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Travel Information2026: The Year of Firsts
From booking the holiday of a lifetime to learning a new language or getting a tattoo, over half of Brits plan to do something new for the first time this year. The best bit? A leading UK neuroscientist says trying new things can improve brain health.
And it’s not hard to see why. According to our research, almost six in ten Brits (57%) say they feel stuck in a rut, while as many as 43% admit they’ve followed the same routine of going to work, coming home, watching telly and going to bed for years.
Over half of the people we surveyed wish they could throw caution to the wind and mix things up, with a similar number keen to reclaim their sense of adventure in 2026.
Our ‘firsts forecast’ reveals how Brits plan to do just that. Topping the list is booking the holiday of a lifetime (56%), followed by taking up a new hobby or interest (22%) and learning a new language (17%). Further down the list, around one in twenty plan to go on a blind date, have a digital detox or attempt a viral TikTok trend.
Neil Swanson, Managing Director at TUI UK&I says:
“This research shows that almost six in ten Brits feel stuck in a rut – but there is a clear shift at play as people get ready to reclaim their sense of adventure and find an antidote to uncertainty through exciting new experiences. As well as uncovering a general thirst for firsts, this year we’ve drilled deeper into the kind of transformative travel firsts the UK is planning, allowing us to forecast some interesting holiday choices ahead. From a surge in hobby and skill-based holidays, to embracing bucket-list dreams, our ‘firsts forecasts’ shows an appetite to chase first-time travel experiences like never before.”
