Virtuoso, the leading global network renowned for creating luxury experiences,is uniquely positioned to identify the key trends shaping travel in the year ahead. The 2026 Virtuoso Luxe Report once again taps into the collective knowledge of Virtuoso’s industry-leading travel agency members and their teams of professional travel advisors. The results, sourced from the survey’s highest response rate to date – 2,485 across more than 50 countries – reveal the most coveted destinations, top motivations and evolving preferences driving travel now and in the year ahead. The findings also serve as a roadmap for how the luxury travel advisor community at large can maximize revenue and grow their client base by diving into what matters most to savvy travelers.

A new era of luxury travel is taking shape across Asia Pacific, defined by purpose, personalization, and profound lifestyle shifts. According to a new study from the Luxury Group by Marriott International, high-net-worth (HNW) travelers in the region are recalibrating how, where, and why they travel – prioritizing wellbeing, immersive experiences, emotional value, and intentional design over volume and extravagance.

Interest in summer travel to Europe has decreased among key long-haul markets, with rising costs and global tensions influencing decisions. However, China shows a significant increase in travel intent.

The latest findings from the European Travel Commission’s Long-Haul Travel Barometer (LHTB 2/2025) show a slight decline in the overall intention to travel overseas during the summer of 2025, with a 1% drop compared to the previous year.

Specifically, the desire to visit Europe has fallen from 41% in 2024 to 39% in 2025. This change is most pronounced in the United States, Brazil, Canada, and Japan, which have all seen a decrease in travel interest towards Europe. Conversely, China has experienced a robust increase in travel intent to Europe, with 72% of respondents indicating plans to visit, up 10% from last year.

In today’s world, women not only make up around two-thirds of the global travel population, but they are also travelling more frequently – and more dynamically – than ever before. They are effortlessly switching between roles and travel styles with remarkable agility. This shift reflects a broader cultural evolution, where today’s ambidextrous female traveller is no longer defined by a single mode of exploration, but by her ability to plan and pivot across many – often within the same year.