Drawing on the insights of our global ASMALLWORLD community, and building on the travel trends shaping 2026, we’ve identified the destinations capturing the most interest for the year ahead. 

Italy secures the top spot among the best places to travel in 2026. However, it’s not first-time visitors jetting off for a taste of the dolce vita. The overwhelming majority of luxury travellers planning an Italy holiday in 2026 have already been. They’ve strolled through Rome’s ancient streets, admired Florence’s Renaissance masterpieces, and crossed off Venice and Milan, and now they’re returning for something deeper.

Many travellers are choosing to spend more time exploring the country’s richly diverse regions like Puglia, where the appeal lies in unhurried days among olive groves and coastal towns untouched by mass tourism. The Dolomites offer dramatic scenery and year-round adventure against the backdrop of towering peaks, while timeless, impossibly chic Capri remains a top choice for island glamour.

While travellers are venturing further afield, Italy’s signature cities aren’t fading from view. Venice is expected to be a cultural hotspot during the Biennale, and Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo are already seeing interest as excitement builds for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Milan’s enduring pull, from its fashion houses to its contemporary design scene, adds yet another reason travellers are planning their return.

Taken together, these patterns suggest a more thoughtful approach to exploring the world, and the trend of travelling to Italy in 2026 speaks to a larger shift in how luxury travel is evolving. The focus is no longer on ticking off or posting from as many destinations as possible, but on understanding them. It’s about genuinely getting under the surface of a destination, its rhythms, its hidden corners and its authentic character. Italy, with its endless regional diversity, perfectly accommodates this.

China claims second place among the most popular travel destinations in 2026, and the itineraries luxury travellers are planning here are nothing short of ambitious.

Worldwide searches for ‘flights to China’ have increased by 60% in the last 90 days alone. The BBC’s most recent Race Across the World series is also reported to have helped China rapidly climb travellers’ bucket lists, solidifying its status as one of next year’s top emerging destinations.

These trips move well beyond the classic city breaks; they’re proper deep dives that uncover regions most travellers have barely scratched the surface of. Routes now include cities such as Xi’an, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, offering a fresh urban perspective, before extending into the remoteness of Yunnan, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.

“What we’re seeing is a renewed appetite to explore other parts of China,” says Zain Richardson, CEO of ASMALLWORLD. “Shanghai and Hong Kong still feature, but luxury travellers are increasingly treating them as gateways to lesser-seen areas of the country rather than the destinations themselves.”

Portugal keeps appearing on luxury travellers' lists for 2026, which is unsurprising considering how quickly this small country has grown in popularity in recent years. Long admired for its beautiful scenery and dramatic coastlines, it’s the country’s remarkable culinary diversity that is now propelling it to the top of next year’s must-visit destinations.

In Porto, visitors seek out the iconic francesinha, a layered sandwich of cured meats, steak, linguiça, cheese and a rich beer sauce that has been perfected over generations. Further south, Alentejo is emerging as a favourite for vinophiles. This quietly impressive wine region offers first-class dining, with the popular vineyard, Herdade do Esporão, boasting a Michelin star. The Cavalariça restaurant group in Comporta and Évora has also set a new standard for culinary craftsmanship in this central Portuguese region.

The Douro Valley continues to captivate with its terraced vineyards, producing port and table wines that rival the great regions of Bordeaux and Tuscany. And thanks to the country’s compact size, travellers can pair Lisbon’s contemporary dining scene with the Algarve’s fresh, beachside seafood within a single itinerary, without long journeys in between.

Portugal’s culinary rise is reflected in the 2025 Michelin Guide, where eight new stars were awarded. Judges praised both the country’s gastronomic evolution and the determination of its chefs to preserve Portugal’s culinary heritage. This commitment is celebrated each year in Cascais, at Chefs On Fire, a gastronomic festival where chefs from across the country return to the roots of open-fire cooking. On the global stage, Portugal’s reputation continues to strengthen, with Lisbon’s Belcanto securing the 42nd spot on the World’s Best Restaurants list, surpassing celebrated restaurants in much larger cities.

Spain comes in as the fourth most popular travel destination in 2026, but luxury travellers aren’t just heading for the mainland. Instead, they are making a beeline for Mallorca, the Balearic island that has quietly become Europe’s newest “it” destination.

With the Biebers, Jennifer Aniston and Oprah all spotted there this summer, and the next season of ‘The White Lotus’ set to be filmed on the island, Mallorca’s global profile is expected to rise even further. The so-called “White Lotus effect” is well documented, with previous seasons driving a 40% spike in bookings at Four Seasons Koh Samui, a 40% increase in tourism to Sicily and a 425% surge in web traffic for Four Seasons Maui.

With a wave of sophisticated new properties transforming the island's luxury landscape, including the Mandarin Oriental Punta Negra (opening 2026) and Purobeach Resort Santa Ponsa, it’s only natural that the island has caught the attention of more high-end visitors.

“Mallorca has always appealed to discerning travellers, but the recent surge in luxury hotels means the island can now meet this growing demand,” says Grant Holmes, Vice President of Travel at ASMALLWORLD. “What sets it apart is the breadth of experiences: over twenty golf courses carved into dramatic coastal and mountain landscapes, a remarkable concentration of Michelin-starred dining, and those wonderful family-run bodegas where wine tastings feel genuinely personal. It's rare to find a destination that delivers both polish and authenticity.”

South Africa holds fifth place among the most popular destinations for 2026, and it’s easy to see why. It’s one of the few places where travellers can experience a world’s worth of landscapes and cultures within days.

Private game reserves remain a central draw, offering exclusive wildlife viewing and exceptional lodge hospitality. Meanwhile, the winelands, particularly Franschhoek, continue to impress with historic estates, contemporary tasting rooms and a thriving culinary scene.

Cape Town continues to shine as a global favourite too, especially after being voted “World’s Best City” in the Telegraph Travel Awards this year. The combination of dramatic mountain scenery, innovative dining and pristine beaches makes it a natural anchor for any South African itinerary.

“For the cash-rich, time-poor, it's the destination that ticks every box without wasting a single day,” says Pippa O’Keefe, Travel Designer at ASMALLWORLD Bespoke. “And because it has a minimal time difference, you won’t even get jet lag when you’re home again!”

Colombia rounds out the list as the sixth most popular destination for 2026, and the country’s luxury landscape is changing quickly. With more than two dozen hospitality projects in development and over 3,600 rooms set to open by 2026, Colombia is experiencing a surge of investment that is transforming how travellers experience its cities and coastlines. Boutique hotels are driving much of this growth, shifting the focus from business travel to immersive cultural and lifestyle-led stays shaped by both major brands and local innovators.

One of the most anticipated openings is the Four Seasons Cartagena, set to debut in early 2026 in the vibrant Getsemaní neighbourhood, just steps from the city's UNESCO-listed Walled City. The project has drawn international attention for its blend of historic restoration and contemporary design, transforming a collection of landmark buildings, including the 16th-century San Francisco Temple and the 1920s Beaux-Arts Club Cartagena, into a 131-key luxury hotel and private residences. Guests can expect eight restaurants and bars, a rooftop pool with panoramic views over Cartagena's Old Town and the Caribbean Sea, and a comprehensive spa and wellness centre.

Beyond Cartagena, travellers are also showing growing interest in Medellín and Bogotá. Medellín, in particular, is emerging as a standout destination for 2026, with its creative energy, lush valley setting, and steadily evolving luxury offering attracting increasing global attention.

Taken together, these destinations highlight a new era of luxury travel - one shaped by depth, culture and a renewed appetite for discovery. Wherever your own journey leads in 2026, the world is full of places ready to surprise, captivate and inspire. And as always, ASMALLWORLD will be here to guide the way.