Tom Podmore/Unsplash
Summer has a way of inspiring more plans than any single season can hold. But this year, the stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day lasts 106 days—the maximum possible and a calendar quirk that won’t repeat until 2037—and travelers are taking full advantage.
Bookings from Fora Advisors are coming in at nearly double last summer’s pace, with both domestic and international trips showing year-over-year growth. Regardless of where they’re headed, travelers are often coming with specific experiences in mind, and they’re willing to invest more to get what they want, whether that’s attending a major sporting event or being among the first aboard a new cruise ship.
Below, our Summer Trend Report takes a closer look at where Fora travelers are headed this summer, what’s driving those decisions, and what it all means for your next trip.
International travel: Favorite regions with a twist
Despite challenges like flight prices, travelers are ready to break out their passports for the right experience, according to Fora’s internal booking data. The desire for a quintessential Euro Summer remains particularly strong, with Europe claiming seven out of 10 spots on this year’s list of most-booked countries.
The most-booked European countries for summer 2026:
Italy
France
United Kingdom
Spain
Greece
Portugal
Ireland
Within those countries, classic destinations like Rome (the most-booked international city for summer 2026) and the Amalfi Coast (the top-booked region in the Mediterranean) are still in high demand, but at the same time, we’re seeing more people gravitating toward places with cooler climates and less foot traffic.
Travelers are going deeper in the Mediterranean
Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum
This summer’s highest booking volume is concentrated around two stalwarts—the Amalfi Coast and French Riviera—but we’re also seeing spikes in pockets of the region that had previously been considered more under-the-radar for Americans.
Bodrum, on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, is seeing the most growth in the region, up 307% year over year, and a handful of towns on Italy’s western coast are showing some of the Mediterranean’s steepest climbs.
Three Italian towns showing big spikes for summer 2026:
Portofino: 262% increase year over year
Amalfi: 143% increase year over year
Praiano: 113% increase year over year
Canada is having a breakout summer
Photo: David Brooke Martin/Unsplash
Canada’s reputation for unspoiled natural landscapes, world-class cities, and ultra-friendly residents is deeply appealing to many travelers. Add in a global Heated Rivalry obsession that yet to abate since the show’s premiere last fall, plus the nostalgic pull of regal hotels like the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and it starts to make sense that Canada has finally cracked Fora’s top 10 most-booked international countries.
Bookings in the country are up 119% year over year, and that growth isn’t concentrated in one city or one story. Vancouver, Toronto, and Banff are all up more than 100% year over year.
The cities with the fastest year-over-year booking growth:
Québec City: 400% increase year over year
Richmond, B.C.: 279% increase year over year
Ottawa: 208% increase year over year
Travelers are also staying longer: average trip lengths to Montreal have doubled from five to 10 days, Toronto from six to nine days, and Richmond from 11 to 15 days.
Cool-climate destinations are surging, especially in Northern Europe
Photo: Gunnar Ridderström/Unsplash
One of the clearest signals in this summer's data is the popularity of coolcations, or trips defined by cool temperatures, dramatic scenery, and relative crowd-avoidance.
Nordic cities like Oslo and Helsinki offer some of Europe’s longest summer days, thriving food and design scenes, and a pace of travel that tends to feel more relaxed than the peak-season Mediterranean crowds.
Top European coolcation destinations by booking growth:
Oslo: 154% increase year over year
Helsinki: 124% increase year over year
Stockholm: 90% increase year over year
Copenhagen: 78% increase year over year
Domestic U.S. travel: Going beyond the beach
U.S. domestic bookings have grown this summer, with travelers favoring states and cities that offer a robust mix of experiences and can handle high capacities of travelers.
The 5 most-booked U.S. states for summer 2026:
New York
Florida
California
Texas
Hawaii
The 3 most-booked U.S. cities for summer 2026:
New York City
Las Vegas
Chicago
New York City, Las Vegas, and Chicago are defying the narratives that once shadowed them. New York—questioned as a post-pandemic destination—is firmly back, buoyed by new hotel openings, a stacked cultural calendar, and the added pull of hosting the FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. Las Vegas is proving critics and headlines wrong, largely owing to weekend trips and headline concerts. Chicago, meanwhile, is shaking off years of mixed press to reassert itself as one of America’s great summer cities thanks to its lakefront beaches, vibrant festivals, and lauded food scene.
Bookings are up across the Midwest and New England—and travelers are staying longer
Courtesy of Grand Hotel Mackinac Island
Multiple Midwest states saw bookings increase more than 100% year over year, and both Kansas and Missouri have seen average trip lengths roughly double this summer. The story behind the surge is largely about two things: parks and events. Michigan’s growth centers on Mackinac Island and Traverse City, a pair of iconic Great Lakes summer destinations that have drawn visitors for generations. South Dakota and North Dakota are rising together, driven by trips to the Black Hills, the Badlands, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Missouri gets a lift from Kansas City’s status as a FIFA World Cup host city, while Ohio is pulling in families from across the region with Cedar Point amusement park, Great Wolf Lodge, and a packed summer events calendar.
The five fastest-growing Midwest states for summer 2026:
South Dakota
Michigan
North Dakota
Missouri
Ohio
In New England, New Hampshire is showing a similar shift, with the average trip length jumping from four days to 16 alongside a booking count that’s nearly doubled, too. Most of that growth is concentrated in the scenic White Mountains region, known for its scenic hiking trails and the historic Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa.
Long weekends are largely skewing toward character-driven cities and nature escapes
Photo: Michael Denning/Unsplash
Holiday weekends are a useful bellwether for where summer travel is heading, concentrating demand and revealing breakthrough destinations for the season.
Memorial Day weekend
Summer’s unofficial kickoff was the highest booking period so far for Disney hub Lake Buena Vista, Florida, which saw 152% growth in year-over-year bookings for MDW, with Disney's Pop Century Resort, Walt Disney World Swan, and Disney's Coronado Springs Resort as the brand’s top three hotels for summer 2026.
Several other coastal destinations put up triple-digit booking numbers, including Portland, Maine, where the strength of new hotel openings and the city’s impressive restaurant scene are likely contributing factors. (In fact, the city’s popularity has grown to the point where housing stock that might once have gone to long-term residents is increasingly being converted into vacation rentals—a sign of just how much demand the city is absorbing.)
Out west, Bozeman, Montana is up 450% year over year. The rise tracks with the cultural spotlight Yellowstone and its spinoffs have put on the region, as well as the opening of high-profile resorts in nearby Big Sky (One&Only Moonlight Basin, Montage Big Sky, Gravity Haus Big Sky), which have given the area a more polished infrastructure than it had just a few years ago.
Memorial Day standouts:
Hilton Head, S.C.: 350% increase year over year
Kiawah Island, S.C.: 150% increase year over year
Portland, Maine: 166% increase year over year
Bozeman, Montana: 450% increase year over year
Fourth of July weekend
The map here looks broader. Texas is among the fastest-growing destinations for the weekend, driven in large part by interest in Houston (for a FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match) and San Antonio (for its resorts and RiverWalk).
Maine’s Bar Harbor and Portland represent two of the largest single-weekend spikes in the country.
Fourth of July standouts:
Portland, Maine: 900% increase year over year
San Antonio, Texas: 475% increase year over year
Houston, Texas: 231% increase year over year
Washington State: 195% increase year over year
Bar Harbor, Maine: 100% increase year over year
Several cities are seeing a World Cup upswing
While the full picture is still taking shape, early signals from June data indicate that Houston isn’t the only city seeing increased bookings around FIFA World Cup matches, which are scheduled across the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer.
Philadelphia is seeing some of the largest single-event spikes. Bookings during the June 14 Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador match weekend are up 20x year over year. The Loews Philadelphia—16 minutes from Lincoln Financial Field—accounts for the majority of bookings between June 13 and 15. In Los Angeles, bookings around the USA vs. Paraguay match are up 4x year over year, the highest total volume of any U.S. World Cup city so far.
To date, the five most traveled-for World Cup matches are:
France vs. Senegal (June 16 in New York/New Jersey)
United States vs. Paraguay (June 12 in Los Angeles)
Final with Teams TBD (July 19 in New York/New Jersey)
United States vs. Australia (June 19 in Seattle)
Ghana vs. Panama (June 17 in Toronto)
Cruise: New ships, new priorities
Summer cruise bookings are up 144% year over year. The growth is broad, but it’s being led by segments that signal a shift in who is choosing to sail and what they’re looking for when they do.
Travelers want sailings that go further—and they're willing to pay for them
The popularity of expedition cruises (up 168% year over year) is a sign that more travelers are choosing trips that give them access to smaller or less visited destinations and the opportunity to spend time in nature.
The three most-booked cruise lines for expedition cruises:
National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions
HX Expeditions
Quark Expeditions
Atlas Ocean Voyages is poised to be a standout as travelers are taking advantage of early-access reservations for the Atlas Adventurer’s inaugural season in 2028.
Ultra-luxury launches are expanding the audience for cruising
Travelers who might not have otherwise prioritized a cruise are finding their interest piqued by the novelty of new vessels. Part of the appeal is simply being first—first to sleep in the cabin, first to try the restaurants, first to post from the top deck before anyone else has. And this summer luxury travelers have the chance to be first on a whole new category of high-end cruises.
This is the inaugural summer for the Four Seasons Yacht Collection and the Orient Express Corinthian, with the latter debuting at the Cannes Film Festival. Three years after its maiden voyage, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s fleet (Evrima, Ilma, and Luminara) has become a top growing cruise line with bookings up 363% year over year.
Notable cruise lines for summer 2026:
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection: 363% increase year over year
Azamara: 333% increase year over year
Crystal Cruises: 327% increase year over year
The big picture
This summer’s booking data reveals a traveler who has thought carefully about what they want and is acting on it. The typical beach options aren’t off the list, but they are seeing competition from emerging destinations like Bodrum and Bozeman that offer a distinctive, less well-trodden take on summer vacations. On the cruise front, a similar sentiment is reflected in the popularity of new ships (often smaller vessels) and fresh expedition itineraries that provide access to remote coastlines and ports that would otherwise be hard to reach.
The common thread isn't a single destination or travel style, but decisions made with specificity and intentionality. And with 106 days to work with, there’s plenty of summer left for travelers to get exactly what they want.
Methodology
This report draws on Fora booking data comparing Summer 2025 (mid-May through mid-September 2025) to Summer 2026 (mid-May through mid-September 2026) for bookings created prior to May 15, 2026.
