Trending Destinations 2026 – What Harvard, Yale, and Wharton have in Common

Where are they booking, not just where are they going

As we do each year around this time, our annual trending destinations video is ready. Every month, we track a range of key indicators including buying habits and destinations at the time they are booked, not just where travelers are going right now. It’s amazing how much purchasing behavior can shift in a 12-month period, and how often top destinations change.

The locations that rise to the top seem to follow a common thread, they represent destinations that offer more experiential, more remoteness, more authenticity, and most importantly, more time beyond comfort zones. This reminds me of a something I read from a study at Cornell University and a second study from Harvard and Yale about the correlation between the types of destinations that are trending and the style of luxury travel Big Five has long pioneered.

I’m pleased to share a brief overview of those findings below, along with an inspiring video for you to enjoy.

The Mechanism: Attention Restoration Theory (ART)

Research from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology (specifically the work of environmental psychologists like Dr. Nancy Wells) supports Attention Restoration Theory.

• The Problem: Modern “directed attention” (focusing on screens, schedules, logistics) depletes the brain’s prefrontal cortex, leading to irritability and cognitive fatigue.
• The Sustainable Travel Solution: Sustainable destinations (safaris, remote eco-lodges, trekking) provide “soft fascination”—stimuli that engage the mind without requiring effort.
• Clinical Finding: Cornell studies indicate that exposure to the natural environment is not just relaxing but restorative. It measurably improves working memory and cognitive flexibility upon return to work.

The Physiology of “Planetary Health”

The “One Health” Framework

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health promotes the concept of Planetary Health—the understanding that human health is dependent on the health of natural systems.

• The Finding: A recent Harvard study published in Nature Cities (2025) found that even short exposures to biodiversity (nature with high ecological integrity, not just manicured lawns) significantly reduced depression and anxiety.
• Relevance to Travel: Visiting and funding protected areas (national parks, conservancies) ensures the preservation of these “health reservoirs.”

Stress Reduction & Biophilia

Yale School of the Environment has long championed the Biophilia Hypothesis (popularized by Harvard’s E.O. Wilson).

• Clinical Data: Yale research indicates that “nature exposure” regulates the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s stress response system.
• The Difference: Sustainable travel often involves “immersion” (staying in the ecosystem) rather than “viewing” (looking from a window). This immersion lowers cortisol levels more effectively than passive viewing.

 

What trend are you following?