Scott Dunn reveals What's Hot for 2026

Dear James,

Global tour operator Scott Dunn is delighted to share what’s trending for 2026, informed by their recent client guest survey and trusted supplier feedback. 

News from Scott Dunn includes its ninth Explorers Kids Club at Sun Gardens, Dubrovnik - offering expertly tailored childcare, designed for children from four months to 11+ years - as well as launching new teenage focused itineraries, to cater for this largely underrepresented but highly influential demographic. 

Please see further details below, and I do hope this might be of interest.

Best wishes,

Eve 

SCOTT DUNN PRESENTS ‘WHAT’S HOT’ FOR 2026

Scott Dunn, one of the world’s leading luxury tour operators unveils the travel trends shaping 2026 - from conscious cuisine becoming the new fine dining, the power of teenagers’ ‘pester power’ influencing family holiday destinations to a growing appetite for nocturnal adventures.

“The world is changing and so too are our guests’ travel behaviours. Shoulder season is now peak season in many destinations, booking windows are shortening, and value continues to be of the utmost importance. We predict that in 2026, luxury travellers will be seeking safety and space more than ever before in the destinations they travel to, embracing under-explored regions and nocturnal excursions free from overcrowding, reconnecting with the world through quiet wildlife encounters and conscious culinary experiences.” - Simon Lynch, Scott Dunn’s Global Product & Strategy Director.

TRENDS TO WATCH

TEENS SET THE FAMILY TRAVEL AGENDA

“At Scott Dunn, we’ve spent the past four decades planning every type of family holiday you can think of and one thing has become clear: teenagers are sorely underserved and quite often forgotten entirely by luxury travel brands. We’re changing that in 2026 by launching new itineraries and experiences designed for and by our teenage guests” comments Simon Lynch, Scott Dunn’s Global Product & Strategy Director.

Research from Scott Dunn’s 2025 survey of their teenage guests and parents reveals teens’ Pester Power, as they emerge as the strongest influencers in family travel decisions:

• Over 70% are proactively giving their parents ideas on where to go
• Nearly 40% have successfully changed parents’ minds on destination choice
• 80% use TikTok and Instagram for inspiration, while 60% also seek recommendations from friends
• More than 50% say travel decisions are made collectively as a family

The dream destinations named by teens include Thailand, South Africa, Australia, Greece and Costa Rica, with the Maldives ranking as the most sought-after beach escape. Informed by this research, Scott Dunn will be launching a series of new itineraries in 2026 centered around independent experiences curated just for teenagers.

New for 2026: Scott Dunn will open a new Explorers Kids Club at Sun Gardens Dubrovnik next Spring, offering tailored experiences for children aged 4 months up to 11+ years. A unique Crew programme designed just for teenagers will include activities such as boat trips to nearby Lopud Island and kayaking excursions around Dubrovnik’s ancient city walls. 

Simon Meeke, Head of Scott Dunn Explorers comments: “Today’s parents don’t just want time to themselves, they want to see their children happy, connected, and growing. Our Scott Dunn Explorers Kids Clubs and teen-only Crew programme at select resorts enable families to embrace the idea of a relaxing, joyful family holiday without compromise – whatever age and stage of life their children are at.”

CONSCIOUS CUISINE IS THE NEW FINE DINING

“Culinary experiences have always been a huge motivator for our guests’ travels, but we’re seeing a shift towards ‘conscious cuisine’: luxury travellers choosing authentic experiences that connect them with the destination they’re in, be it a culturally informed food tour, meals with locals hosted within their homes, or hands-on cooking classes that start on the farm and end around a communal table”, notes Simon Lynch, Global Product & Strategy Director.

Scott Dunn is connecting guests with unexpected food experiences through local insiders who bring the culinary memories and traditions of a destination to life. These experiences include foraging for native plants in the high-altitude plateaus of Peru’s Sacred Valley at the MIL Food Lab and meeting pioneering female cheesemaker Marisol Martinez at her quesería on a riverside farm in Chile’s Lake District, to uncovering Phnom Penh’s vibrant street food scene with Vanarith Nop, a young local guide who grew up fishing and foraging native plants with his grandparents in the jungle of Koh Kong province.

Luxury hotels that offer farm-to-fork culinary stays are also in high demand, from journeying back to 19th century farm living at Babylonstoren in South Africa, picking fragrant medicinal herbs in Tuscany’s Borgo Pignano, or sharing a meal of homegrown Scottish produce at the communal kitchen of Wildland’s Killiehuntly Farmhouse, slow cooked in the cottage’s AGA. Fine dining still has a hold over luxury travellers, but Scott Dunn’s gourmand guests are becoming more selective, choosing restaurants with strong sustainability credentials such as the 600+ restaurants worldwide that have now achieved a Green Michelin Star. 

WELLNESS EXTENDS TO THE MINI BAR

Not only are luxury travellers becoming more conscious of their food provenance, they are increasingly choosing to abstain from alcohol while travelling, as awareness grows of the negative health effects of drinking and its impacts on longevity. ‘Dry tourism’ is on the rise and luxury hotels are responding by adapting their offering. Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in South Africa, the lodge’s classic 5-course tasting menu now offers a wine pairing alternative of alcohol-free botanical drinks, whilst Amsterdam's acclaimed Restaurant Flore, the Michelin Green-Starred dining destination at Hotel De L’Europe Amsterdam, offers an expertly crafted house-made juice pairing as an alternative to wine.

CROWD-FREE NOCTURNAL EXCURSIONS

“The allure of nocturnal excursions is more appealing than ever before, as our guests increasingly request experiences that involve venturing out by night to avoid the crowds and embrace the silence - be it under the stars of a pollution-free sky or guided by the glow of the Midnight Sun.” - Simon Lynch, Global Product & Strategy Director.

Dive into an underwater world illuminated by bioluminescent plankton in the waters of Bawah Reserve in Indonesia by night. Kayak through the Norwegian fjords with scenery to rival Patagonia under the bright light of the Midnight Sun. Witness nature transform under the cover of darkness on a guided night safari in Zambia’s South Luangwa. Track elusive jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal after dusk when they are most active. Stop and listen to the sounds of nature on a guided moonlit walk through the Ecuadorian cloud forest. 

QUIET WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS

Ali Holman, Scott Dunn’s Destination Manager for Africa & Wildlife, comments: “We’re seeing a shift away from the ‘Big Five’ bucket-list style safaris, as luxury travellers place increasing value on ‘quiet’ wildlife encounters with lesser-known species, in less crowded national parks and reserves where space, sustainable practices, and the wonder of unexpected wildlife sightings create a more meaningful experience.”

As an alternative to the Great Migration, Scott Dunn guests are venturing to Zambia’s remote Liuwa Plain National Park - home to the second largest wildebeest migration in Africa and only one permanent camp, King Lewanika Lodge, allowing for secluded wildlife encounters unlike anywhere else. Swapping Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park for lesser-visited Kumana National Park, travellers are embracing the mobile tented camp experience at Kumana Under Canvas where leopard sightings reward patient explorers. In India, guests will be travelling beyond Rajasthan’s palaces and tigers as the lesser-explored national parks of Central and Eastern India take centre stage in 2026: andBeyond will debut a new expedition in Singalila National Park, offering a chance to track rare red pandas and tigers along the India–Nepal border. 

NEW WAVE RAIL AND SAIL

Simon Lynch, Global Product & Strategy Director comments: “The cruise boom isn’t going anywhere as some of the world’s most iconic hospitality brands launch a series of new luxury ships in 2026 designed with ‘cruise curious’ guests in mind: small, exclusive, experience-led. The interest from luxury travellers is strong - we’ve seen huge growth in cruise bookings from a diverse range of guests who are combining a journey at sea with tailored land-based experiences using Scott Dunn’s network of local guides and hotel partners.”

• Scott Dunn’s global cruise bookings jumped 71% year-over-year in 2025
• The demographics travelling on cruises are varied: 23% of cruise booking made last year included children and 8% were solo travellers
• Rail travel is seeing a similar resurgence, with Scott Dunn rail bookings up 14% year-over-year

New luxury ships are opening up more opportunities for remote adventures in 2026. Explora Journey’s new Explora III sets sail in the summer of 2026 and will be heading for Asia the following year, arriving in Japan just in time for the autumn colours in September 2027. Aqua Lares sets off on its inaugural sailing season around the Seychelles' Inner Islands in 2026, where guests will encounter the world’s largest population of giant tortoises. 

Merging the worlds of rail and cruise travel, the Orient Express Corinthian yacht will set sail in the Mediterranean for the 2026 summer season, with itineraries as short as two nights making this the perfect taster experience for cruise-curious travellers. The brand’s La Dolce Vita Orient Express marked a milestone for luxury rail travel when it launched in 2025. In Australia, luxury train The Ghan will debut two new luxurious suites in April 2026, featuring queen-sized beds, expansive lounges, personalized butler service, and private in-suite dining.

HOW THE 1% ARE TRAVELLING IN 2026

“When it comes to UHNW travellers, there really are no distinct trends in terms of the destinations they visit, however our members are increasingly united by one common motivation: a desire to reconnect with their purpose. The 1% are seeking life-changing journeys and we are the conduits, be it pushing boundaries on a guided high mountain trekking expedition through New Zealand or participating as a family in biodiversity restoration projects in Costa Rica” comments Jules Maury, Head of Scott Dunn Private - the brand’s invite-only membership service for UHNW travellers.

No longer satisfied with simply donating money to the causes they care about, UHNW travellers are embracing the citizen science movement, increasingly requesting hands-on involvement with grassroots nature restoration, wildlife conservation, and community engagement projects in the destinations they visit. 

Privacy and security are also of the utmost importance to the UHNW traveller and Scott Dunn Private members are choosing the understated luxury of a private home or residence in favour of lavish presidential suites for their travels in 2026 and beyond. This demand is being met by luxury hotels who are developing private residence-style accommodation, from La Reserve’s new Florentine palazzo which will house six private apartments to The Newt in Somerset’s new Yarlington private home. Exclusive-use properties are also in demand, be it an understated private family-owned island off the coast of Finland or the new Eleven Winterlake Lodge opening in Alaska’s backcountry.

WESTERN CANADA & ALASKA

With Canada preparing to host the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver and Toronto, 2026 is set to be a pivotal year for the destination. Bookings from the UK market are already up 8% year-on-year, as Scott Dunn guests embrace the vast, wild landscapes of British Columbia, staying in adventure lodges with wildlife at the heart of the experience. Recently opened Fawn Bluff is becoming a fast favourite, while the highly anticipated Eleven Winterlake Lodge in Alaska opening in 2026 will be the perfect off-grid adventure add-on to Canadian itineraries.

ROUTE 66, USA

2026 promises to be a landmark year as the USA celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed and 100 years since the iconic Route 66 was opened. A weakening dollar against the pound and more competitive airfares are also working in the country’s favour, with Scott Dunn guests spending and booking more ambitious itineraries to the USA than at any point since pre-Covid.

ITALY

Consistently Scott Dunn’s most-booked tailor-made destination in Europe, Italy is set to benefit from huge luxury hospitality investment in 2026. Exciting new openings include Mandarin Oriental Rome, Rosewood Milan, Four Seasons Danieli, Venice and Mandarin Oriental Cristallo in Cortina to name a few. Plus, the halo effect of the 2026 Cortina-Milano Winter Olympics in February will shine a spotlight on the Dolomites for ski fanatics and alpine hikers.

OMAN

Scott Dunn’s guests are exploring Oman’s ancient cities and wild landscapes more deeply, with the most-booked experiences in 2025 including locally guided tours of Muscat, Sur and Nizwa. In mid-2026, The Malkai will open, offering a trilogy of new pavilion-style tented camps – from the Al Hajar mountains to the Sharqiyah Sands – with experiences such as hot air balloon flights over the desert, snorkelling at Dimaniyat, and stargazing safaris.

MADAGASCAR

Taking advantage of Emirates’ recent increase in flights from Dubai via the Seychelles, Madagascar is becoming more accessible than ever for luxury travellers. With a rising interest from guests in conservation-focused experiences, Scott Dunn will be connecting travellers to local biodiversity and nature conservation efforts on the island such as Time + Tide Foundation. 

CENTRAL & EASTERN INDIA

In addition to andBeyond’s new red panda and tiger tracking expedition along the India–Nepal border, the impeccably restored Oberoi Rajgarh Palace will pair heritage and wildlife experiences, opening its doors to guests seeking uncrowded tiger safaris in Panna National Park and visits to the UNESCO-listed Khajuraho temples.

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