October 22, 2025, 10:46 am | Read time: 4 minutes
The booking platform Booking.com surveyed thousands of travelers worldwide about their planned destinations for the coming year. The result is a top 10 list of trend destinations for 2026. TRAVELBOOK introduces the surprising German trend destination and its competitors.
Off the beaten path–that’s how the list of trend destinations for the coming year from Booking.com reads. Typical travel destinations are hardly found here, yet the ten listed places are apparently so popular that many people plan to visit them next year.
According to Booking.com, 29,733 people from 33 countries worldwide participated in the survey in July and August of this year. All of them planned a trip within the next 12 months to two years. And these trips apparently do not lead to classic vacation spots. Based on the survey, the booking platform created a list of destinations it declared as the hottest travel spots for the coming year. According to a statement from the booking platform, the prerequisite for appearing on the list was that they were already among the “1,000 most booked on Booking.com” between January and June 2025. Additionally, the platform states that the destinations were “slightly adjusted” to “ensure geographic distribution.” How this actually affected the results is unclear. However, the selection suggests that there might have been a bit more “adjustment.” The list can therefore only serve as inspiration.
Overview
The Top Trend Destination 2026 in Germany
A German city has made it onto Booking.com’s list of the hottest travel destinations for the coming year. And it’s not one most would think of when considering German travel spots: The German trend destination for 2026 according to Booking.com is Münster.
The city in North Rhine-Westphalia is located in western Germany, not far from the Dutch border. The city is known as a bicycle city, the birthplace of the Peace of Westphalia, and not least for its picturesque medieval old town. It is also a university city and is celebrated by Booking.com for its mix of young and old influences.
How many people actually plan to travel to Münster in the next two years and where the city ranks within the list is unclear. A corresponding inquiry to Booking.com has so far remained unanswered.
Also interesting: Daintree Forest – “My Visit to the World’s Oldest Rainforest Was So Spectacular”
This Is Apparently the Happiest City in Europe
This German state is among the most hospitable regions in the world
Bilbao Is Also One of the Hottest Destinations
In addition to Münster, another European city has made it onto the list of trend destinations for 2026: Bilbao in Spain. The city is located in the north of the country and is known for the Guggenheim Museum. According to Booking.com, Bilbao is even one of the “most exciting cultural destinations in Europe,” with “impressive culture and art of world rank.” Not least, Bilbao is the culinary capital of the Basque Country.
Bilbao seems to be a topic at the moment. Recently, the city was named one of the ten happiest cities in Europe by “Time Out” magazine (TRAVELBOOK reported).
These Are the Ten Hottest Travel Destinations for 2026 According to Booking.com*
- Münster, Germany
- Bilbao, Spain
- Mũi Né, Vietnam
- Barranquilla, Colombia
- Philadelphia, USA
- Guangzhou, China
- Sal, Cape Verde
- Manaus, Brazil
- Kochi, India
- Port Douglas, Australia
*Since we do not yet have the exact numbers, we follow the booking platform and list the cities sequentially rather than ranking them.
Are you interested in more trend destinations for the coming year? At this year’s TRAVELBOOK AWARDs, the best destinations for sustainable safaris, the most hospitable countries, the best European insider tip regions, the most beautiful old towns in the DACH region, and the most beautiful camping regions in Europe were awarded.