Where to Next? FlightHub Unveils the Travel Trends Shaping 2026

MONTRÉAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 29, 2026--

FlightHub ™, a leading North American online travel agency, has released the third edition of its  Unveiled  list, revealing where travellers are going in 2026 . Drawing on booking data from October 2025 to August 2026, compared with the same period the previous year, this year’s report highlights destination shakeups, generational divides, and the impact of major global events. From shifting travel habits to emerging destinations around the world, the data offers a snapshot of how travel is evolving across Canada.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260929060306/en/

“2026 has been a transformative year for travel, with major events both at home and internationally,” says Henri Chelhot, CEO of FlightHub. “This year’s data gives us a unique snapshot of how Canadians travelled during the year, and we’ll be watching to see whether these patterns continue into 2027.”

New Hotspots Are Taking Off

Casablanca, Morocco emerges as the breakout destination of the year, with a dramatic 250 per cent increase in bookings compared to 2025. Other destinations saw significant growth, including Liberia, Costa Rica (145%), Aruba (118%), and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (109%).

Hanoi, Vietnam, is also one to watch, with bookings accelerating 98 per cent year over year. Meanwhile, Las Vegas, U.S. is stabilizing after a 40 per cent slump last year, with bookings up 1.3 per cent in 2026.

And the Top Destinations Go To…

Delhi, India is the most popular international destination for Canadians, climbing one spot to dethrone last year’s number one, Tokyo, Japan, now in second. London, U.K., Cancún, Mexico and Paris, France round out the rest of the Top 5, followed by Manila, Philippines, Lisbon, Portugal, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Hong Kong and Rome, Italy.

Closer to home, Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal and Calgary stay in the Top 4 inbound Canadian destinations, respectively.

But growth doesn’t tell the whole destination story. Among Canadians’ most popular international destinations, there was also a changing of the guard at the top.

Big Events, Big Travel

Host cities all saw real travel increases during this spring’s soccer tournament.

Vancouver saw a 34 per cent increase compared to last year, whereas Toronto experienced an 18 per cent increase. U.S. host cities also saw increases, including Kansas City (165%), Boston (78%) and New York/New Jersey (24%). For Canadian travellers, tournament travel was overwhelmingly domestic, with travellers largely moving between Canadian cities rather than crossing the border. Interestingly, there were no specific spikes around individual matches, with travel instead building steadily throughout the tournament.

Beyond soccer, Montréal saw a 32 per cent increase in travel around the Canadian Grand Prix from last year, while the Las Vegas Grand Prix saw a 22 per cent decrease. Meanwhile, the Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina saw a 243 per cent surge compared to last year.

Where travellers went was also shaped by what was happening when they got there.

The Generational Divide

Gen Z gained the most share among generations in both markets, gaining 3.1 percentage points in Canada and 4.2 percentage points in the U.S. Millennials saw slight declines, falling 0.7 percentage points in Canada and 0.5 percentage points in the U.S., while Gen X dropped 0.8 and 1.9 points, respectively. Boomers are also pulling back, falling 1.4 points in Canada and 1.7 in the U.S.

“What makes Unveiled valuable is the bigger picture that emerges when we look at these trends together,” says Ayoub Hissar, Director of Communications at FlightHub. “Where travellers are going is only part of the story. What influences their decisions and how those behaviours change over time can tell us a lot about what travellers are looking for.”

The Canada-U.S. Corridor

Search interest in travel between Canada and the U.S. increased in both directions, though growth was stronger among U.S. travellers looking to Canada:

À la Québécoise

Québec travellers show some distinct travel patterns compared to the rest of Canada, including taking longer trips, averaging around 11 days compared to seven days for other Canadian travellers. They also tend to travel more in July and December, driven in part by Québec’s Construction Holidays.

“It’s been another busy year for FlightHub and the overall travel sector, and Unveiled really showcases some interesting trends,” said Ayoub Hissar, Director of Communications at FlightHub. “It will be fascinating to look back at this data in 12 months’ time to see if it is a marked change.”

Looking ahead, FlightHub is also using this year’s Unveiled to spotlight 10 worldwide destinations it recommends travellers have on their radar. To explore the full list and more findings from this year’s Unveiled report ,  visit:  https://unveiled.flighthub.com/

About the Methodology  

This report is based on FlightHub booking, search and pricing data from October 2025 to August 2026, compared with the equivalent period one year earlier. The findings reflect activity across FlightHub’s Canadian and U.S. customer base.

Figures are reported in each market’s local currency (CAD for Canada and USD for the U.S.). Unless otherwise noted, market designation refers to the country where the booking was made, while destination rankings reflect the actual origin and destination of travel.

Popularity and travel-interest rankings are based on search activity, while all other rankings and trends are based on completed bookings. Pricing figures reflect airfare rates observed during the reporting period.

Year-over-year comparisons are expressed as percentage changes or point changes, depending on the metric.

About FlightHub   

FlightHub ™ is a leading North American online travel agency (OTA) based in Montréal, Canada. FlightHub proudly serves millions of Canadians each year, enabling more people to visit new places and explore new cultures. FlightHub's goal is to offer travellers the most affordable flights, optimal itineraries, and exceptional customer service. The leading online travel agency (OTA) believes that broadening travel possibilities and connecting people across borders increases human consciousness, reduces fear, and inspires positive change. Founded in 2012, FlightHub has facilitated more than 30 million connections. 

For more information, please visit:  https://www.flighthub.com/  

Where to Next? FlightHub Unveils the Travel Trends Shaping 2026

MANJUNG, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia on Tuesday began repatriating Myanmar nationals, including women and children, under a voluntary program despite warnings from the United Nations refugee agency and rights groups that conditions in the country remain unsafe.

The 1,476 people being sent back are among 5,000 Myanmar nationals who will be repatriated in stages from Malaysia, where 10,388 Myanmar nationals were being held at immigration detention depots nationwide as of Aug. 15, according to Malaysia’s Home Ministry.

Buses believed to be carrying Myanmar returnees arrived at a stadium in Manjung town in Malaysia’s central Perak state early Tuesday, amid tight security. Ships believed to be from Myanmar were docked at the nearby Lumut naval base.

Home Ministry official Makhzan Mahyuddin was quoted by national Bernama news agency as saying the returnees comprised 1,370 men, 79 women, 20 boys and seven girls, aged between eight and 60.

The ministry said they would be sent back safely on two Myanmar navy warships and a hospital ship. It is unclear if any of the returnees were minority Muslim Rohingya, who are rejected by the Myanmar government. The ministry didn't provide further details of their identities and circumstances, but stressed their return was voluntary.

“This move also sends a clear signal that the government is serious about addressing irregular migration and the issue of undocumented foreign nationals through law enforcement, repatriation and more systematic management and data collection,” the ministry said in a statement.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and rights groups slammed the repatriation, saying the security and humanitarian situation in parts of Myanmar remains volatile and returnees could face serious risks such as persecution and forced military conscription in an active war zone.

Myanmar is involved in an armed conflict and political instability following the military’s seizure of power in 2021.

Malaysia is home to about 215,600 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UNHCR, including about 126,000 Rohingya who make up one of Southeast Asia’s largest refugee communities. Despite hosting them, Malaysia is not a party to the U.N. Refugee Convention and treats refugees as undocumented migrants.

The government recently launched a system to register refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia and to build a biometric database, as it seeks to manage and regulate the population independently from the UNHCR.

Rohingya have faced growing public hostility in Malaysia due to their growing numbers, fueled by concerns over jobs, public services and security.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has defended the repatriation policy as a diplomatic effort to find a long-term solution, saying Malaysia cannot host refugees indefinitely and Myanmar must take responsibility for its citizens.

Anwar said he plans to invite Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing to Malaysia to discuss the long-running refugee and undocumented migrant issue that has dragged on for decades.

“I am inviting him to say that we can be friends and trade, we can accept Myanmar, but Myanmar must accept them back,” he said in a podcast posted online Sept. 16. “To me, that’s better diplomacy than just shouting angrily at Myanmar.”

Myanmar Foreign Ministry official Han Win Aung has said the plan follows repatriation operations in 2021 and 2022, when Myanmar received more than 1,100 of its nationals stranded in Malaysia.

He said the repatriation involves genuine citizens and is not about bringing back the Rohingya people, who are not recognized as an ethnic group in Myanmar and denied citizenship.

Malaysia's Home Ministry said in the statement that subsequent repatriations would proceed once identity verification, documentation, logistics and operational coordination between the two countries are finalized.

Two advocacy groups, Amnesty International and Asylum Access, in a joint statement urged the government to halt repatriations, saying the government's new system must not be used to fast-track unlawful deportations. Rights groups have also urged the government to restore the UNHCR’s access to detention centers to screen vulnerable refugees.

Myanmar nationals look out from a bus in Manjung, Perak state of Malaysia, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

One of Myanmar nationals looks out from a bus in Manjung, Perak state of Malaysia, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Myanmar nationals look out from a bus in Manjung, Perak state of Malaysia, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

A ship waits to carry Myanmar nationals in Manjung, Perak state of Malaysia, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Myanmar nationals look out from a bus in Manjung, Perak state of Malaysia, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, as a uniformed official walks past. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)