Expedition Beach: Why 2026's Coastal Traveller Wants Cliffs, Not Just Cabanas

Cover image: Dramatic sea cliffs towering over a remote beach, classic expedition beach terrain — photo by Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The fly-and-flop beach holiday is losing its grip on 2026 demand. In its "Where to Next?" travel trends report published on 16 October 2025, Priceline identified "Expedition Beach" as one of seven defining travel styles for the year ahead, reporting that 74% of travellers are seeking beaches "that excite, not just relax". The finding comes from a nationally representative survey of 3,006 US adults aged 18 to 79, fielded between 18 August and 5 September 2025 by research firm Current Forward, and cross-referenced with Priceline's own search and booking data.

The behavioural shift is already visible in bookings. Reporting on the Priceline data in October 2025, TheStreet noted rising reservations for Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam, Goa in India and Kahuku on Oahu's north shore — coastlines where diving, jungle trekking, surfing and wildlife sit within reach of the sunlounger. As Priceline's report put it, travellers are "swapping beach reads for jungle hikes, parasailing, jet skiing, and cliff diving".

What is the expedition beach travel trend?

Expedition beach describes a coastal holiday built around a base-camp logic: the beach remains the anchor, but the itinerary is padded with hiking, wildlife watching, water sports and cultural excursions. It is not adventure travel in the expedition-cruise sense — it is the mainstream beach market absorbing adventure expectations.

Priceline's report framed the consequence bluntly, predicting a rise in "adventure-ready coasts" that deliver thrills and "unforgettable memories far beyond the tan lines". For the trade, that means the classic sun-and-sand brochure shot is no longer the whole sell — the excursion programme is becoming the differentiator.

Which destinations fit the expedition beach formula?

Beyond the three coastlines flagged in Priceline's booking data, the destinations best positioned for this demand share a pattern: dramatic terrain, biodiversity or living culture within an hour of the sand.

• The Azores — volcanic crater hikes, canyoning and some of the Atlantic's most reliable whale watching, all from black-sand beach bases.
• Costa Rica — the original beach-plus-rainforest hybrid, pairing Pacific surf towns with cloud-forest and wildlife day trips.
• Albania and Oman — riviera coastlines backed by mountains, wadis and archaeology, still priced below their Mediterranean and Gulf neighbours.
• The Philippines and the Oregon coast — island-hopping, reef diving and sea-stack storm-watching for travellers who want the shoreline itself to feel wild.

Many of these coastlines perform best outside peak summer, which dovetails with the wider move towards off-peak booking; our guide to the best shoulder-season travel destinations covers when these coasts hit the sweet spot of weather, price and crowd levels. The activity-led format also spreads spend beyond the beachfront strip into guides, parks and rural communities — one of the practical wins covered in our practical guide to sustainable travel.

How are tour operators and resorts responding?

Adventure specialists are scaling coastal-active product fast. Intrepid Travel added 28 new active itineraries for 2026, taking its active range to 148 trips across six continents, after year-on-year active sales rose 9% and multi-active trips — combining several sports in one departure — jumped 23%, according to Travel Market Report. "Intrepid's style of travel has always resonated with people seeking active adventure," said Erica Kritikides, the company's general manager of experiences.

Exodus Adventure Travels, which launched 65 new small-group departures for 2026, has kept expanding coast-adjacent walking since. In March 2026 it added a seven-day Walks and Food of the Italian Riviera trip from £2,399 and a Corsica mountains-and-coast hike from £2,499, citing continued growth in European walking demand, per Travel Weekly. "Europe's diverse landscape and scenery offer a wealth of choice for walking enthusiasts, whether hiking along cliff-tops and mountainsides, or more relaxed coastal paths," said Exodus sales director Brendan Phelan.

For resorts, the playbook is hybridisation: keeping the pool-and-spa core while bolting on guided hikes, reef trips and cultural programming that can be merchandised at booking rather than sold ad hoc on property.

How does expedition beach fit with the other 2026 travel trends?

Expedition beach did not arrive alone. It sits inside a cluster of 2026 trends that all point the same way — travellers designing trips around doing rather than merely being somewhere. At the cooler end of the spectrum, Scandinavia's rise as a summer alternative follows the same active-coast logic; our companion report on the coolcations trend in Scandinavia maps that demand shift in detail.

Screen tourism is pulling in the same direction: Expedia's Unpack '26 report, based on a survey of 24,000 travellers in 18 countries, found 81% of Gen Z and millennial travellers now plan getaways based on what they have seen on screen — and many of those filming locations are rugged coastlines rather than resort strips. Priceline's full trend list for 2026 shows how broad the recalibration is:

The timing question matters too. Because expedition beach trips depend on hiking conditions and wildlife seasons rather than pure sunshine, they extend the selling calendar well past August — several of the coasts above are at their best in September and October, as our round-up of the best autumn travel destinations for 2026 shows.

Frequently asked questions

Who coined the term "expedition beach"?

Priceline, in its 2026 "Where to Next?" travel trends report released on 16 October 2025. The OTA used the label for its finding that 74% of surveyed US travellers want beaches offering excitement beyond sand and water.

Is expedition beach just adventure travel rebranded?

Not quite. Traditional adventure travel makes the activity the whole trip; expedition beach keeps a beach base and layers activities on top. It is the mass beach market adopting adventure expectations, which is why OTAs and resorts — not just specialist operators — are chasing it.

Which destinations are seeing bookings rise from this trend?

According to TheStreet's reporting on Priceline's booking data, Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam, Goa in India and Kahuku on Oahu are all seeing increased reservations. Editorially, the Azores, Costa Rica, Albania, Oman and the Philippines fit the same beach-plus-adventure profile.

Does the trend spell trouble for all-inclusive resorts?

No — but it changes the product. Resorts that bundle guided hikes, diving and cultural excursions into the package are better placed than those selling sunloungers alone, and activity-rich coasts extend bookable seasons beyond peak summer.

Sources

• PR Newswire — Priceline Unveils 2026 "Where to Next?" Report
• TheStreet via Yahoo Finance — 'Exciting beach' travel trend: Why it's going viral for 2026
• Travel Market Report — Intrepid Travel Adds 28 Active Trips to 2026
• Travel Weekly — Exodus expands European walking range as demand grows
• Travelweek — Exodus adds 65 new small-group tours for 2026
• hertelier — Expedia's Top 6 Travel Trends and Smart Destinations for 2026