Virtuoso Identifies the Trends Redefining Luxury Travel, From Fallcations to City-Maxxing
NEW YORK, August 27, 2026--Virtuoso, the leading global network specializing in luxury and experiential travel, unveiled its latest travel trends during the 38th annual Virtuoso Travel Week. Drawn from proprietary data and ongoing advisor and consumer surveys, the findings show luxury travelers choosing fall over summer, lingering longer and investing more to enjoy destinations at their best, without the crowds.
The Virtuoso network is on pace for a nearly 21 percent increase in year-over-year sales, building on an already strong 2025. Growth is broad-based, with every traveler-origin region up, led by Greater China at 34 percent, the United Kingdom and Ireland at 26 percent, the Middle East and Africa at 24 percent and Continental Europe at 23 percent, with the United States up 21 percent. Hotels lead with a 25 percent increase, followed by cruises at 22 percent, on-sites (destination management companies) at 18 percent and tour operators up 11 percent. Bookings at hotels charging $1,500 or more per night rose 37 percent, more than twice the rate of lower-priced properties. Luxury international hotels now average $1,653 a night and luxury U.S. hotels $1,445, up from $985 and $790 respectively in 2019.
Fall Is the New Summer
With a nod toward decreased temps and fewer crowds, fall is emerging as the "it" time to travel. Virtuoso reports its 2026 autumn bookings up 59 percent and sales up 69 percent. September leads with sales up 77 percent and a 55 percent increase in bookings, while October bookings are up 59 percent and November is up more than 70 percent on both measures. The entire autumn window has shifted from afterthought to headline season.
Europe shows the shift most clearly. Year-to-date sales at Virtuoso's preferred European hotels are up 39 percent through June. Fall bookings to Europe climbed 49 percent, even as rates rose more than seven percent. Rate growth was sharpest along the French Riviera, which experienced a 179 percent increase, followed by the Greek Isles, at more than 130 percent and Puglia up 78 percent. The "coolcation" has become the "fallcation," and festive season is following the same arc, with bookings up 65 percent and sales up 56 percent.
Flex in the City: The Rise of "City-Maxxing"
One city is no longer enough. Luxury travelers are stringing destinations together into longer, multicity itineraries that Virtuoso has termed "city-maxxing," and roughly one in two of these trips crosses an international border. France and Italy are the most common pairing, followed by France and the U.K., then Italy and Switzerland. Italy appears in two of every five multicity routings, anchoring corridors such as Florence, Rome and Venice. Stays are lengthening, and the second home as base camp is bringing branded residences and private villas into the mix.