Virtuoso, the leading global network specializing in luxury and experiential travel, unveiled its latest travel trends during the 38th annual Virtuoso Travel Week. Drawn from proprietary data and ongoing advisor and consumer surveys, the findings show luxury travelers choosing fall over summer, lingering longer and investing more to enjoy destinations at their best, without the crowds.
The Virtuoso network is on pace for a nearly 21 percent increase in year-over-year sales, building on an already strong 2025. Growth is broad-based, with every traveler-origin region up, led by Greater China at 34 percent, the United Kingdom and Ireland at 26 percent, the Middle East and Africa at 24 percent and Continental Europe at 23 percent, with the United States up 21 percent. Hotels lead with a 25 percent increase, followed by cruises at 22 percent, on-sites (destination management companies) at 18 percent and tour operators up 11 percent. Bookings at hotels charging $1,500 or more per night rose 37 percent, more than twice the rate of lower-priced properties. Luxury international hotels now average $1,653 a night and luxury U.S. hotels $1,445, up from $985 and $790 respectively in 2019.
Fall Is the New Summer
With a nod toward decreased temps and fewer crowds, fall is emerging as the “it” time to travel. Virtuoso reports its 2026 autumn bookings up 59 percent and sales up 69 percent. September leads with sales up 77 percent and a 55 percent increase in bookings, while October bookings are up 59 percent and November is up more than 70 percent on both measures. The entire autumn window has shifted from afterthought to headline season.
Europe shows the shift most clearly. Year-to-date sales at Virtuoso’s preferred European hotels are up 39 percent through June. Fall bookings to Europe climbed 49 percent, even as rates rose more than seven percent. Rate growth was sharpest along the French Riviera, which experienced a 179 percent increase, followed by the Greek Isles, at more than 130 percent and Puglia up 78 percent. The “coolcation” has become the “fallcation,” and festive season is following the same arc, with bookings up 65 percent and sales up 56 percent.
Flex in the City: The Rise of “City-Maxxing”
One city is no longer enough. Luxury travelers are stringing destinations together into longer, multicity itineraries that Virtuoso has termed “city-maxxing,” and roughly one in two of these trips crosses an international border. France and Italy are the most common pairing, followed by France and the U.K., then Italy and Switzerland. Italy appears in two of every five multicity routings, anchoring corridors such as Florence, Rome and Venice. Stays are lengthening, and the second home as base camp is bringing branded residences and private villas into the mix.
These itineraries run on private aviation, and demand skews younger, with advisors reporting millennials leading private jet requests, six percent ahead of the global average.
The Confidence Curve
Travelers are booking their big trips further into the future. Virtuoso’s future leisure bookings for one and two years out are up 50 percent, and the pattern is consistent as prices rise: bookings of $50,000 or more are up 47 percent, cruise bookings at that level are up 49 percent and production of $100,000 and above is up 49 percent. Advisors also report a bifurcating market, with 45 percent citing an uptick in requests for ultraluxe travel, from hotels-within-hotels to private members’ clubs with rooms.
Longevity Is the New Luxury
Wellness has moved from amenity to itinerary. Wellness-segmented hotels are outpacing the broader hotel portfolio, with bookings up 28 percent, sales up 44 percent and average daily rates up 23 percent. The category now spans sleep optimization, metabolic health and mental-health retreats, with longevity tourism the breakout segment, pairing medical diagnostics with five-star hospitality.
The AI Paradox
Virtuoso advisors have adopted artificial intelligence quickly, with 74 percent now using it in their business, alongside 70 percent of preferred partners. They have also found its limits. Because the technology draws on similar sources, much AI-generated travel content overlaps, producing repetitive rather than tailored itineraries and contributing to overcrowding at the destinations it recommends.
Human expertise is the beneficiary. Three in four Virtuoso clients cite their advisor’s accommodation and destination expertise as a key benefit, versus fewer than half of travelers advised by others, and 79 percent of luxury travelers say they are open to using an advisor for future trips. Half of Virtuoso advisors surveyed report clients steering away from over-touristed destinations. Algorithm inspiration is giving way to analog escapes, with time, privacy and the ability to disconnect emerging as the ultimate luxuries.
Where Demand Is Building
Virtuoso’s July survey of nearly 800 advisors worldwide showed multigenerational and family travel led the type of trips clients are requesting, followed by premium and luxury ocean cruising and celebration travel. The same survey pointed to a shift in what clients deem most important, as they prioritize bucket-list trips, booking further ahead to secure preferred options and taking fewer but longer, higher-quality trips.
Please access complete findings here.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260827025583/en/
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