News and Insights

Trendhawk 2026

February 12, 2026

If two is a coincidence, is three a trend? It all depends.

Ian Fleming, creator of the most-famous, if fictional, member of the British Secret Intelligence Service, spun the point differently, with James Bond informed by the title character of Goldfinger: “They have a saying in Chicago, ‘Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.'”

Dark? Definitely, especially considering Goldfinger uttered it before directing his henchman, Oddjob, to escort 007 to “The Pressure Room.” But there is a pleasing rhythm to Fleming’s phrasing, just as there is to other, similar maxims it may have inspired, including the pared-down version above, which a FINN Partners editor learned early during his days at magazines.

With the calendar recently turned to 2026, trend sightings have been popping up and grabbing attention everywhere. That includes travel, where they’re spotted like the wings of invasive lanternflies by tastemakers, influencers, journalists, industry insiders, market researchers, and the eagle-eyed public relations and marketing pros of FINN Partners’ Global Travel Practice.

But are travel trends actually trends? Some might say no, arguing that, as with anything, travel is cyclical and the trends we learn about and observe today are more evolutions of things people have adopted and shaped their own way for years.

That’s an interesting angle, but it’s not how FINN Partners approaches travel trends. Instead, we work to bring creative approaches to travel to light, and we’re fans of how trends enlighten, inspire, and guide us and the luxury clients we work to promote.

Page through the latest edition of our long-running TrendHawk report for 2026, pieced together by our diverse and passionate global team, and discover how everything from destinations to dining, wellness to travel packages, AI to sustainability, and more are shaping travel – and being shaped by travelers themselves.

No pressure, of course.