As the travel industry looks ahead to 2026, Riviera Travel is already setting the pace. New booking data, customer insight, and website search trends reveal a decisive shift towards culturally immersive, expertly curated holidays that deliver richer experiences with less complexity.
Drawing on thousands of confirmed bookings and in-depth research, Riviera’s analysis shows strong demand for experience-led itineraries that combine depth, value, and seamless planning.
*All details correct at time of publish (09 January 2026)
France, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Morocco continue to rank among Riviera Travel’s most-booked destinations for 2026, while evolving trends across touring, river cruising, and yacht holidays point to significant growth opportunities for travel agents.
These findings closely mirror new research from Kokoro, which highlights the rise of experience-first travel.
Today’s travellers are prioritising stress-free journeys, with a strong preference for regional departures, door-to-door transfers, and luggage handling, all of which Riviera offers and are commissionable to travel agents.
By combining this research with real-time booking behaviour, Riviera Travel has identified seven key trends shaping travel demand in 2026 – all of which are already reflected across its carefully curated product portfolio.
To help agents capitalise on these trends, Riviera Travel is offering 10% off all 2026 departures booked by 16 February, creating a strong incentive for early sales and reinforcing Riviera’s position at the forefront of travel in 2026.
- Astro-Tourism Driving Destination Growth
Interest in astro-tourism continues to grow, with dark-sky destinations and celestial experiences increasingly influencing destination choice.
Insight for agents: Destinations that combine iconic sights with low-light pollution environments are performing strongly with customers, particularly when supported by expert-led itineraries and seamless logistics.
- Classic Egypt: Cairo, Luxor and a Nile river cruise 13 days from £3899 pp
- Jordan & Petra 7 days from £1909 pp
- Athens & Greek Islands Cruise aboard Celestyal Journey 11 days from £2949 pp
- Grand Tour of Costa Rica 17 days from £6499 pp
- Imperial Cities of Morocco Tour | Riviera Travel 8 days from £1379pp
- Set-Jetting Continues to Influence Itinerary Selection
Film and television remain powerful drivers of travel inspiration. Riviera Travel’s most-booked destinations for 2026 align closely with locations popularised through on-screen tourism.
Insight for agents: Screen-inspired itineraries are converting well when positioned as culturally immersive rather than novelty-led, particularly within escorted touring formats.
- Deep South USA Plus Texas 14 days from £4399 pp (Memphis from Elvis)
- Iconic National Parks of America 14 days from £3999 pp (Monument Valley from Forrest Gump)
- The Best of Japan 13 days from £4899 pp (Kyoto from Memoirs of a Geisha)
- A Journey on the Mekong River Cruise 15 days from £4099 pp (Ta Prohm from Tomb Raider)
- Demand Shifts Towards Highly Curated, Manageable Holidays
Booking behaviour shows a preference for shorter, well-structured itineraries. Seven-day holidays dominate Riviera Travel’s website searches, but four-day breaks have grown by 40% year-on-year. This trend is especially recognised among first-time river cruise guests seeking a low-commitment introduction to the product.
Insight for agents: Short-duration cruises and tours are acting as effective entry points for new-to-category customers and represent a strong conversion opportunity.
- Budapest, Bratislava & Vienna: A Danube Discovery River Cruise | Riviera Travel 5 days from £1199pp
- Rhine Gorge & Cologne Discovery river cruise | Riviera Travel 4 days from £899pp
- Paris & Seine Discovery River Cruise 4 days from £849 pp
- Paris Tour 4 days from £559 pp
- Bruges Tour Holidays | Riviera Travel 4 days from £569pp
- Growth in Lesser-Known and Emerging European Regions
The rapid growth of destinations such as Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and the Balkans indicate rising demand for quieter, lesser-visited regions that offer authenticity and relief from overtourism.
Insight for agents: Emerging destinations are gaining traction when supported by strong narrative, expert tour management and limited-access experiences, including yacht cruising and small-ship products.
- Helsinki, Tallinn and Riga 8 days from £1269 pp
- Montenegro: Budva, Cetinje and the Bay of Kotor 8 days from £1799 pp
- Split, Hvar and the Delights of Dalmatia Yacht Cruise 8 days from £1799 pp
- Charms of the Baltics: Helsinki, Tallinn and Riga 8 days from £1679 pp
- Depth and Enrichment Over Pleasure-Seeking
Riviera Travel’s most-visited destinations to date reflect a clear shift towards enrichment-focused holidays rooted in history, heritage, and local culture.
Insight for agents: Travellers are prioritising depth, learning and meaningful engagement over traditional leisure-led travel, reinforcing the appeal of escorted touring and specialist itineraries. Riviera’s Signature Tours offer immersive, meaningful experiences that go far beyond traditional sightseeing.
- The Best of Norway: Oslo to Bergen 8 days from £1269 pp
- Explore the Basque Country: San Sebastian, Burgos & Bilbao 8 days from £2019 pp
- Highlights of South Korea 13 days from £4599 pp
- India and Nepal | Riviera Travel 15 days from £4079pp
- Slow Travel Gains Momentum
Slow travel continues to resonate with customers valuing the journey as much as the destination. There’s a growing appeal for people seeking a gentler, more unhurried style of exploration.
Insight for agents: River cruising remains a key beneficiary of this trend, offering scenic travel with minimal logistical burden. Products that balance exploration with downtime, particularly daytime sailing itineraries, are well positioned to capture demand from older and experience-led travellers.
- The Blue Danube River Cruise 8 days from £1899 pp
- Rhine and Moselle River Cruise | Riviera Travel 8 days from £2099pp
- Burgundy, the River Rhone and Provence River Cruise – Riviera Travel 8 days from £1849pp
- Solo Travel Moves Further into the Mainstream
Solo travel continues to outperform, with Riviera Travel seeing a 33% year-on-year increase in solo bookings and a 25% rise across Europe. The MS George Eliot, the industry’s first river cruise ship dedicated exclusively to solo travellers, positions Riviera firmly at the forefront of this growing segment.
Insight for agents: Purpose-built solo products, transparent pricing and no single supplements are driving strong early bookings and repeat custom for 2026 and beyond.
- Malta Uncovered for solo travellers 8 days from £1479 pp
- Classical Spain for Solo Travellers 7 days from £1529 pp
- Amsterdam, Kinderdijk and the Dutch Bulbfields River Cruise for solo travellers | Riviera Travel 5 days from £1799 pp
- Rhine Cruise to Switzerland for Solo Travellers | Riviera Travel 8 days from £2599 pp
- Cruise the Heart of Europe: Journey along the Rhine, Main and Danube for Solo Travellers 15 days from £5599 pp
Vicky Billing, Trade and Partnerships Director UK & Ireland at Riviera Travel, said:
“Our booking data gives travel agents a really clear opportunity to convert demand into bookings. Travellers are actively looking for culturally rich experiences, but they want the reassurance of expert planning and great value, and that’s where agents can truly add value.
“By recommending trusted, well-curated itineraries such as our river cruises, multi-country tours or new destinations, agents can confidently meet customer expectations while securing higher-value bookings.
“These trend insights help agents start more meaningful conversations and position themselves as the Riviera experts their customers can rely on.”
Click here for more updates from Riviera Travel on Travel Pursuit UK!
