The way people book holidays is changing. And the data behind it is worth paying attention to.
Across the industry, travellers are no longer starting with a destination. They are starting with a feeling. A purpose. A passion. And then finding the place that fits.
Pilgrimage routes are filling up. TV-inspired stays are driving enquiries. Active holidays built around sports like padel, pickleball, and hiking are growing faster than most in the industry expected.
This is not a niche movement. It is a direction. And it has real booking potential for 2026 and into 2027.
TL;DR
- Pilgrimage travel is booming. Over 530,000 pilgrims completed the Camino de Santiago in 2025, and 2026 numbers are expected to grow ahead of the 2027 Holy Year
- Screen-inspired travel is projected to become an £8 billion industry in the US alone. 81% of Gen Z and millennial travellers plan trips based on what they have watched
- Padel and pickleball holidays are a growing category, especially in Spain. One in 10 British travellers now try racket sports while on holiday
- The common thread: clients are building holidays around what they care about, not where they want to go
- Agents who specialise in one angle and build visible expertise around it tend to generate stronger enquiries
Pilgrimage Routes Are Having a Moment
The Camino de Santiago is no longer a footnote in travel brochures. It is a mainstream booking category.
In 2025, over 530,000 pilgrims collected their Compostela certificate in Santiago de Compostela. That is a record. Women made up 53% of all pilgrims. And the motivations have evolved. Fewer than half walked for religious reasons. The rest were there for fitness, personal reflection, time in nature, or to mark a life transition.
EasyJet’s 2026 travel report calls this the rise of “Gen-P” travellers. Younger and midlife adults drawn to historic pilgrimage routes across Europe. Not for traditional religious purposes, but for meaning, connection, and an intentional pause from everyday life.
The most popular starting point is Sarria, where nearly a third of all Camino pilgrims begin. This is the gateway to the final 100km of the French Way, which qualifies walkers for the Compostela certificate. It takes five to six days. Accommodation costs range from around €10 per night in municipal hostels to €40-80 for private rooms. Total budget for the final 100km section sits around £200-400.
2027 is the next Xacobeo Holy Year on the Camino. Tour operators and pilgrimage specialists are already filling dates. For agents, 2026 is a good time to start building this into the mix.
The Booking Angle
The Camino is not the only pilgrimage route gaining traction. Lourdes, the Via Francigena in Italy, and the St Olav’s Way in Scandinavia are all seeing increased interest. But the Camino is the strongest entry point for agents looking to build a specialism.
- The “last 100km from Sarria” is a strong first-timer package. Five nights, luggage transfers included, manageable daily distances
- Spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October) offer the best conditions. Temperatures sit around 15-22°C with moderate crowds
- Guided group tours are growing. Joe Walsh Tours launched new Camino routes for 2026, including the Camino Ingles, which historically served British and Irish pilgrims
- Multi-generational groups are walking together. Families are using the Camino for milestone celebrations and reconnection
Try this: A simple “Camino for Beginners” story series or landing page covering the basics (which route, how far, what to pack, what it costs) can work well as a long-term enquiry driver. Within JLT, agents who have built landing pages around one specialism are seeing stronger enquiry quality as a result.
Screen-Inspired Stays Are Driving Real Bookings
The connection between what people watch and where they travel has never been stronger.
Expedia’s 2026 trends report found that 81% of Gen Z and millennial travellers now plan trips based on TV shows or films. The company projects screen-inspired travel could become an £8 billion industry in the US alone. And with the return of The White Lotus expected to feature southern France, a new wave of interest in European boutique stays is building.
EasyJet’s research supports this. More than a quarter of British holidaymakers (28%) said they would choose a destination based on TV, books, or film. This extends beyond filming locations. Travellers want the atmosphere, the aesthetic, the feeling of stepping into the world they watched on screen.
This is where agents add value. Clients are not looking for the exact hotel from a TV show. They want the experience without the price tag. Boutique European properties with character, warmth, and a sense of place. Coastal Sicilian villas, Provençal farmhouses, whitewashed Greek islands. The mood matters more than the postcode.
For Your Client Conversations
- When clients mention a show they loved, it helps to ask what drew them to it. The setting? The food? The pace? That answer shapes the booking
- The agent who translates “I want that vibe” into a real itinerary adds clear value
- Southern France, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, and the Greek islands are all strong candidates for White Lotus-adjacent bookings without the premium
- “Canon country tourism” is also growing. Destinations linked to classic literature and modern retellings are seeing increased interest. Verona, Pamplona, the Scottish Highlands are all worth noting
Try this: A post titled “White Lotus-style Europe without the price tag” featuring three to four boutique properties or destinations that capture the aesthetic tends to perform well. That kind of content gets saved, shared, and remembered when someone is ready to book.
Active Breaks: Padel, Pickleball, and Walking Holidays
Here is a category that barely existed three years ago and is now shaping how families and friend groups choose where to go.
Spain has over 17,000 padel courts. Marbella, Malaga, Valencia, Barcelona, and Mallorca all have clubs offering coaching holidays, from long weekends to full week packages. Prices start from around €499 per person for a four-day camp in Malaga, including accommodation and coaching.
EasyJet found that one in 10 British travellers now try padel or pickleball on holiday. The sport has crossed from hobby into holiday driver. Families are choosing destinations based on whether there are courts available. Friend groups are booking coaching breaks instead of traditional beach weeks.
This sits alongside a broader movement toward active holidays. Walking, hiking, and cycling trips are all growing. The appeal is the same: purpose-driven travel where the activity is the reason for going, not an afterthought.
The Numbers Behind It
- Spain is the world leader in padel court numbers, with over 17,000 across the country
- Padel holiday packages in Spain typically run from €499 to €1,200+ per person depending on duration and coaching level
- Destinations that combine sport and lifestyle are converting well. Valencia, the Costa Blanca, and the Balearics all offer padel plus culture, food, and beaches
- Walking holidays are growing across all age groups. Multi-generational hiking trips are a strong emerging segment
- Pickleball is gaining ground in the UK and US markets, and resorts are adding courts to attract this audience
Try this: For agents whose interests align with padel or active travel, a focused landing page (“Padel-friendly Spain for parents and teens” or “Walking holidays in Europe”) can serve as a strong enquiry generator. Specificity tends to attract more confident clients.
One More Thing
There is a thread connecting all three of these trends. Pilgrimage, screen-inspired stays, and active breaks are all expressions of the same impulse. Clients want holidays that mean something to them. They want to come home having done something, felt something, or experienced something that reflects who they are.
Every trip starts with a reason now. And the agents who help clients articulate that reason tend to build the strongest client relationships.
It is not necessary to cover all three. Picking one angle that aligns with existing interests, knowledge, and audience is usually the stronger approach.
The Practical Bit
There is something here worth paying attention to. Not because every agent needs to chase every trend. But because the pattern is clear: agents who specialise tend to attract better enquiries and more confident clients.
For those drawn to walking and the outdoors, the Camino is worth exploring. For those with an eye for design and boutique properties, screen-inspired stays offer a natural fit. For agents already into sport and active lifestyles, padel and activity holidays are a strong option.
Agent Advantage Insight: Purpose-driven travel converts differently. These clients are not price-shopping. They are looking for someone who understands what they want to feel. Agents who build visible expertise in one specific area tend to become the natural choice for every client who wants that experience. Specificity builds trust. And trust generates bookings.
