The new-age traveller is looking beyond just sightseeing, to include experiences focused on personal tastes. The travel bucket list now spans supermarket aisles, cosmic calendars, sci-fi homes, glow-up escapes and memory-driven pilgrimages. Here’s a list that’s redefining wanderlust.
Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2026 suggests ‘shelf discovery’ has become a global phenomenon, where travellers explore a country through its snack shelves, chilled beverage fridges, local ingredients and artisan staples. The Skyscanner report estimates nearly 8 in 10 Indian travellers visit local supermarkets when travelling abroad, while 73% make a stop at convenience stores to discover local staples. And for the aficionados (60%), it’s more than just shopping, it’s the ultimate cultural deep dive, a sensory adventure where every shelf tells a story and every flavour becomes a memory. So from regional KitKat in Japan, tapas in Spain, gourmet cheeses and skincare in France, olive oil and pasta in Italy, fiery dips in northern Thailand, or teas and ayurvedic products in India, supermarkets are must stops.
The trend is also gaining relevance among travel agents who are adding ‘grocery exploration’ to city tours, hotels are collaborating with local stores for tastings and food brands are rethinking product placements for traveller visibility.
Neel Ghose, Skyscanner travel trends and destinations expert, says, “What we’re seeing is that Indian travellers are gravitating towards deeper cultural connections and experiences. Social media, particularly authentic video guides, are inspiring wanderlust and shaping how people choose their next destination. The surge in searches for places like Jorhat and Jaffna reflect a desire to explore relatively lesser-known gems, rich in heritage and local flavour. This shows how travellers are becoming more intentional and strategic in their choices for 2026.”
Hyper-Niche Exploration
With romance-fantasy literature and fantasy gaming booming, 2026 is also the year travellers step inside their favourite fictional universes and destinations that mirror the aesthetic of dragon realms, whimsical forests and mythical landscapes.
According to Booking.com data, 91% of Indian travellers are interested in visiting a destination inspired by romantasy, and 79% would join role-play retreats rooted in fantasy games or films. Technology is strengthening this trend with over 90% open to AI-powered suggestions that match fantasy aesthetics or identify storybook stays and real-world filming sites.
Santosh Kumar, regional manager, South Asia, Booking.com, says, “Journeys are now built around interests that were once considered too niche or personal to explore.
Technology as the Co-Pilot
Travellers are using trips to test their relationships, step into fantasy worlds, transform their homes through culinary souvenirs and reimagine familiar experiences like road trips and vacation rentals with cutting-edge technology.”
In 2026, vacation rentals evolve from cosy retreats into robotic-enhanced spaces called “humanoid homes”. Booking.com data suggests 94% of Indians are ready to book them, drawn by the blend of comfort and novelty. Cleaning bots, robotic chefs and sustainability bots are some aspects travellers are excited about. For others, it’s bragging rights and the thrill of living in a home straight out of science fiction. These futuristic stays redefine hospitality-part convenience, part curiosity, entirely ahead of their time.
Another trend highlights how road trips are transforming into a social, tech-enabled adventure. With 97% of Indian travellers open to carpooling, shared journeys are redefining spontaneity and accessibility. AI plays co-pilot, with 86% using it to map scenic, offbeat routes. Younger travellers are bold, 87% of Gen Z are open to self-drive or AI-shaped itineraries.
There is also skin-specific travel called ‘glow-cations’ trips tailored to personal skincare needs. Features such as circadian lighting suites, smart mirrors and high-tech treatments turn vacations into full-body reset rituals.
More Indians want vacations that bring them closer to nature, with rising interest in quiet pursuits like bird watching, fishing, foraging, and insect spotting. Nostalgia-driven travel is an important aspect of the 2026 bucket list. With AI-enabled photo mapping, travellers can locate the exact spot where a childhood photo was taken or revisit places tied to milestones and memories.
