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In 2026, 55% of Canadians plan at least one leisure trip this spring, according to a Léger survey published in May 2026. It is the highest intention rate since 2024. But where they go, why they go and what they are looking for there: all of it has changed. For our in-depth analysis of 2026 trends, we tracked ten signals. Here are the five that are truly reshaping travel this year.
The southern beach stays popular, but it is losing ground. More and more travellers deliberately seek out cooler destinations: northern regions, mountain national parks, wind-swept coastlines. This is not a niche whim. Several travel agencies report a marked rise in requests for Iceland, Norway, northern Canada and the Alps for summer 2026, at the expense of peak-season Mediterranean beach stays.
The reason is simple: summers are becoming less predictable. A week in Barcelona or Phoenix in July can turn stifling. Travellers who lived through a 40°C heat wave on vacation have no desire to repeat the experience. The result: coolness has become a selection criterion in its own right, on par with price or flight length.
Rome, Paris, Amsterdam: millions still visit each year. But a growing share of travellers deliberately branch off. The Balkans, rural central Europe, the quieter islands of the Azores or the Aegean draw people looking for something the saturated destinations can no longer offer: space, real human contact, a local economy that has not been entirely turned into a tourist service.
This movement answers an overtourism fatigue that even occasional travellers are starting to feel. Waiting 45 minutes to enter a museum, sharing a medieval alley with 300 other visitors, sleeping in a neighbourhood entirely given over to short-term rentals: the experience loses its meaning. Less-crowded destinations become a competitive advantage again. See also our affordable destinations with the Canadian dollar to combine savings and authenticity.
The phenomenon is not new, but it is accelerating. Set-jetting means choosing a destination because a series or film was shot there. Season 2 of The White Lotus in Sicily, Emily in Paris in the Marais, Succession in Dubrovnik: the examples pile up, and tourism boards have started weaving this angle into their promotion.
What changes in 2026 is the scale. With 49% of Canadian travellers now using artificial intelligence to plan their itineraries, according to Léger, personalized recommendations based on cultural preferences become a travel trigger in their own right. People ask the AI “where to travel if I loved this show” and end up booking tickets to a destination they would never have considered otherwise. Travel becomes an extension of the narrative universe we consume.
Grandparents, parents and adult children travelling together: this format is seeing a notable revival. Several factors converge. The successive pandemics reminded many families that chances to gather are not infinite. The baby-boomer generation has the time and often the means to fund a structured family trip. Rental platforms offer large-capacity properties more easily than before.
This kind of trip takes more preparation: it needs accommodations that suit very different profiles (reduced mobility, young children, diverging dietary preferences), flexible activities and a fair shared budget. But the goal is clear: to create shared memories at a time when families are geographically scattered. For everything logistics-related, our tips for family travel cover the essentials.
The restorative trip is no longer reserved for yoga circles or luxury stays. It has gone mainstream. In 2026, a growing number of travellers choose their destination based on its ability to slow their pace: extended stays in a single place, local experiences rather than circuits, nature retreats, spa towns, long-distance walking.
This movement intersects directly with the slow travel trend: staying three weeks in a village rather than spending three nights in seven capitals. The idea is to reconnect with a place, not to tick it off. Our guide on slow travel details this approach and its concrete benefits. For women who practise solo travel as a form of restoration, our guide to solo travel as a woman is a reference.
The thread running through 2026 is a search for meaning. Fewer trips, but more intentional ones. Experiences chosen for what they bring, not for what they let you post. The 2026 traveller wants to feel something real, not check off a list.
This underlying trend has a concrete effect on planning: stays get longer, itineraries get simpler, destinations move off the beaten path. A good travel card remains useful to fund these longer stays and earn points on every booking.
Of all the parts of a well-prepared trip, insurance is the one most often bought at the last minute, or not at all. Yet in a context where trips get longer, destinations move away from cities, and outdoor activities take centre stage again, the risks not covered by provincial plans or credit card insurance deserve a closer look. Even a big road trip at home has coverage gaps: see our guide to staying properly insured while travelling across Canada.
soNomad offers travel insurance built to be transparent and accessible: you set up your coverage in minutes, you understand what is included before you pay, and the price matches what you actually need. It is an approach that aligns well with the 2026 trend: more clarity, less needless complexity.
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