expected to rise by 9% by 2026 compared to the previous year.
"À la carte" stays: hyper-personalization comes to hotels
In the hotel sector, Amadeus focuses on the transformation of personalization: the room is no longer a closed standard but becomes a configurable product.
According to the report, travelers will be able to select specific elements when booking, from blackout blinds to specific equipment or configurations designed for remote working. This change is supported by the evolution of central reservation systems (CRS) and solutions such as Amadeus's iHotelier engine.
The company maintains that, with the acceleration of AI, personalization will cease to be an extra and become the default standard, and "à la carte stays" will act as a lever for differentiation and revenue for hotels.
Innovation tourism: visiting the future
The traveler of the future will seek experiences associated with real advances that until recently seemed like science fiction, from luggage robots to instant translation via wearables.
As an example, the report mentions Shenzhen, where flight searches for the first half of 2026 are expected to increase by 48% year-on-year, according to data from Amadeus Travel Intelligence, reflecting growing global interest in the city beyond business travel.
It also mentions initiatives related to autonomous vehicles in the United States and the move toward driverless taxis in London, as well as the arrival of new AI-powered wearable devices.