Major concerts, leading sporting events and travellers’ desire for more spontaneous, flexible getaways were key drivers of global travel demand in 2026. These are among the findings of the new annual “A Year in Travel” report by eDreams ODIGEO, which examines the trends influencing travellers’ choices and provides early indications of what lies ahead in 2027.
Concerts become a reason to travel abroad
Music emerged as one of the strongest drivers of international travel in 2026. Bruno Mars’ concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium were a notable example, prompting a sharp increase in travel searches to the British capital for July 22–24.
Searches from Germany rose by 966% compared with the previous year, followed by the Netherlands at 642%, Ireland at 442%, Austria at 355%, the United Kingdom at 332% and Portugal at 285%.
A similar pattern emerged with Shakira, whose Madrid performances significantly boosted interest in travel to the Spanish capital. For September 18–27, searches from France increased by 486%, Germany by 463%, the Netherlands by 365%, Spain by 345% and the United Kingdom by 105%.
Sports tourism gains momentum
Sporting events also had a significant impact on demand. After Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, searches from the United Kingdom for travel to Budapest, where the final took place, increased by 119% year on year for May 5–7.
Interest in Miami rose even more sharply ahead of the FIFA World Cup quarter-final on July 11–12. Travel searches from the United Kingdom increased by 243%.
Consumers’ willingness to travel to attend a sporting event is also reflected in an international survey commissioned by eDreams ODIGEO. According to the findings, 58% of respondents would be willing to travel domestically or internationally for a sporting event. In addition, 39% would extend their stay by one or two days, while almost one in three (31%) would cut spending on everyday luxuries to fund such a trip.
Interest is already turning to 2027
Major events are expected to continue influencing travel choices in 2027. Searches linked to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, for example, are up 40% year on year.
Meanwhile, Eurovision, which will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, from May 11 to 15, has already driven a 390% increase in travel searches to the area. Similarly, the announcement of Oasis’ 2027 tour immediately sparked interest, with searches for Glasgow rising by 2,380% and Munich by 1,605%.
The destinations gaining ground
Travel demand increased across a wide range of international destinations in 2026, with South Africa recording the largest gains. Durban saw growth of 80%, Cape Town 55% and Johannesburg 50%.
In Australia, interest in Melbourne increased by 57% and Sydney by 48%, while Lima and Mexico City stood out in Latin America, with increases of 28% and 26%, respectively.
Bookings for European destinations also rose, with Dublin recording growth of 76% and Tirana 74%. Madrid performed particularly well, with flight bookings increasing by 30% and hotel bookings by 63%.
Early figures for 2027 suggest that demand remains strong. Rio de Janeiro currently ranks first among the most-booked destinations through eDreams ODIGEO for next year, followed by Bangkok and Tokyo. The two Asian cities were already among the most-searched destinations in 2026, indicating that travellers’ interest is now translating into actual bookings.
Artificial intelligence and flexible bookings change how trips are planned
Another significant development is the arrival of artificial intelligence in the travel market. In 2026, “agentic AI” came to the fore: AI systems that go beyond making recommendations and can also carry out actions on users’ behalf, following their instructions and approvals.
In July, eDreams ODIGEO announced a partnership with Visa to develop AI-initiated booking capabilities. The initiative relies on technologies that allow verified digital assistants to carry out secure transactions with the customer’s authorisation.
A partnership with Amazon’s Alexa+ followed in October, enabling users to search for and book flights, hotels and rental cars through natural language and voice commands.
Consumer familiarity with these technologies is already considerable, particularly among younger age groups. Almost three in four Gen Z consumers have used or plan to use AI platforms to organise their trips. However, they want to retain final control: among those who have used such platforms, 34% see the main benefit as being able to delegate time-consuming searches and comparisons to AI while retaining approval of the final booking.
At the same time, interest is growing in travel subscription programmes, which offer special rates and benefits on flights, hotels and rail travel. According to the survey, three in four consumers believe access to such offers could change how they travel, either by reducing the cost of their existing trips or allowing them to travel more frequently.
eDreams ODIGEO’s Prime subscription programme now has 8.1 million members, with the company targeting 13 million by March 2030. Its subscribers make their bookings an average of eight days closer to departure than other travellers, taking advantage of the programme’s special rates and flexibility benefits.
As eDreams ODIGEO chief executive Dana Dunne points out, consumers’ appetite for travel remains particularly strong, and early indications suggest another robust year in 2027. He notes that travellers are looking for real value, carefully considering where and when to travel and increasingly turning to subscription models that offer financial and practical benefits.
He also believes that artificial intelligence is moving from theoretical applications into practical use, creating new ways to search for and book travel. The challenge, however, remains turning a digital recommendation into an actual booking, with secure payments and support if travel plans change.
