How: Connecting with a place to discover at a slow pace

Even in 2026, and even more so in 2026, travel will not just be a movement, but an experience to be lived "in depth". This is the key to understanding the "Travel Trends Report" by Minor Hotels, a survey that tells of an optimistic traveller, willing to invest time and resources to find authentic connections with others, with himself and with the places visited.

Despite a still uncertain economic environment, in short, the desire to travel remains strong: 94% of respondents plan to travel as much or more than 2025 and almost half intend to increase their holiday budgets. A figure that grows further in the luxury segment, where the propensity to travel more is double the average. In general, people travel with the idea of valuing time in the name of the 'ROI of relaxation', favouring quality over quantity and taking advantage of factors such as economic availability, seasonality, ease of travel and available time. It is no coincidence that more than one in two travellers book within three months of departure, maintaining flexibility in their diaries. The journey of 2026 will therefore above all be a relationship with fellow travellers (partner, family, friends), away from overcrowded or dispersive situations and more attentive to the pleasure of a cultural visit, slow relaxation time (spas, nature and mindfulness activities become tools for recharging energy and wellbeing a structural component of the stay) or even a shared dinner: the desire to connect to a place will in fact also pass through taste, with 85% of travellers considering food as the privileged gateway to the local culture, followed by architecture and nature.