2026 Trends for Experience-Based Operators

2. Niche and Interest-Driven Experiences

Today’s travelers are moving away from one-size-fits-all activities and toward experiences that reflect their personal interests, identities, and passions. In 2026, success favors operators who know exactly who they’re serving and build intentional experiences around shared interests and communities. When looking more into this, we found two main themes:

• “Riches are in the niches”: Tourpreneur highlights that niche group travel, from sports-centric trips to educational excursions and special interest themes, is surging. Authenticity and highly curated experiences outpace generic itineraries - and they should!
• Group travel reinvented: Operators will see strong potential around mega-events (World Cup, Route 66 centennial, America’s 250th) and niches like pickleball tourism or offering ancillary tours tied to interests beyond traditional sightseeing will peek interest in guests. Now it's up to you as operators to identify the mega-events, or even mid-sized events around your business, to take full advantage of the influx of visitors and tourists.
  
  

3. Outdoor and Nature-Based Demand Is Skyrocketing

Spending time outside is no longer a “nice-to-have”; it’s a core reason people travel. As travelers seek meaningful ways to disconnect, recharge, and reconnect with nature, outdoor experiences continue to rise in importance across all age groups and trip types.

• Recent research shows that 3 in 4 travelers who choose activities rate outdoor experiences as “essential” to their trip. Outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, biking, and paddleboarding have grown dramatically in participation and spending. (Travel Daily News)
• Broader industry forecasts and lifestyle data underline quality, meaningful time outdoors as a central lifestyle shift in 2026, reinforcing the value of unplugged, screen-free experiences. (Travel and Tour World)

With the continued and increased attention travelers are giving to unplugged and outdoor experiences, making sure you offer ways for your outdoor experience to reach more people is essential. The holidays may be over, but gifting is a year-round activity - check out how you can ensure your guests, and potential guests, can give a gift that is fitting for this year's trends. Read on here.

4. Experience Design Matters More Than the Destination

Where travelers go matters less than what they’ll feel, learn, and remember once they get there - it's truly those memorable experiences that leave a lasting impact. In 2026, the strongest operators are focusing on thoughtful experience design. Experience design is more than organizing logistics around an activity or offering; it is taking every detail, every human sense, even, into account. Designing experiences requires insight into who your guests are, what they like, and what will move them; your goal is to craft moments that tell a story and create a connection.

• Tourpreneur notes that experience design is now more important than destination marketing. People care about the transformation, social connection, and narrative of their trip.
• This aligns with wider travel market trends where immersive storytelling and personalized moments are becoming booking drivers. And the best part - with AI, you can now analyze your guests' feedback (through reviews), understand who your target market is, and craft language that speaks directly to them - all while using that same AI to help your guests find you. (Bokun)
  
  

5. Comfort and Quality Are Redefining Outdoor Adventure

The idea that adventure has to equal discomfort is quickly fading. Today’s guests want immersive outdoor experiences paired with thoughtful amenities, quality gear, and a level of comfort that allows them to focus on enjoying the experience, not enduring it. When thinking more about this, a couple of things stuck out when we found this great article from Shop Eat Surf.

• “Rugged Luxury”: Defined as products and experiences that combine durability with elevated design and comfort.  Think soft-touch materials, ergonomic features, and thoughtful aesthetics that make even simple adventures feel special. It’s not about luxury for luxury’s sake, but about comfort-driven engagement with nature. 
• Sophisticated Escapism: Glamping and outdoor lifestyles continue to grow, not just as boutique travel but as mainstream expectations, where comfortable sleep systems, lounge-friendly setups, and multi-purpose gear make nature inviting for more people.

As you aim to reach the guests looking for comfort in the outdoors, you are inevitably bringing experience design into your business. This is a great opportunity lean into these trends in conjunction and incorporate multiple that are likely to impact your business this year.

In Summary

At first glance, some of the trends emerging across the industry can feel a bit contradictory: embrace more technology while staying deeply human-centered with storytelling, lean into a specific niche while still meeting growing demand for outdoor and nature-based experiences. Finding that balance isn’t always easy, especially as operators weigh whether to follow trends or lead with authenticity. The reality is, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. As you navigate the expectations shaping the experience industry this year, focusing on clarity, consistency, and thoughtfully incorporating even one new idea or trend is a meaningful step forward. If you’re doing that, you’re already on the right track.

What's next for us this year, and industry insights? Well, moving forward with confidence starts with taking time to look back. As we review insights and data from 2025, we’ve been able to check our assumptions and see how last year’s predictions played out, and the results have been encouraging. We’ll be sharing more soon on what 2025 revealed through our data, but in the meantime, we invite you to revisit our collaborative mid-year trends report. Many of the expectations we highlighted in the Navigating the Current piece for the second half of 2025 proved to be right on track.