Standfirst: From Spain’s total solar eclipse to quieter destinations, spontaneous itineraries and health-focused retreats, the travel industry is preparing for a more selective 2027 holiday season. New tourism trends could also influence how European destinations manage overcrowding and attract visitors beyond traditional hotspots.
Travel in 2027 is expected to become less about ticking off famous landmarks and more about choosing meaningful, flexible and personalised experiences. Across Europe and beyond, travellers are showing growing interest in astronomy, slower journeys, lesser-known destinations, authentic accommodation and wellness programmes built around long-term health.
The predictions come from the Euronews Travel team and reflect wider changes in how people discover destinations, plan trips and decide where to spend their time. Several of the emerging trends could be especially important for European cities dealing with overtourism.
Spain will be a major destination for eclipse tourism
One of the biggest events on the 2027 travel calendar will be the total solar eclipse on 2 August. Totality will be visible across parts of southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, with Spanish destinations including Cádiz, Marbella and Málaga expected to attract astronomy enthusiasts.
The eclipse has been described as particularly significant because it will be the longest total eclipse visible from easily accessible land during the 21st century. Parts of Egypt close to the point of greatest eclipse are expected to experience more than six minutes of darkness.
Other countries along the path include:
- Morocco
- Tunisia
- Algeria
- Saudi Arabia
The event may encourage visitors to combine astronomy with conventional holidays, creating demand for specialist tours, rural accommodation and transport to viewing locations. Spain’s southern regions could therefore see a sharp increase in interest during the summer season.
Travellers may move beyond Europe’s best-known cities
European tourism has increasingly focused on spreading visitors beyond major capitals and famous resort areas. In 2027, that shift could move further towards destinations described as “undertourised” — places that remain outside the main tourist circuit.
Travellers concerned about queues, crowded attractions and rapidly changing social-media hotspots may look for quieter alternatives. Possible effects include:
- More interest in regional cities and rural communities
- Longer stays outside national capitals
- Greater demand for local food, nature and cultural activities
- New visitor-management schemes in overcrowded destinations
Examples of this approach include tourism strategies designed to manage visitor flows in popular European locations. Dubrovnik’s “Respect the City” programme has been cited as a model for destinations seeking to protect local life while maintaining their appeal to visitors.
The trend could benefit places that offer strong cultural or natural attractions without the same level of international exposure as Europe’s most famous destinations. However, increased visibility can create new pressure if social-media attention arrives too quickly.
The rise of the ‘Inception trip’
Multi-destination travel is expected to evolve into more flexible itineraries in 2027. The so-called “Inception trip” describes a holiday that expands into additional journeys after the traveller has already arrived.
A planned break in one region may turn into a wider road trip, a short city stay or an unplanned excursion to another country or destination. Improved transport links and the popularity of travel content online can make it easier for visitors to add new stops while abroad.
This style of travel may support smaller destinations, particularly when tourists use a major city or resort as a base. It can also make holiday planning less predictable, with travellers leaving space in their schedules for recommendations and spontaneous decisions.
Type B travel challenges highly planned holidays
Another predicted trend is “Type B travel”, a more spontaneous approach in which visitors arrive with few bookings and decide what to do as they go. It is partly a response to the amount of destination content now consumed before a journey.
For some travellers, constant exposure to videos and itineraries can make a place feel familiar before they have even visited. Type B travel offers the opposite experience: less advance research, fewer fixed activities and more room for unexpected discoveries.
It may also reduce pressure on the most heavily promoted attractions. Travellers who avoid viral itineraries are less likely to concentrate on the same landmarks at the same time, although unplanned travel still requires attention to transport, accommodation availability and safety.
Wellness holidays are moving towards long-term health
Longevity retreats are also expected to change. Instead of focusing only on short-term relaxation, many health-focused breaks are likely to emphasise “healthspan” — helping people remain active and well for longer.
Programmes may include:
- Metabolic testing
- Personalised nutrition advice
- Sleep analysis
- Movement assessments
- Medical consultations
- Recovery and oxygen-based therapies
The growing popularity of these retreats reflects a wider shift in wellness travel, but prospective visitors should check the qualifications of practitioners and the evidence supporting any treatment. Services offered by retreats can vary considerably, and wellness packages are not a substitute for medical care.
New or expanded facilities mentioned in the travel outlook include Clinique La Prairie in Phuket and the waldSPA Health area at Naturhotel Forsthofgut in Austria. Their programmes focus on preventive health, nutrition, movement and wellbeing.
Authentic accommodation could become part of the destination
Hotels are unlikely to disappear, but travellers may increasingly choose accommodation because it offers a distinctive cultural experience. Riads in Morocco and traditional Japanese ryokans are examples of stays that are closely connected to architecture, food and local customs.
In a riad, rooms are traditionally arranged around an internal courtyard, often featuring fountains and gardens. Ryokans typically include tatami flooring, futon bedding, yukata robes and carefully prepared regional meals.
For visitors, the accommodation itself becomes part of the reason for travelling rather than simply a place to sleep. That could encourage more interest in locally rooted businesses and help destinations compete on experience rather than volume.
What the 2027 travel outlook means for Europe
The main direction is clear: travellers appear likely to seek greater flexibility, quieter surroundings and experiences that feel more personal. For European destinations, the challenge will be balancing this demand with environmental pressures, housing concerns and the needs of local communities.
The most successful tourism strategies may be those that spread visitors across regions, support local businesses and protect popular sites from excessive pressure. The 2027 travel outlook therefore points not only to new holiday trends, but also to a broader debate about how tourism should develop.
The key takeaway is that 2027 travel may reward curiosity over checklists. From watching a solar eclipse in southern Spain to choosing a lesser-known European destination or leaving space for an unplanned detour, the next phase of tourism is likely to be more flexible, experience-led and conscious of overcrowding.
