Modern Currency PR's 2027 travel trend report, The Next Departure, names nine shifts that PR and marketing teams at hotels should plan around: silver travel, hobby holidays, hotel restaurants, book-led trips, analog stays, hotel retail, human expertise as AI plans itineraries, flexible travel maps and quieter wellness. The Los Angeles agency, led by founder and CEO Meghan Patke, released its fourth annual report on November 12, 2026.
Last updated: November 12, 2026
What are the key takeaways from the 2027 travel trend report?
Modern Currency PR's report says the defining shift for 2027 is why people travel, not only where they go. The agency calls the 2027 traveler an intentional one, who picks a trip around a passion, a person or a place worth the journey.
- Travelers are planning whole trips around pastimes such as ceramics, birdwatching, books and a hard-to-get dinner reservation.
- Hotels are acting as restaurants, shops and neighborhood gathering spaces, not only places to sleep.
- AI planning tools raise the value of concierges, guides and hotel staff who know a destination firsthand.
- Climate patterns and uncertainty push travelers toward cooler destinations, shoulder seasons and flexible bookings.
Which nine trends does Modern Currency PR name for 2027?
Modern Currency PR names nine trends, and the table below pairs each one with a property example the agency cites in its report. The report is curated by Patke and draws on named industry research from Hilton, Expedia, Skyscanner, Booking.com, McKinsey and others.
| Trend | What the report says | Example named in the report |
|---|
| Silver Travel: The Golden Age of Going Places | Travelers in their 60s and beyond want meaningful, often multigenerational trips | Castle Hot Springs, Arizona |
| The Hobby Is the Holiday | Craft classes and pastimes become the reason for the whole trip | Hotel Willa in Taos and Wequassett Resort and Golf Club |
| The Hotel Restaurant Renaissance | The dinner reservation becomes the reason to choose a hotel | Sky Room at Fairmont Breakers Long Beach |
| From Page to Place | Reading retreats and screen adaptations shape itineraries | Blind Date with a Book at Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport, Maine |
| Analog Travel Revival | Offline, in-person events bring guests and locals together | Run club at Hotel Lucile and Hidden Grooves at Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch |
| The Hotel Is the New Storefront | Shoppable interiors, limited collections and pop-ups | Pantry Maui by Madhappy at Four Seasons Resort Maui |
| The Human Premium | Local relationships matter more as AI plans the itinerary | The Perry Hotel and Marina Key West concierge program |
| A Recalibrated Travel Map | Climate and uncertainty change when and where people go | Shoreline restoration at Wequassett |
| The New Wellness Currency | Rest and thermal rituals replace packed treatment menus | Mineral spring soaks at Castle Hot Springs |
How are hobbies, dining and books becoming reasons to book a hotel?
Hobbies, dining rooms and bookshelves are becoming booking triggers because travelers now plan entire trips around them, according to Modern Currency PR's report. The report supports the point with data from three travel companies.
For hobbies, the report cites the Tripadvisor 2026 Mid-Year Experiences Trends Report, which found craft classes were the fastest-growing experience category on the platform, with bookings up 88% year over year. It also cites Hilton's 2027 Trends Report, where 42% of travelers said they discovered new interests through travel, and Expedia Group's Unpack '27, where 68% of surveyed travelers said they were likely to take a hobby-focused trip in 2027.
For dining, the report points to a Financial Times roundup of seven standout hotel restaurants. It then lists California examples: Baldi and Gemma at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, Sous Sous at Hotel Lucile, Violetto at Alila Napa Valley and Sky Room at Fairmont Breakers Long Beach, where chef Maxwell Pfeiffer revives Beef Wellington and tableside fire.
For books, the report cites SmartFlyer's 2027 Travel Trends Report, which names literary-inspired travel as a defining luxury shift. It also cites Hotels.com research showing that 71% of Gen Z and Millennial travelers want a Gothic-style stay. In Kennebunkport, Maine, The Cottages at Cabot Cove, The Lodge on the Cove, Hidden Pond and Cape Arundel Inn run Blind Date with a Book with the Louis T. Graves Memorial Library, where guests pick wrapped books labeled only with clues. Expedia's Unpack '27 adds that nearly half of travelers have researched or booked trips to destinations from films and series that have not yet premiered.
What do analog travel and hotel retail mean for PR teams?
Analog travel and hotel retail give hotel PR teams two new kinds of news: community events that are worth covering and brand collaborations that are worth photographing. Both move the story from rooms and rates to something a guest can do or buy only on property.
On analog travel, the report cites Skyscanner's 2027 forecast and SmartFlyer's report, both of which describe a growing appetite for stepping away from screens. It also cites Booking.com's 2027 Travel Predictions, where 68% of U.S. travelers who have traveled alone said shared physical activities led to lasting friendship. Properties named in the report include Hotel Lucile, which hosts neighborhood run clubs with USAL Project, The Ranch Malibu, which offers guided hikes and communal meals, and Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch, which runs full-vinyl album playthroughs at its Hidden Grooves listening bar.
On retail, the report cites Skyscanner's finding that 43% of U.S. travelers took a trip in the past 12 months to buy something unavailable online, a behavior Skyscanner calls merch tourism. The examples include Sephora's first Summer Club at The William Vale and Isla Bella Beach Resort, The Ritz-Carlton with MERIT Beauty, The Hoxton with Lacoste and artist Michael McGregor, and Pantry Maui by Madhappy at Four Seasons Resort Maui. Modern Currency PR says it expects a shift from influencers to what it calls the "influential," meaning experts, founders and local makers who curate pop-ups and events.
EPR analysis: a recurring event or a partner collection gives a hotel a dated, specific announcement that a rate promotion does not. That makes the property easier for a travel editor to cover and easier for an AI answer engine to describe accurately.
Why does the report say people matter more as AI plans trips?
The report argues that people matter more as AI plans trips because travelers still trust firsthand advice for the details an itinerary cannot supply. It cites McKinsey's U.S. traveler research, which found that 71% of travelers are comfortable using AI for inspiration and 86% would consider AI bookings in the future.
The report then cites Hilton's 2027 Trends Report, where U.S. travelers most often named hotel staff as their most trusted source for restaurant recommendations and hidden local experiences. It adds that ELLE has written about the renewed appeal of luxury travel advisors. Two properties illustrate the point. At The Perry Hotel and Marina Key West, a dedicated concierge arranges experiences such as secluded sandbar excursions and private snorkeling charters. At Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Aunty Mopsie Tuivaioge, the resort's Director of Hawaiian Programs, leads The Queen's Garden program alongside Hawaiian kumu and cultural practitioners.
The report's advice to hotels is to strengthen AI visibility while making these people and relationships a more visible part of the property's story. For a closer look at that work, see what a hotel PR agency does.
How do climate and wellness change where and when guests travel?
Climate and wellness change travel by moving trips toward cooler places, shoulder seasons and quieter, more restorative stays. Modern Currency PR cites the World Meteorological Organization's forecast of a powerful El Niño extending into early 2027 as a reason flexibility matters to travelers and hotels alike, and it cites the OECD on climate resilience in tourism.
The report's examples are practical. Wequassett Resort and Golf Club on Cape Cod supports shoreline restoration and oyster-shell recycling in Pleasant Bay, and Isla Bella Beach Resort and Spa in the Florida Keys invites guests to plant mangroves. Modern Currency PR frames this as adaptation, the next step after sustainability and regeneration.
On wellness, the report cites Hilton's finding that 65% of travelers want experiences that calm and reset the nervous system and Booking.com's finding that 85% have come home from a vacation more tired than when they left. It also cites the Global Wellness Institute on rising demand for restorative sleep, nature-led experiences and credible longevity programs. At Castle Hot Springs in Arizona, the report says, wellness can be as simple as an after-dinner soak in natural mineral springs under dark desert skies.
Who is Modern Currency PR and what is its track record?
Modern Currency PR is an independent luxury travel, hospitality and lifestyle communications agency founded in 2017 by Meghan Patke and headquartered in Los Angeles. According to the agency's press release, it also has a presence in New York, San Diego, Orange County and Arizona.
The client roster in the release includes Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Casetta Hotels, Castle Hot Springs, The Resort at Pelican Hill, JSX and Fairmont properties including Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows, Fairmont Breakers Long Beach and Fairmont El San Juan Hotel. The agency is also the U.S. public relations agency of record for EOS Hospitality, whose hotels include The William Vale, L'Ermitage Beverly Hills, Wequassett Resort and Golf Club and Hidden Pond. Its recognition includes PRNEWS' Agency Elite Top 120 in 2025 and 2026 and the PRSA Los Angeles PRism Award in 2025, and the agency launched an AI Services platform in 2026.
Patke, CEO and founder of Modern Currency PR, said in the November 12 release that "relevancy remains our most valuable currency." The full report is on Modern Currency PR's 2027 forecast page.
What should hotel PR teams do with the 2027 trends?
Hotel PR teams should match each trend to something their property already does, then pitch that specific program with dated facts. The steps below are EPR analysis, not recommendations from the report.
- List every recurring experience on property, such as a workshop, a guest-chef night, a run club or a reading program, and note the start date and capacity for each.
- Pick the one experience that fits a trend in the table above and pitch it to a travel or lifestyle editor as a specific, bookable program.
- Put the names of concierges, guides and program leaders into press materials, since the report says travelers trust those people most.
- Publish clear program pages with dates, prices and booking details, so AI answer engines can describe the experience correctly.
- Check how guests experience pricing alongside the story. EPR's hotel price transparency audit found that final checkout totals ran a median 16.0% above the nightly rate times two across 12 hotels.
Budget and risk also matter. EPR's guide to hotel PR cost and pricing covers retainer ranges, and the list of five hotel PR mishaps covers the failure modes to avoid when a new program launches.
