On 12 August, a total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of Spain. Valencia, Palma Mallorca, and Ibiza will fall into shadow for a few precious minutes. And thousands of British holidaymakers are already planning to be there when it happens.
This isn’t your parents’ package holiday.
A survey of 2,000 British travellers reveals a fundamental shift in how we choose where to go. More than half—52%—plan to visit a country they’ve never seen before this year. The same proportion intend to take two or more trips. For a lucky 6%, that number climbs above five.
But the real story isn’t in the frequency. It’s in the motivation.
The eclipse-chasers represent what researchers are calling ‘dark sky tourism’—a trend driven largely by Gen Z, TikTok, and a surging interest in astronomy and astrophotography. Where 2025 belonged to astrology, 2026 appears to belong to actual stars. Europeans are seeking out designated dark sky locations, and destinations once valued for beaches are now being marketed for their celestial visibility.
Travel writer Nigel Thompson, who co-authored the latest trends report from easyJet and easyJet holidays, sees something deeper at work. “We’re seeing travellers plan around passions and purpose – whether that’s spirituality, culture, sport or nature. It looks like 2026 is about meaning as much as mobility, but value remains a key factor.”
That purpose-driven approach shows up across generations, though in strikingly different ways.
Parents with pre-school children are cramming in trips before term-time restrictions bite. At the other end, so-called ‘Home Alone’ parents—those whose adult children can house-sit or mind the pets—are rediscovering their freedom to travel. In between, younger travellers are embracing what the report labels ‘Gen-P’: pilgrimage routes across Europe like Santiago de Compostela and Lourdes, blending spirituality with culture and connection.
The shift isn’t just philosophical. It’s geographical too.
Longer short-haul flights—those five to six-hour journeys that once felt like a commitment—are becoming routine. Tunisia has seen a 12% increase in UK travellers this year, with the lesser-known island of Djerba gaining particular traction. The Georgian capital of Tbilisi is emerging as a city break destination thanks to new direct routes. Morocco, Turkey, and Cyprus—the outer edge of what most Brits consider ‘short haul’—have seen bookings jump 21% compared to last year.
Distance, it seems, matters less when the destination offers something you can’t find closer to home.
“We’re always looking at ways our customers plan book and holiday and can already see some shifts in customer behaviour, like longer short-haul routes growing in popularity and technology playing a greater role both in making unfamiliar destinations feel accessible and helping us operate efficiently to keep fares low and journeys seamless,” said Kenton Jarvis, easyJet’s CEO. “It is great to see more people exploring new destinations, using new technology in innovative ways and seeking out alternative experiences and I am proud of the part easyJet continues to play in helping to shape how each generation travels, while always aiming to make travel easy and accessible for all.”
That technology is reshaping the planning process in ways both profound and peculiar. Almost half of holidaymakers—49%—now use what’s being called a ‘try before you fly’ approach: watching vlogs, donning VR headsets, or virtually wandering streets via Google to scout destinations before committing. Nearly a quarter of Brits (22%) are embracing translation technology abroad, giving them confidence to venture beyond English-speaking comfort zones.
The irony is hard to miss. We’re using more technology to plan holidays where many of us want less of it. One identified trend is ‘sun-without-screen’: travellers actively seeking ways to reduce screen time through analogue experiences. The digital world enables the escape from the digital world.
Cultural moments are driving bookings in predictable but powerful ways. The return of *The White Lotus* to Europe is expected to trigger another wave of screen-led travel around southern France. Over a quarter of Brits (28%) admit they’d pick a destination based on television, books, or film. The report dubs this ‘Canon Country tourism’—visiting places made famous through literature, from Shakespeare’s Verona to Hemingway’s Pamplona.
Sport is proving an equally strong draw, though not always in expected ways.
With the 2026 World Cup taking place across the Atlantic, football fans are looking for cheaper, closer alternatives—watching matches in fan zones across Europe rather than flying to North America. Meanwhile, the padel phenomenon is spawning an entirely new category of sports holiday. One in ten Brits are now trying padel or pickleball while abroad, particularly in Spain where padel’s popularity has eclipsed tennis in many regions.
Some are funding these trips through creative means. ‘Wardrobe wanderlust’ describes the practice of selling clothes on Vinted, Depop, or eBay to build travel budgets—decluttering and financing adventure simultaneously. Others are joining community-organised trips led by travel content creators, taking online influence offline.
Garry Wilson, CEO at easyJet Holidays, observed the intentionality shaping these decisions. “In 2026, there’s a clear desire to make holidays count,” he noted. “We’re seeing customers become far more intentional about how and when they travel, whether that’s getting away before everyday routines take over, switching off from screens, or planning trips around meaningful moments you simply can’t recreate at home.”
“From community organised trips to experience-led breaks, people are prioritising connection, wellbeing and memories that last, not just time away. At easyJet Holidays, we’re focused on supporting customers with flexible options and a wide choice of destinations, helping them plan holidays that fit around what matters most to them.”
The trends paint a portrait of travellers who know what they want and why they want it. Not just sun, but specific experiences. Not just abroad, but meaningful. Not just away, but toward something—whether that’s a solar eclipse, a pilgrimage route, a padel court, or a location glimpsed through a television screen.
What remains unclear is whether these purpose-driven holidays represent a lasting shift or a post-pandemic correction—a period of making up for lost time and lost experiences. The data shows intent. The bookings show follow-through. Whether this becomes the new normal or a distinctive moment in British travel history won’t be clear until well after that August eclipse passes over Spain.
By then, the dark sky tourists will have moved on to their next celestial event. And the rest of us will be wondering where we haven’t been yet, and what we’re missing.
