2026: The Year of Overlanding
So, how about those numbers, and trends for 2026? And how do they tie in to the appeal of overlanding? Well, this podcast idea started as a blurb I saw on my Facebook feed, and I thought it was interesting, so I did a Google search for a few articles, and this is the authoritative and highly scientific results I came up with. Let’s dive in:
One of the first trends for the upcoming year; you may have noticed that the price of everything seems to be a bit higher, of late. Yeah, according to mylighthouse.com, these financial pressures are already impacting travel demand, and shaping traveler behavior. They go on to point out that consumers remain highly motivated to travel but they are becoming more cautious. Affordability concerns and over-tourism pressures are pushing them to search for value across a wider mix of destinations and alternative travel windows.
They go on to point out that politics are also going to impact travelers’ budgets more in 2026, with rising tourist taxes, particularly in the more popular destinations. On top of that, the article points out a decline in vacation rental listings, or at least a decline in growth of them is putting upward pressure on the cost of rentals. Of course, overlanding comes with its own laundry list of costs, and many of the gear costs have seen price tag hikes, since tariffs went into place, but you don’t worry about the cost of lodging & rentals when you travel with your bed, kitchen, and all your necessities onboard the vehicle.
The BBC has an article published that says, “One trend is set to dominate next year: ‘quietcations’. Also called ‘Hushpitality’, this movement centers on comfort, silence and finding a way to escape the compounding stresses of modern life. With our always-on digital culture colliding with an endless roll call of global events reaching us in real time, it’s no surprise that many of us are looking to disconnect. The article goes on to point out that travelers are turning away from overcrowded, over-hyped ‘Instagram Destinations’ that rarely live up to the hype. They point out that off-grid destinations are on the rise. CNBC reports that two-thirds of U.S. travelers are under the age of 35, and say that they prefer active trips that involve hiking, rafting & cycling. Much of what us overlanders already do matches the description of the kind of trips that travelers are going to be looking to take, this year. If all of these travelers aren’t planning on overlanding, per se, it looks like they’re going to be flocking to the kinds of places we also like to visit.
And they’re going to be increasingly choosing to get there by car, it appears. Hilton, of the Hotel chain fame, announced in their 2026 Trends Report that growing numbers of travelers are choosing ground travel as their mode of transportation, favoring journeys that keep them connected to the landscape - and for many, an appreciation of nature is key. Hilton notes that the hashtag #RoadTrip has racked up more than 5.9 million tags globally as travellers rediscover the appeal of the open road. Among the statistics that they cite: 71% of Americans plan to drive on their next vacation. 76% of global car travelers say they favor road trips over flying because it allows for more spontaneity, helping give people the power to go where they want, when they want. Milena Nikolova, Chief Behavior Officer at BehaviorSMART, which specializes in understanding how and why we travel, sees this road trip boom as having a distinctly U.S. flavor.
So, we have a growing desire to unplug on vacation, and a renaissance of the great American Road Trip. The BBC points out a backlash against One-Size-Fits-All travel & tour bookings. They point out that the travel industry is moving towards hyper-individuality on a grand scale. A trends report from the travel PR firm Lemongrass notes that curated escapes reflect a rising decision fatigue and cognitive overload of making constant micro-decisions, do we go see the Louvre, or the Eiffel Tower? Scuba diving or horseback riding? both at home and abroad. They’re also prioritizing personal experiences. 72% of respondents to a MyLighthouse poll report that they want to go on a vacation to explore a personal passion, skill or hobby. They go on to conclude that travelers are seeking a sweet spot, destinations that offer adventure and cultural depth, but remain affordable and free of the overcrowding associated with traditional favorites.
My fellow overlanding friends, does any of this sound familiar?
Okay, so I’m done spitting facts & figures at you. I don’t claim to be some travel trend expert, and I can’t say that these trends directly lead to an upswing in interest in overlanding. There is just as much reason for the RV industry to read these reports with hope. But these all come from trend reports that are used by the travel, tourism & hospitality industry to plan their yearly strategies. And all of these trends point to there being a traveling public with interests that align more closely than ever with what we all know and think of as overlanding. The kind of travel, and the kind of trips we take are the kind of experiences people are looking for as well.
So anyway, count me in the camp who thinks that overlanding still has room to run, in 2026. Heck, even if it weren’t for all of these trend reports, the year-over-year growth I see in attendance at overlanding events around the country have me convinced that 2026 could indeed be the year of overlanding.