What do Australians want from their next holiday? A proper break, more value for their money or something that shakes up their usual routine? The travel trends for 2027 suggest all three could be on the agenda.
Booking.com and Skyscanner have released their predictions for the year ahead, covering everything from choosing destinations based on mood to switching off our phones and reconsidering what makes a holiday package good value. There are some wonderfully over-the-top trend names involved, of course. But underneath the marketing are useful clues for destinations, accommodation providers and tourism businesses – including those welcoming families.
Both reports include Australian research, although neither focuses exclusively on family travel. Here are the findings that caught our attention, and what we think they could mean for the industry.
Travellers are choosing how they want to feel
Booking.com found that 78% of Australian travellers would choose a holiday destination primarily based on how they want to feel. Another 73% would use a search tool that recommends destinations based on their mood. Its “Vibe Check(In)” prediction puts emotion near the start of the planning process. Before deciding where to go, travellers might be thinking about whether they need rest, adventure or time to reconnect.
For tourism businesses, our take is that this creates room to tell a more useful story about the experience.
Room features and facilities still matter. But showing guests how a stay could help them unwind, try something new or spend time together gives those features a purpose. For families, that might mean an easy dinner after a big day out, space for teenagers to relax or a morning when nobody needs to rush anywhere.
The opportunity is to help people picture the holiday they actually need.
Value means having more choice about what you pay for
Booking.com’s Australian research found that 73% of travellers find packages appealing when they can remove services they don’t expect to use. That’s an interesting challenge for the idea that adding more inclusions automatically makes an offer more attractive.
A package can sound generous and still miss the mark. An activity has limited value if the children don’t meet the minimum age, while an included drinks package might hold little appeal for someone who rarely drinks. This doesn’t spell the end of the all-inclusive holiday but it does suggest that flexibility deserves attention.
Our take for operators is to make the value easy to understand. Explain what’s included, who it suits and what guests can change. For parents comparing family packages, clear information about children’s ages, meal inclusions and activity restrictions could make that decision much easier.
Exchange rates are influencing destination choices
Skyscanner’s Australian findings show that 31% of travellers have switched destinations to take advantage of better exchange rates. Its “Currency Chasers” trend highlights how travellers are thinking about what their money can buy once they arrive.
For tourism businesses, our interpretation is that value needs to be explained across the whole experience. Accommodation prices are only one part of the calculation; meals, transport and activities also shape what a holiday costs. That becomes particularly relevant when parents are multiplying those expenses across a family.
Clear package pricing, useful information about local costs and straightforward explanations of children’s charges could help travellers compare their options with more confidence. A tempting headline price can attract attention. Helping people understand the full cost gives them something more useful to work with.
Switching off has appeal, even if it takes practice
Skyscanner calls its off-grid trend “Signal Severance”. In its Australian research, 57% of travellers say they’d feel more present going off-grid, while 56% say they’d feel closer to loved ones. However, 41% admit it takes time to clear their head before they can stop checking their phone on holiday.
That last finding adds a useful dose of reality. Wanting to disconnect and finding it easy are two different things. Our take for operators is to make switching off enjoyable. Guided walks, craft workshops, wildlife experiences or an evening around a campfire can give guests something engaging to do together.
For family tourism, the opportunity could be as simple as creating moments everyone wants to join in with. Parents included. There’s no need to turn the entire holiday into a battle over screen time. Giving people a good reason to put their phones away sounds like a more promising starting point.
Wellbeing is showing up in everyday holiday choices
Skyscanner’s Australian “Gym-cation” findings suggest that fitness and food preferences are travelling with people. Some 61% of Australian travellers say they are likely to book a hotel offering nutritional-performance breakfast options, while 22% actively prioritise hotels with on-site fitness facilities.
Booking.com adds another angle: 61% of Australian travellers say at least one health, body or lifestyle change has influenced their choice of holiday destination or activities in recent years.
For businesses, our reading is that wellbeing can be supported through practical choices throughout a stay. Breakfast options, information about walking routes and opportunities to keep moving could all play a part. For families, that might mean activities with different difficulty levels or dining choices that work for adults and children. A parent might want a morning run, a teenager might enjoy a bike ride and someone else might be perfectly happy beside the pool.
There’s room to accommodate those preferences without turning the holiday into a fitness retreat.
History and culture have a place on the itinerary
Skyscanner’s Australian traveller snapshot found that 40% plan to visit historical attractions in 2027, while 35% plan to explore a museum or gallery. For attractions and destinations, those intentions offer a reason to think carefully about how history and culture are presented.
Our take is that a strong story can help visitors find a personal connection with a place. A guide who brings an event to life, an opportunity to try a traditional craft or an experience led by local people could make a visit more memorable. For families, the same principle applies across different ages. Hands-on activities and room for questions can give children and teenagers a way into a subject.
A historical attraction becomes much more interesting when visitors understand the people and stories behind it.
Australians are open to surprising themselves
Booking.com found that 73% of Australian travellers are interested in choosing a holiday specifically to do something out of character. Its “Plot Twist Trip” prediction suggests there may be an audience willing to step beyond their usual holiday habits.
For operators, our interpretation is that it could be worth showing newcomers how approachable an experience can be. Explain what a first visit involves, what support is available and how much experience guests need. For families, trying something different could mean a camping weekend for the usual resort crowd, a city break for beach lovers or a guided adventure for parents who normally organise everything themselves.
The change doesn’t have to be dramatic to feel like an adventure.
What these travel trends for 2027 could mean for tourism
Our reading of the two reports is that travellers want more say in how their holidays work: what they spend on, how they use their time and what they get out of the experience.
For tourism businesses, that could mean more flexible packages, clearer pricing and better explanations of who an experience suits. For those welcoming families, it also means recognising that parents, children and teenagers can want different things from the same trip. Making room for those differences could help an offer stand out.
A useful starting point is to look at the experience through a guest’s eyes. Can they understand the cost, picture their days and see how the holiday will meet their needs? Sometimes that will mean a new adventure. Sometimes it’ll mean a pool, an easy dinner and absolutely nothing booked for tomorrow morning.
About the research: Booking.com’s Travel Predictions 2027 research surveyed 28,230 adults across 32 countries and territories, including 1,009 Australians, in July–August 2026. Participants planned to travel for business or leisure in the following 12-24 months. Skyscanner’s Australian report combines search data and other insights with a OnePoll survey of 2,000 Australian travellers conducted on 1-9 June 2026. These findings describe reported behaviour, preferences and intentions. Business and family applications in this article are FHD’s editorial interpretation.
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