Trip.com Group Reveals What Travellers Want This Summer: Shorter Trips and Cooler Escapes

Over 40% YoY increase in bookings for short trips, as holidaygoers seek quicker escapes, cooler weather and family travel this summer

SINGAPORE, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 2026 is fast shaping to be another record year of travel, as jetsetters seek to tick off their holiday checklists and fulfil their wanderlust. Looking back at the first half of 2026, Trip.com Group found that users from Mainland China, the United Kingdom and Malaysia were the most avid about clocking their miles, travelling up to 2,800km on average, which is equivalent to the distance between Beijing and Manila, or London and Tenerife.

Across regions, cosmopolitan hubs and mega cities continue to be tourism hotspots, with the top-ranked cities by flight bookings being Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Taipei^[1].

The second half of 2026 will continue to be a busy travel period, as many welcome the summer vacations, sunny weather and the school holidays. Outbound flight bookings from regions like Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia are seeing double-digit growth year-on-year (YoY) this summer and school holidays, based on Trip.com Group's data, and driving this increase are some key trends observed this summer, including demand for quick getaways, family holidays and coolcations^[2].

Quick Getaways Dominate Vacations This Summer

Quick escapes are the way to go this summer. The average trip duration of bookings made during this period ranges from 2.92 days to 3.8 days, with short-haul flights forming the majority of bookings. This is especially prominent in Europe, where short-haul flight bookings are seeing a YoY increase of 73%.

Long weekend travel, a form of quick getaway where people combine one to two days of annual leave with a long weekend, continues to be popular. This summer, bookings for short trips of 4 days or less are showing YoY increases above 40% in the East Asia and Europe regions, and above 15% in Southeast Asia. This incline is expected to grow further into the second half of 2026, especially for East Asia and Southeast Asia regions, suggesting that quick getaways will continue to dominate travellers' itineraries for the rest of the year.

Family Travel Takes the Lead

More travellers are choosing to go on family trips this summer, taking advantage of the school holiday break. Hotel bookings by families with children aged 12 and below this summer have increased across regions, and more than doubled in markets like Mainland China, South Korea and Japan, based on Trip.com Group data.

A recent Trip.com Group survey also found that travelling with family is ranked as the most appealing experience, placed higher than a trip with a partner, friends or solo travel. This trend is even more pronounced in markets like the UK, Germany, Singapore and South Korea, especially among older Millennials or those aged 35 to 44 years old.

What this means is that family-first experiences are becoming a top priority for travellers, whether it is selecting convenient flight timings or having family-friendly food and activities nearby in the accommodation they choose. Having the right accommodation for the trip is particularly important to Gen Zs and Millennials, and factors they look out for include having family-friendly options and whether the hotel is near to child-friendly attractions^[3].

In Southeast Asia, some of the top-booked attractions this summer include family-friendly experiences such as Bali Zoo in Indonesia, as well as Desaru Water Adventure Park and Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm in Malaysia, while theme parks like Universal Studios Japan, Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland are highly popular choices in East Asia.

Coolcations See Hotter Demand

As global temperatures rise, travellers are increasingly swapping the sun and sand for cooler weather and activities. Data from Trip.com Group shows a 74% YoY increase in searches for cooler destinations and coolcations since the start of this year^[4].

Topics like "escape the heat", "summer escapes" and "cool summer retreat" are trending, as travellers prioritise experiences away from the crowds and sweltering heat. Trip Moments, Trip.com's community platform for travellers to share experiences and seek inspiration, has seen a 15.4% YoY increase in content last summer that spotlights cool summer getaway destinations, as well as tips and tricks to beat the heat^[5].

Beyond popular coastal cities like Palma Mallorca, Izmir, Malaga and Porto, global flight booking searches for European destinations such as Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland and Wales are seeing significant increases this summer, compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, cooler destinations in Asia like Inner Mongolia, Sapporo and Yunnan, are experiencing a growing interest from international travellers. Notably, Ulaanbaatar and Sapporo, with comfortable temperatures averaging around 15°C to 25°C this summer, are among the top 10 most-booked cities for South Koreans, showing strong triple-digit YoY growth.

For cooler getaways this summer, Trip.com users can easily get recommendations on top-ranked destinations for summer water activities or cool water escapes via Trip.Best, a data-backed travel guide and inspiration for accommodation, attractions, destinations and more.

Less Thinking, More AI Planning

Travellers are no longer planning their trips by scouring the internet for information, but leaving the hard work to AI, Trip.com Group's recent report found. With readily available AI travel tools such as TripGenie and Trip.Planner, users can get customised itineraries and assistance in a matter of seconds, and this is shifting behaviours. Google search interest for "help plan my trip" grew by 190% YoY, while TripGenie's AI-assisted order volume on Trip.com increased by around 400% year-on-year, indicating a deeper reliance on AI for inspiration and bookings.

Beyond pre-trip planning, travellers also see AI as a useful companion during their trip. The use of core TripGenie tools, such as hotel comparison, menu assistance, and live translation, increased by around 300% year-on-year. While travellers in highly connected, short-haul travel markets such as Hong Kong SAR, Singapore and Malaysia, tend to interact with TripGenie more often per trip for in-destination inspiration and attraction guides, travellers in parts of Europe and North America typically engage AI earlier in the planning cycle, consulting TripGenie weeks in advance.

This signals a growing shift towards the use of AI as an integral part of travel planning and the travel journey, making it even easier for people to explore the world in 2026 and beyond.

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About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group is on the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world". Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.

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[1] Based on Trip.com Group flight booking data from 1 January to 31 May, 2026.

[2] Based on Trip.com Group flight booking data for the following time periods and regions: 1 June to 31 August, 2026 (Europe), 1 July to 31 August, 2026 (East Asia), 1 to 30 June, 2026 (Southeast Asia).

[3] Based on a OnePoll survey commissioned by Trip.com Group among women who have travelled in the last 2 years or intend to travel in the next 2 years. The survey was conducted from February to March 2026 and polled 3,500 women in total across Germany, Hong Kong (SAR), Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

[4] Based on Trip.com Group's search data from January 2026.

[5] Based on data from Trip.com's community platform, Trip Moments, from June to August 2025.

^[1] Based on Trip.com Group flight booking data from 1 January to 31 May, 2026.

^[2] Based on Trip.com Group flight booking data for the following time periods and regions: 1 June to 31 August, 2026 (Europe), 1 July to 31 August, 2026 (East Asia), 1 to 30 June, 2026 (Southeast Asia).

^[3] Based on a OnePoll survey commissioned by Trip.com Group among women who have travelled in the last 2 years or intend to travel in the next 2 years. The survey was conducted from February to March 2026 and polled 3,500 women in total across Germany, Hong Kong (SAR), Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

^[4] Based on Trip.com Group's search data from January 2026.

^[5] Based on data from Trip.com's community platform, Trip Moments, from June to August 2025.

 

 

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Trip.com Group Reveals What Travellers Want This Summer: Shorter Trips and Cooler Escapes

Trip.com Group Reveals What Travellers Want This Summer: Shorter Trips and Cooler Escapes

Trip.com Group Reveals What Travellers Want This Summer: Shorter Trips and Cooler Escapes

Trip.com Group Reveals What Travellers Want This Summer: Shorter Trips and Cooler Escapes

Trip.com Group Reveals What Travellers Want This Summer: Shorter Trips and Cooler Escapes

• Powering EV production – High-performance adhesives for battery assembly and precision body sealing
• Joint showcase with Plasmatreat – Surface treatment and adhesive technologies
• Driving automation innovation – Adhesive technologies for next-generation vehicle manufacturing

YOKOHAMA and NAGOYA, Japan, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- tesa, an international manufacturer of innovative adhesive tapes and self-adhesive product solutions, featured three advanced, automation-ready solutions designed to improve EV battery performance and reliability in paint shops at the Automotive Engineering Exposition 2026 in Yokohama and Nagoya, Japan.  

With nearly 130 years of expertise in adhesive innovation, tesa continues to partner with OEMs and tier suppliers to deliver reliable bonding, protection and process optimization solutions. Today, modern vehicles can contain up to 130 adhesive applications, underscoring tesa's deep integration in modern automotive manufacturing.

"As the automotive industry continues to transition toward electric mobility, tesa supports manufacturers with precision engineered adhesive solutions for EV battery production, with a clear focus on process stability and production efficiency," said Andreas Gunnestrand, President and Regional Manager, tesa tape Asia-Pacific. "From automation-ready solutions for battery cell wrapping and battery pack sealing to applications in exterior attachment, sealing, and body-shop processes, our technologies are designed to integrate seamlessly into modern manufacturing environments. By working closely with our automotive customers and in collaboration with Plasmatreat, we support consistent adhesion performance for reliable and efficient vehicle production."

Enhancing adhesion performance with Plasmatreat 

Together with Nihon Plasmatreat, a subsidiary of Plasmatreat GmbH – pioneer in the field of atmospheric pressure plasma technology with more than 30 years of experience and developer of the "Openair-Plasma^®" technology, tesa presented a joint live demonstration showcasing the role of plasma surface treatment in modifying surface characteristics on selected automotive substrates. The demonstration illustrated how plasma treatment can increase surface energy and improve wettability, offering manufacturers an effective process solution when working with challenging or low-energy surfaces without chemical pretreatment.

Using tesa's PE foam tape, a widely adopted double-sided adhesive solution for automotive applications, the demonstration compared treated and untreated substrates to highlight the effects of surface activation under different conditions. The showcase underscored how plasma technology can complement existing manufacturing processes in specific applications where enhanced surface preparation may be desired, while reinforcing the robust adhesion performance that tesa's automotive bonding solutions already deliver across a wide range of substrates.

Automation-ready adhesive solutions for next-generation vehicle manufacturing

tesa's dielectric and structural adhesive tapes are engineered for prismatic and cylindrical cell wrapping applications to prevent electrical discharge, enhance durability under high voltage conditions, and support thermal and fire management needs. With strong mechanical performance and stable dielectric performance, tesa's adhesive solutions integrate seamlessly into existing production lines, offering controlled adhesion and reworkability, and allowing manufacturers to make adjustments during assembly without compromising long-term reliability.

tesa^® ACXplus Box Seal provides a watertight seal between the battery pack and lid to protect the interior from water ingress and corrosion, while remaining reopenable for rework or service. With no curing time required, it integrates seamlessly into robotic assembly processes, delivering consistent, beadfree sealing and stable throughput.

tesa^® ProSeal brings automated hole covering to high-efficiency body shops

tesa^® ProSeal automates hole covering in body-shop production, enabling manufacturers to boost line availability, repeatability and ergonomics while lowering overall costs. Compared with traditional plastic plugs, adhesive patches reduce weight by 80 percent and provide durable, corrosion-resistant coverage for interior, exterior and battery-area applications.

ProSeal supports high-volume automated lines with robot-ready applicators, fast cartridge changeovers and long-run autonomy to deliver consistent quality and productive efficiency.

About tesa  

tesa is a multinational company that develops innovative adhesive tapes and self-adhesive product solutions for various industries, commercial customers and end consumers. With nearly 130 years of expertise in adhesive technology, tesa offers more than 7,000 adhesive solutions that help improve the work, products and lives of its customers.

Today, the company focuses on sustainability and energy-saving processes. tesa invests in the development of products that contribute to sustainability, solvent-free manufacturing processes and the use of renewable energy sources at its locations.

tesa is active in 100 countries and operates plants in Germany, Italy, China, the USA, and in Vietnam. Around three quarters of the tesa Group's sales (2025: EUR 1.7 billion) are generated by applications for industries.  

About tesa tape K.K.

tesa tape K.K. was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

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Next-generation bonding: tesa showcases automotive adhesive solutions at Automotive Engineering Exposition 2026