Social conversation about domestic holidays is up 77% year-on-year globally, with 45% of Britons more interested in UK breaks than last summer, according to Expedia Group’s Unpack ’26 Summer report.
British travellers are shifting their summer plans towards home soil, with searches for coastal towns including Scarborough and Tenby up 40% year-on-year, according to Expedia Group’s latest seasonal trends report published today.
The Unpack ’26 Summer report, drawing on first-party data from Expedia and Hotels.com alongside third-party research conducted by OnePoll across 11,000 respondents in nine countries, points to a summer reshaped by cost pressures and the FIFA World Cup in North America rather than a simple recovery curve.
“This summer, travel isn’t slowing down – it’s being reshaped,” said Melanie Fish, travel expert and spokesperson at Expedia Group. “As major global events and rising costs influence decisions, travellers are either staying closer to home or seeking out destinations where they can get more for their money.”
Why it matters
For UK-based agents and hoteliers, the data validates a domestic pricing strategy through peak season. The standout search increases are not in obvious resort destinations but in market towns and regional hubs: Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire leads at 90%, followed by Sudbury in Suffolk and Reading in Berkshire, both at 60%. For inbound operators, the World Cup creates a clear arbitrage opportunity in European, Asian and South American destinations that fans are skipping. For the MENA and CIS markets ET covers, the report is largely silent, which itself signals where Expedia’s first-party data is thinnest.
The stay-here summer
The composition of Expedia’s UK trending list suggests the domestic shift is being driven by short-haul drive markets rather than traditional seaside demand. Bishop’s Stortford, Sudbury and Reading sit alongside Nottinghamshire, Harrogate and Canterbury, all within easy reach of major population centres and none requiring a flight.
Glasgow and Paisley both posted 30% search increases, with the report citing live music, nightlife and Paisley Abbey as draws. Tenby in Pembrokeshire was up 35%.
The pattern points to a value-driven rather than aspirational summer, with travellers trading distance for frequency.
Hotel hopping picks up
Hotels.com data shows growth in what the platform calls hotel hopping, where travellers book multiple properties on a single trip. The motivations split into two camps: event-driven stays around concerts and sporting fixtures, and bleisure trips extending business travel into leisure.
Bleisure destinations leading social conversation include Helsinki, up 71%; London, up 47%; Oslo, up 46%; and Paris, up 24%. Cape Cod posted the highest growth at 97%, followed by Lake Michigan at 88%. Seoul registered 36%.
For hoteliers, the implication is that two-night minimum stay policies may be working against the trend rather than with it. The behaviour favours properties willing to accept shorter bookings paired with a sister property elsewhere in the destination.
Kick off or take off
The World Cup is producing a clean behavioural split. Searches for Kansas City, Philadelphia and Monterrey are surging as fans book host city stays. Travellers avoiding the tournament are heading to European, Asian and South American destinations where hotel rates are softer through June and July.
Expedia did not name specific take-off destinations in the released data, citing methodology based on Average Daily Rates and accommodation searches between August 2025 and February 2026 for stays between May 22 and September 30.
The report draws on third-party research conducted by OnePoll in accordance with the Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct.