The appetite for overseas holidays among UK adults has soared with a massive 86% planning a trip abroad in 2026. New research from AllClear Travel Insurance shows a sharp rise in Brits looking to travel internationally compared with previous years. At the start of 2024, just 70% were planning a holiday overseas, while 78% had plans in early 2023 and 64% in 2022.

Beach holidays remain the most popular choice for 2026 with 44% saying they would like to take one, up from 31% two years ago. However, the data also points to a broadening of travel tastes. 

City breaks have more than doubled in popularity, rising from 18% in 2024 to 38% this year. Hotel and pool holidays have climbed from 17% to 32%, while cruise holidays have also seen a notable rise, up from 9% to 20%.

More active and experience-led trips are gaining ground too. Walking and hiking holidays have increased from 7% to 20%, music festivals abroad have grown from 6% to 15%, and interest in Airbnb-style stays has risen from 7% to 18%.

Overall, the findings suggest that not only are more people travelling overseas but many are planning different types of holidays and in some cases more than one trip this year.

Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs, said: “These trends we track every two-years allow us to observe significant changes over time. Our new figures show upturns in the percentage of Brits planning a holiday abroad for the year ahead.

“There is a greater breadth of holidays people are choosing this year, and some people are planning multiple holidays.”

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When it comes to destinations, Southern Europe and the Mediterranean top the list, with 35% of respondents saying they would like to visit the region this year.

The Caribbean follows at 23% while 20% are considering Northern Europe or Scandinavia. Long-haul destinations are firmly back on the agenda with 18% expressing interest in Australia or New Zealand, 17% in Japan and wider Asia, 16% in North America and 10% in South America.

One of the most significant increases in travel intent has also come from people with pre-existing medical conditions. The proportion of this group planning an overseas holiday has risen by 60% over the past two years reaching 82% for 2026. 

Garry Nelson added: “It’s encouraging those with medical conditions feel confident about travel abroad. As specialists in this market, we have always championed the importance of people with medical conditions being able to travel with peace of mind.

“That said, our research also reveals that many people with medical conditions are opting for basic travel cover or planning to travel with no cover at all. At this time of year, we encourage everyone with medical conditions to put safety first when buying travel insurance before travelling abroad, and make sure they have comprehensive, quality cover.”

The research was conducted by UK Omnibus Group on behalf of AllClear Travel Insurance among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults between January and February 2026.