Brits Stay for Longer and Check in to Communities Over Concierge as AI Streamlines Holiday Planning

• 28% of Brits actively seek cultural immersion holidays, rising to 50% among 18–24s

• 19% have taken extended holidays or worked remotely abroad for weeks or months

• 28% are actively considering emerging destinations, rising to 47% among 18–24s

• 43% would trust AI to help plan their holiday

• 24% previously spent more than 10 hours researching accommodation alone (Hotels.com)

• UK residents made 94.6 million outbound visits in 2024

New data from Dragonpass, shows that Britain’s outbound travel market remains robust, with 94.6 million trips recorded in 2024. However, the real shift is not in the number of trips being taken, but in how people are travelling - with more travellers staying longer and embedding themselves more deeply in destination communities.

Dragonpass’ Great British Take-Off 2026 report shows more than a quarter of Brits now actively prioritise cultural immersion holidays, choosing neighbourhood stays, local food culture and slower exploration over traditional hotel-centric formats. Among 18–24s, that figure rises to 50%.

At the same time, nearly one in five travellers have taken extended holidays or worked remotely abroad for weeks or months, reflecting growing appetite for longer, experience-led travel rather than short, transactional breaks.

Historically, extended or multi-stop itineraries required significant manual research across visa rules, safety guidance, peak seasons, routing and pricing. Hotels.com found that 24% of UK travellers spent more than 10 hours researching accommodation alone. AI tools are now compressing those stages into a single conversational interface, generating destination shortlists, optimal travel windows and draft itineraries within minutes.

Dragonpass data shows 28% of Brits are actively looking at emerging destinations, rising to 47% among 18–24s. Markets such as Montenegro, Albania and Cape Verde are benefiting from prompt-driven discovery, aligning with a preference for community-based exploration over high-volume resort corridors.

Andrew Harrison-Chinn, Business Leader at Dragonpass, argues that AI is becoming a mainstream planning layer rather than a novelty. By reducing the due-diligence burden traditionally associated with unfamiliar destinations, AI is enabling travellers to commit to longer stays and deeper cultural engagement. He notes, however, that while AI can accelerate discovery and itinerary design, travellers should continue verifying entry requirements and safety guidance via official government channels before booking.