A Year in Travel 2026: Las Vegas Tops American Travelers’ Bookings as Tokyo Leads the Wish List for 2027

eDreams ODIGEO – the world’s leading travel subscription platform and parent company of eDreams in the US – launches its annual ‘A Year in Travel’ report today. It draws on search and booking data from American travellers highlighting evolving 2026 travel trends, and a sneak peek at 2027.

Where Americans went in 2026

Domestic destinations dominated American travel in 2026. Las Vegas claimed the top spot for bookings, ahead of Florida favorites Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago and Miami completed the top ten, with Houston, San Juan and Newark close behind. Mexico City was the most-booked destination outside the United States and its territories, followed by Guadalajara.

Searches told a slightly different story. New York City was the most-searched destination of the year, and international dreaming was clearly on the rise: Tokyo ranked sixth overall, while London and Paris also featured in the top 20 most-searched destinations.

The fastest-growing destinations

San Francisco saw the biggest jump in bookings from American travelers in 2026, up 87% on 2025. Mexico City (+76%), Minneapolis–St Paul (+61%), Washington (+49%) and Denver (+37%) also recorded strong growth, reflecting renewed interest in major city destinations.

Short trips

Americans traveled in short, sharp bursts in 2026. Trips of three to four days were by far the most popular, accounting for 44% of bookings, while a further 15% were two-day trips. Week-long or longer stays (7 to 13 days) represented 17% of trips, and just 8% lasted two weeks or more.

Hotels: Europe leads the way

When it came to hotels, Americans looked across the Atlantic. Madrid was the top hotel destination of 2026, followed by Barcelona, Rome and Paris, with New York’s Battery Park City, Orlando, Miami, London and Milan also in the top ten.

Punta Cana recorded the strongest growth in hotel bookings, up 85%, followed by Buenos Aires (+45%), San Francisco (+43%), Venice’s Giudecca island (+41%) and Madrid (+32%).

Hotel stays were brief: 68% of stays were for one or two nights.

Who is traveling to the US?

The United States remained a popular destination for international travelers in 2026. Travelers from France made up the largest share of visitors booking trips to the US through eDreams ODIGEO (18%), followed by Spain (14%), Germany (10%), Italy (7%) and Mexico (6%). New York City was their favorite US destination, ahead of Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Orlando.

2026 trends

This year, eDreams ODIGEO surveyed travellers worldwide to look more closely at their travel habits and behaviours.

Solo travel¹: Freedom is the main reason people travel alone, cited by 38% globally. Next come friends or family being unavailable (30%) and self-discovery (27%). Most solo travellers prefer short trips: 43% say 4–7 days is ideal, and 60% choose to fly. In the US, 43% would travel solo for mental clarity. 36% of solo travellers globally would go anywhere in the world.

Social media²: 39% of travellers have been inspired by social media to visit somewhere new. Hidden gems are the biggest draw (31%). Americans are the most influenced (49%), followed by Spain (48%) and Italy (44%). The UK is lowest at 25%. 35% would post positively about a disappointing holiday.

Music-driven travel: After Celine Dion tickets were released, flight searches to Paris rose 52% year on year. Shakira’s Madrid residency drove searches from France up 486% and from Germany up 463%. Bruno Mars’ London dates drove German searches up 966%.

Sports-driven travel: Once Arsenal reached the Champions League final, UK searches to Budapest rose 99% week on week (+119% year on year). For England’s World Cup quarter-final, UK–Miami searches rose 321% week on week. Football³ is the top draw for 53% of fans. 31% would cut back on everyday luxuries to afford a sports trip.

Coolcations: 34% of travellers⁴ would choose a nature “detox” break. During June’s heatwave, UK searches rose for Gothenburg (+33%) and Stockholm (+22%). Globally, Oslo led with +42%.

Travel etiquette⁵: 59% prefer to arrive at the airport early. Queue-jumping is the biggest annoyance (48%), followed by people blocking seats with their belongings (45%). One in three travellers would always help a fellow passenger stow their luggage. Italians and Germans are the most willing (40%) and Brits the least (22%). 44% say middle armrests should be shared.

Travel hygiene⁶: 26% shower as soon as they get home. 12% leave their suitcase unpacked for up to 3–5 days. 54% pack more than one pair of underwear per day; Americans pack the most (64%). The French pack the lightest, with 14% taking less than one pair a day.

Pablo Caspers, Chief Travel Officer at eDreams ODIGEO, comments: “2026 has underlined that people are increasingly making in-the-moment travel decisions, inspired by major events and once-in-a-lifetime experiences and they want complete peace of mind. That’s why flexibility matters so much. It isn’t just resonating with existing travellers, it’s actively shaping how the next generation chooses to book.”

Looking ahead: 2027 travel predictions

Early searches for 2027 suggest Americans are thinking bigger, bolder trips. Tokyo is the most-searched destination for next year, followed by London, Paris, Orlando and Cancun. Asia features strongly further down the list, with Bangkok, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City and Seoul all appearing in the top 15, alongside perennial favorites Rome, Honolulu and New York City.

Dana Dunne, CEO of eDreams ODIGEO, said: “People’s appetite for travel is as strong as ever, and we expect 2027 to be another big year based on the early signs. Travellers think carefully about where, when and how they book, and they look for real value, which is why subscription travel is gaining ground.”

“This year, agentic AI has moved from idea to reality, opening up new ways for people to discover and book travel. Whether a trip begins by typing, speaking or asking an AI assistant to act, it still has to end in a real booking: live inventory, secure payment and support if plans change. That is the engine we have spent more than a decade building, and our partnerships with Visa and Amazon’s Alexa+ extend it to the places where travellers are starting to plan. For us, every new AI interface is another way to reach our travel subscription engine, so that an appealing suggestion becomes a holiday someone can actually take, wherever the conversation starts.”

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261105118782/en/

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