Expedia and Hotels.com have named South Lake Tahoe in California the top destination for 2027 in Unpack ’27, the Expedia Group trends report published from London on October 14.
For airlines, hotel groups, destination marketers and tour operators, the report points to demand moving towards shorter stays, screen-led discovery, hobby-driven trips and lesser-known places rather than established capitals. Unpack ’27: The Trends in Travel draws on first-party data from Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, global traveller research and social listening.
The 2027 Destinations of the Year are ranked by growth in flight and accommodation searches on Expedia. South Lake Tahoe leads with a rise of 195%, followed by Hyogo in Japan at 95%, Punta del Este in Uruguay at 65%, Sedona in Arizona at 55%, Busan in South Korea at 50% and Holbox in Mexico at 45%. Perugia in Italy, The Tweed in New South Wales, Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada and Chichester in the UK complete the list, with growth of between 30% and 35%.
Six of the ten carry a checkmark from Expedia’s Smart Travel Health Check, which the company says aims to promote tourism without overcrowding. They are Hyogo, Sedona, Busan, Perugia, The Tweed and Chichester.
Expedia’s own data shows 57% of travellers are likely to book what it calls an Un-Adulting trip in 2027, built around fun, nostalgia and play. Featured experiences include Tokyo Disneyland, Color Factory Chicago, Park Xcaret in Cancun and Dreamworld on the Gold Coast. Among British travellers, the reasons given are fun and carefree days out (74%), quality time with loved ones (64%) and a break from responsibilities (60%).
Hotels.com reports that searches for one-night stays rose nearly 10% year on year, which it calls trip snacking. Some 79% of surveyed travellers plan to book a one-night stay in the coming year, rising to 83% among Gen Z and Millennials. The most searched destinations are Las Vegas, Montreal, London, Tokyo and Paris. British travellers say they would book a one-night stay to see a show (49%), celebrate a milestone (42%) or reset between longer trips (23%). Emerging Travel has also reported that one in three UK travellers already use AI tools to plan holidays.
Atmosphere is also driving bookings. Hotels.com says 56% of travellers have booked a hotel for its aesthetic, and 71% of Gen Z and Millennials want to stay in a Gothic-style property. Global demand for castle properties on the platform rose 20% year on year. British interest is led by historic hotels or castles (51%), folklore and supernatural destinations (41%) and dramatic architecture (40%). Featured properties are L’Oscar London, Maison Métier in New Orleans, L’Escape in Seoul and Grand Hôtel Stockholm.
The cross-brand trend, set-jetting, shows screens steering itineraries. Nearly one in five travellers have booked a trip after seeing a destination in a television show or film, and nearly half have researched or booked trips to places featured in unreleased productions, rising to 58% among Gen Z and Millennials. Searches for Monaco rose more than 120% in the 30 days after Season 6 of Emily in Paris was confirmed to film there, while social media mentions of travel to Miami rose 64% year on year, driven by the Miami Vice reboot. Expedia’s 2027 watch list includes The White Lotus Season 4, Heated Rivalry Season 2, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, Miami Vice ’85 and an Ocean’s Eleven prequel.
Vrbo adds two trends. Some 68% of travellers are likely to take a hobby-focused trip in 2027, and the platform has seen strong growth in interest in landlocked destinations, which it calls Heartland Hideouts. No percentage was given for the latter.
Expedia Group Chief Executive Ariane Gorin said travel is about making memories, and that travellers in 2027 are more intentional, seeking personal and purposeful experiences. She said Expedia aims to make trips easier to plan and book.
The report draws on three OnePoll surveys. One covered 2,000 UK adults planning domestic or international travel in the next three years, and another 26,000 adults in 16 countries, both conducted online between August 4 and September 1, 2026. A third covered 10,000 adults in seven countries who have stayed in a vacation rental, conducted between August 3 and 27. Search statistics compare periods ending in mid-2026 with the same periods a year earlier.