South Africans are opting for calmer, shorter, and more meaningful holidays in 2026. From wellness-focused ocean escapes to spontaneous last-minute trips, travellers are prioritising experiences that restore calm, strengthen family ties, and embrace flexibility.
Star-spotting, set-jetting, and digital detox holidays remain popular, proving past travel trend predictions were on point. Sunsail, a global yacht charter company, has analysed its bookings alongside other operators’ research to identify emerging travel patterns for 2026.
Sunsail’s expert holiday planners and Katrina Lawson, head of brand and acquisitions at Sunsail, say the main trends include blue health escapes, shorter holidays, last-minute bookings, and multi-generational travel.
Recent research from Skyscanner shows 84% of travellers plan to travel the same or more in 2026, emphasising purposeful trips that reflect personal passions, self-expression, and immersive experiences.
Booking.com notes: "Silence will be golden in 2026", as travellers look to swap the noise of daily life and distractions of an overstimulating world for the soothing stillness of nature to restore their sense of calm.
Online searches for “quiet holidays in the sun” have soared by 100% in the last year. With global wellness tourism already valued at over $1 trillion, blue health escapes—also called blue mind breaks—are expected to grow further. These trips offer psychological benefits, including stress reduction, improved mood, and enhanced focus.
Experiences like sailing, which connect travellers to the ocean and offer island-hopping opportunities, are particularly appealing. It comes as over-tourism spikes in popular travel destinations, and more than a third of travellers now actively seek quieter destinations, visiting popular spots only in shoulder season.
Short, flexible breaks
Sunsail data shows a shift toward shorter sailing holidays: seven-night trips remain the most popular, but six-day bookings are up 38% and five-day trips up 24% year-on-year. Travellers are choosing flexible, shorter getaways over longer holidays, often splitting annual leave between home and travel to reduce stress and maintain frequency.
Last-minute freedom
Strong last-minute bookings for December and January reflect post-Covid remote working flexibility and a desire for spontaneity, especially among younger travellers. Sunsail reports a 69% increase in online searches for "last minute sun holidays” over three months.
Multi-generational travel on the rise
Family holidays are evolving. Beyond grandparents helping parents, multi-generational trips allow families to share costs, responsibilities, and quality time. The Globe Trender’s ‘Whycation’ predicts holidays will increasingly focus on strengthening relationships rather than ticking off bucket-list destinations.
Family Holidays 2.0 are growing, with young adults living at home or returning after university joining parents on trips they might not otherwise afford.
South Africans reflect global patterns
Search data indicates South Africans will match or exceed 2025 levels of travel in 2026, booking more domestic and international trips, last-minute getaways, and immersive, meaningful family experiences.
