Where Are People Traveling in 2026? New Data Reveals Top Destinations
Where are travelers heading next?
New data from InsureMyTrip takes a look at the destinations gaining the most traction for 2026. By comparing the top 70 most-insured destinations year over year, the study highlights emerging trends and the places seeing the biggest jumps in popularity.
At a Glance: 2026 Travel Trends
- Caribbean demand is rising, with several island destinations climbing in year-over-year rankings.
- Long-haul travel is rebounding, showing a renewed interest in bucket-list travel.
- Established favorites remain strong, maintaining steady positions among the most-insured destinations.
Caribbean Destinations Are Moving Up
Warm-weather destinations dominated the list of fastest climbers.
U.S. Virgin Islands
Moved from #35 in 2025 to #16 in 2026
The single largest jump on the list (+19 spots)
Puerto Rico
Climbed from #34 to #19 (+15 spots)
Rising demand for convenient, passport-free U.S. territory travel
Costa Rica
Rose from #15 to #10
Broke into the top 10 for the first time
Growing Demand for Distant Destinations
Travelers are willing to go farther for unique experiences, putting long-haul destinations back on the map.
New Zealand
Jumped from #32 to #23
One of the biggest movers outside the Caribbean
Australia
Climbed from #19 in 2025 to #15 in 2026
Reflects renewed confidence in bucket-list travel
Top Destinations Hold Their Ground
While several destinations saw big jumps in the rankings, a core group of travel favorites remained firmly in the top 10 for both 2025 and 2026.
- Mexico
- Bahamas
- Italy
- United Kingdom
- France
“Travelers are constantly redefining what’s next on their bucket list,” said InsureMyTrip CEO Suzanne Morrow. “This data helps uncover the destinations rising fastest in popularity and offers a clear snapshot of how travel is changing in 2026.”
Methodology
InsureMyTrip analyzed internal policy sales data to identify the destinations gaining popularity for 2026. The study compared the top 70 most-insured destinations based on traveler policy counts in 2025 and 2026.
Destinations were ranked each year by total policies purchased, and year-over-year movement was calculated based on changes in rank. Locations with the largest increases were identified as the fastest-growing destinations.
Regional trends were determined by grouping destinations and evaluating overall shifts in ranking.
