Forecast 2026: The trends and trendsetters we’d like to see in global travel next year

The submit Forecast 2026: The traits and trendsetters we’d prefer to see in international journey subsequent yr appeared first on TD (Journey Each day Media) Journey Each day Media.

With 2026 looming on the horizon, we’ve taken a glance again on the yr that’s drawing to a detailed and searching in direction of what could come subsequent.

For us who cowl the fields of journey, tourism, hospitality, and aviation, meaning maintaining an eye fixed out for each upcoming traits and people who’re certain to set the world on hearth with recent concepts that can shake up standard pondering, ushering in higher methods of displaying travellers the world round them.

On this explicit characteristic, we current three people with the potential to drive the trade’s evolution, together with three traits we see taking centre stage within the yr to return.

Three faces to observe in 2026

Beatrice Leong (proper) prepares to guide her masterclass on inclusive occasions at BE @ Penang 2025

Malaysia: Beatrice Leong, gender and accessibility advocate

We had each the honour and the privilege of assembly Beatrice Leong on the just lately concluded BE @ Penang 2025 in Malaysia the place she made a powerful case for accessibility in journey and tourism, notably the place MICE is anxious.

As an advocate for gender equality and accessibility for all, Leong famously stated: “Activist is only a fancy phrase for individuals who prefer to scold governments.”

In her case, although, scolding governments has yielded nice outcomes: Leong’s intrepid drive and that of different accessibility advocates has gone a good distance with regard to creating journey and hospitality in Malaysia extra inclusive.

She has not been afraid to ask the troublesome questions and is kind of upfront with strategies on how areas could be made extra accessible for many who understand or expertise the world otherwise from others, not solely on a bodily degree, however on a neuro-psychological degree, as nicely.

With regard to residing design, specifically, she requested of her viewers: “Accessibility is definitely about how usable is your area, how usable is your product, your service design. How sort are you in coping with individuals who have nervousness, who’re most likely dealing with despair, however nonetheless must exit to purchase groceries? This stuff require readability of knowledge. How are you conveying the structure of knowledge?”

Leong believes that, whereas full accessibility for all would possibly probably not be potential, people want accessibility on a regular basis; that, in flip wants adjustment on the a part of hospitality suppliers, airways, and facility managers, together with a better understanding and persistence with travellers who see or expertise the world otherwise from everybody else.

Hers is a voice we sit up for listening to, particularly given the growing emphasis on accessibility the world over.

Miguel Cabel Moreno dishes up helpings of his Amor del Mar seafood speciality at a four-hands dinner at Crimson Boracay

Philippines: Miguel Cabel Moreno, Michelin-lauded chef and culinary heritage advocate

In a current interview held within the wake of From Shore to South, a four-hands dinner collaboration at Crimson Resort and Spa Boracay, Filipino chef and culinary advocate Miguel Cabel Moreno informed us concerning the girl who approached him simply minutes after he acquired two Michelin Bib Gourmand nods for his eating places Palm Grill and Cabel.

As Cabel Moreno remembers: “She went and informed me ‘I might really desire to obtain your award than a Michelin Star.’ After I requested her why, she defined that it was an award given by the folks somewhat than the critics.”

To say that Cabel Moreno’s meals is a love letter to the individuals who like to eat could be severely underplaying the significance of his work to the folks of Southern Mindanao, a area that has been bypassed all too steadily by Philippine tourism officers preferring to tout the colonial treasures of Luzon and the Visayas.

Certainly, selling the delicacies and heritage of such a far-flung and criminally underrated (and, certainly, oft maligned) vacation spot has been an uphill climb for the chef.

As he put it: “I used to inform potential diners: ‘Look, Mindanao meals is Filipino meals. It’s pretty much as good as the same old Filipino aptitude that you just take pleasure in; just give it a attempt.’ So, that has been a continuing wrestle. Regardless of our meager advertising and marketing efforts, presence, and all that, I’m grateful that we have been in a position to keep. And the approaching of the Michelin Information validated all that tough work for us; it helped pave the best way for my eating places. Talking on my restaurant’s behalf, it opened so many doorways for Filipinos to lastly get to attempt it because an entity as enormous as Michelin Information validated and acknowledged us for what we do. Because of that, it opened folks’s eyes, and now they wish to attempt it.”

As of press time, Cabel Moreno is poised to open a brand new department for Palm Grill at Tambayan, the brand new meals corridor at Ninoy Aquino Worldwide Airport’s Terminal 3.

Likewise, his youngsters’s books Migoy: The Tausug Boy and The Story of Putli Mandi, written in English, Filipino, and the chef’s native dialect Bahasa Sug, have gone a good distance in presenting the tradition of Southern Mindanao to kids of the northern and central components of the nation, in addition to the remainder of the world as these have been featured on the 2025 Frankfurt E book Honest.

Dr Bona Nahyun Lee (centre) listens as a information explains the historical past of Penang’s George City district

South Korea: Dr Bona Nahyun Lee, best-selling creator and tech evangelist

The fantastic thing about modern know-how lies in the best way it makes issues simpler for folks, no matter what trade they might belong to.

Such is the case with the MICE sector, a discipline whose professionals too typically find yourself burnt out as they should take care of the tedium of planning and coordination nicely earlier than the precise occasion goes stay.

However for BornTiger chief government and tech evangelist Dr Bona Nahyun Lee, modern applied sciences go a good distance in direction of making issues simpler and extra environment friendly for occasions professionals.

Throughout her discuss The AI-powered Way forward for Enterprise Occasions, Lee identified the rising number of instruments out there for dealing with all the pieces from planning to precise showrunning.

Synthetic intelligence (AI), specifically, takes a lot of the stress out of the equation, seeing the way it permits professionals to create complete displays with just some key phrases, put together precise occasion sequences, and even simulate venues in use to present all stakeholders a complete preview of their endeavour, enabling them to make the mandatory changes nicely beforehand.

At current, most of Lee’s books are in Korean, however we sit up for the day when her knowledge on innovation and automation makes it to a wider international viewers.

Three traits to control in 2026

Regenerative and rehabilitative tourism past Asia

One of many main talks in the course of the 2025 PATA Vacation spot Advertising and marketing Discussion board in Thailand was a presentation on Doi Tung, a sustainable vacation spot within the north of the nation which was, alas, a hotbed for legal exercise within the infamous heyday of the Golden Triangle.

A long time on, nevertheless, Doi Tung has greater than cleaned up its act, because it now serves as a cultural hub that gives among the finest espresso, tea, and even macadamia nuts on the continent.

That being stated, Doi Tung’s story ought to serve for instance and inspiration to different nations with regards to reworking areas with a lower than fascinating repute into locations that supply classes from their historical past together with specialities endemic to the area.

In doing so, governments can assist communities via what is named regenerative tourism and primarily carry hope to areas with a darkish previous and provide a manner in direction of a brighter future.

We’ve got seen such transformations in battle-torn areas like many components of Japan, in addition to the Philippine islands of Bataan and Corregidor; in any case, anybody who fails to listen to the tales of the previous or heed their classes is certain to make the identical tragic errors.

Immersive studying experiences for the following era of journey and tourism professionals

MICE isn’t only a manner by which industries can collect their finest and brightest below a single roof, however these occasions additionally function a studying expertise for the following era of execs.

We noticed this first-hand at BE @ Penang and at PDMF2025 when complete contingents of scholars and their mentors made their manner over to take heed to the trade’s foremost minds to achieve better data.

Having been an instructional myself, I can’t state sufficient on how publicity to precise trade professionals and experiences helps spherical out a person’s schooling: they get to see life in the true world, see the present professionals at work, and acquire a better understanding of the careers they face when schooldays finish.

Additionally, I’ve come to the conclusion that the concepts supplied by college students nevertheless shyly do have quite a lot of benefit: it takes somebody who has not but been jaded by the rigours and stresses of the career to give you recent concepts or new methods to strategy outdated points, bringing these nearer to decision.

Time to rethink MICE

MICE has developed considerably all through this yr, and the inclusion of devoted Expertise Zones at occasions like ITB Asia have opened the eyes of many occasion organisers to numerous prospects.

With know-how altering at such a speedy clip, notably interactive programming, MICE professionals want to sit down down and take into account the place they might finest intrgrate these improvements of their occasions.

Certainly, somewhat than simply hopping from one sales space or pavilion to a different while urgent flesh or gathering brochures, interactive applied sciences assist individuals get a better understanding of the occasion or of current improvements, thus encouraging them to delve deeper and be taught extra.

Likewise, due to the introduction of hybrid occasions, nascent and present applied sciences make it potential for these abroad to get in on the motion while not having to really be on website.

Whereas this will appear awkward, it does give the phantasm of truly being there with out constructing an environmentally unsound carbon footprint, thus additionally incomes factors for sustainability.

We’ve a lot to consider for the approaching yr, however one factor is definite: with journey and tourism evolving so quickly, one of the best factor we will do is sit again, chill out, and simply be there for the trip into components unknown.

The submit Forecast 2026: The traits and trendsetters we’d prefer to see in international journey subsequent yr appeared first on Journey Each day Media.