Where to Travel in 2026: Destinations Defining the Year Ahead

As travel continues to evolve beyond bucket lists and bragging rights, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of intention. According to Condé Nast Traveller’s latest forecast, the next wave of travel is about emotional resonance, regeneration, slower rhythms, and places that feel deeply lived-in rather than merely visited.

From remote islands to storied European estates, these JVPR clients perfectly capture the spirit of the year ahead - and show exactly where travellers should be heading in 2026.

2026 trend: Rewinding travel and true remoteness

Travellers are no longer satisfied with “off the beaten path”, they want places that feel almost untouched, where nature dictates the pace and luxury is measured in space, silence and stewardship.

• Voaara Madagascar delivers one of the purest forms of barefoot luxury anywhere in the world. Set within a protected coastal ecosystem, it reflects CNT’s emphasis on regenerative travel; experiences that give back more than they take.

• Voaara Grenadines (opening late 2026) will answer the growing desire for privacy without excess. Accessible only by boat, it embodies 2026’s move toward low-density, high-impact escapes.

• The Brando remains the benchmark for sustainable luxury, blending pioneering environmental innovation with Polynesian culture- exactly the kind of future-facing destination CNT predicts will lead the next decade.

2026 trend: Transformational wellness journeys

Wellness travel is evolving from indulgent spa breaks into structured, purposeful resets - grounded in science, nature, and cultural wisdom.

• Palazzo Fiuggi exemplifies the rise of medical-grade wellness in Europe, where longevity, diagnostics and holistic therapies converge in a historic Italian setting.

• Aleenta Resorts & Spa offers destination-led wellbeing, with immersive programmes shaped by Thailand’s natural landscapes and healing traditions.

2026 trend: Living like a local - beautifully

Europe isn’t going anywhere, but how travellers experience it is changing. CNT highlights a shift away from packed itineraries toward residential-style stays that allow guests to inhabit a place rather than tour it.

• Domaine de Murtoli and A Mandria di Murtoli invite guests into Corsican life, where farming, food and landscape define the experience.

• Palazzo Avino shows how classic destinations can feel new again when approached with intimacy and restraint.

• Henry’s Townhouse speaks to CNT’s “urban nesting” trend: townhouses that feel private, personal and profoundly un-hotel-like.

2026 trend: Hotels as cultural connectors

In 2026, design isn’t about spectacle - it’s about storytelling. CNT points to hotels that act as cultural platforms, celebrating local creativity and identity.

• El Ganzo merges contemporary art, music and architecture, making culture the main event rather than an add-on.

2026 trend: Hotels as modern gathering places

CNT forecasts a resurgence of glamour with purpose: hotels that bring people together, blending hospitality with dining, fashion and social energy.

• The Mark Hotel remains a cultural anchor of New York life, where hospitality intersects with fashion and art.

• Fouquet’s New York channels Parisian spirit with downtown edge, aligning perfectly with 2026’s appetite for cross-cultural sophistication.

• The Colony Hotel Palm Beach proves that personality-driven hotels - joyful, expressive and unapologetically themselves - are exactly what travellers are craving again.