Journeys are often made up of unexpected connections. The ones that link us to strangers and spark companionships of all sorts. From epic love stories to journeys of self-discovery, the people along our routes open us up to entire worlds of possibility and perspective.

What if Taylor Swift never met Travis? Or Snoop Dogg had never struck up a friendship with Martha? These chance encounters can shift the course of our lives, and in the case of a spontaneous upgrade in the 1980s on an Air France flight from Paris to London, even history, when Jane Birkin, found herself next to the CEO of Hermès, resulting in the birth of the iconic Birkin bag. The beauty of travel is in not knowing who you’re going to meet and how that connection will blossom.

Perhaps that’s why solo travel in 2026 is about to get company, as Skyscanner data reveals that more than a third of travellers consider meeting new people a key motivator for taking a trip, whether it's for friendship or something more. 

Terming this as the Catch Flights and Feelings trend, Skyscanner has teamed up with A View, from a bridge (AVFAB), a social storytelling project entirely based on conversations with strangers, to explore what this trend looks like in real life.

Solo journeys, shared moments  

Skyscanner’s data reveals that bookings using the ‘solo traveller’ hotel search filter have jumped 83% year-on-year, while 39% of travellers have gone abroad (or at least considered it), as a way to make new friends, date or just meet people. Reddit users are mirroring this, as travel-dating threads have seen a 492% spike in views year-on-year. 

It’s a shift that shows today’s travellers are chasing more than just new scenery. The destination is the means to an end. One that might start as a quick chat on a train platform and unfold into a night of laughter with people you’ll never forget. Or an impromptu dinner invitation that rolls into a shared sunset.

Strangers, Serendipity and Sparks 

Experts in making conversations with random people, AVFAB travelled with Skyscanner to seek out solo travellers to share what they had to say about life, travel and connecting with unlikely pathfinders. 

Getting lost to find connections 

In Zurich, you’ll discover cult-status restaurants, such as Kronenhalle, where genuine Picassos hang off the wall, and the ancient convent, Fraumünster, where Marc Chagall’s stained-glass art adorns the windows. James Joyce found inspiration from his epic, Ulysses here, and it’s where gooey raclette and Lindt (it’s home to the largest Lindt Chocolate Shop in the world) are as abundant as bluesy bars and electro clubs. In the largest city in Switzerland, wake to the smell of fresh gipfeli and sleep to the sounds of the nightlife beats emanating from Langstrasse. 

It’s a city where alpine peaks meet lakeside beauty and a cosmopolitan skyline meets medieval landmarks. It’s also where AVFAB met Ryan, a young man with a passion for globe-trotting and an even bigger one for getting lost while doing it. 

He shares that his childhood was marked by constant movement, making it difficult to form friendships. But travel has changed that. By leaning into the art of getting lost, Ryan has found his own way of building rapport, sparking conversations in instances of disorientation, and turning asking for directions into a platform for dialogue. In one case, what started out as casual small talk became the springboard for a long-lasting brotherhood.

Did you know that Zurich, has been named one of the best value destinations for Canadian travellers next year? Check out where prices have dropped the most, and which will be the best value destinations for UK travellers in 2026.

Accidentally embracing the unexpected

Salerno is one of the top trending destinations for UK travellers for 2026. In fact, data shows that searches for this charming Italian port city, which boasts envious views over the sweeping Campania shoreline, are up by 211%. It’s part of a surge in search where traditionally over-shadowed destinations are being overlooked no more. In Salerno’s case, it’s finally found recognition as a well-respected gateway to the Amalfi Coast, and as an alternative to it’s heavily visited southern Italian sister city, Naples. However, the pizzerias are just as good, and the wait for tables insignificant in comparison. Limoncello flows in both the creamy and clear kind, and besides the host of artisanal pottery and leather workshops to visit, one unmissable attraction is the city’s Duomo, which encases the stunning baroque crypt of San Mateo. 

Here, AVFAB caught up with Reagan, a young American tourist who found himself on an unplanned solo holiday after discovering that his friend’s passport had expired right before their flight.

Continuing alone anyway, Reagan reflects that, although it can feel intimidating at times, in that discomfort, he’s found a type of liberty. "When you are uncomfortable, you act your most organic self...you just have to be what you are.” These experiences have catalysed a personal evolution, “I would actually say, I have had a deeper connection with people I’ve met in the two days I’ve been here than with people back home". "I’m growing as a person by how uncomfortable I am.”

Unpacking travel trends for 2026

These two stories shared with AVFAB offer a glimpse into how emotion-driven adventures are opening doors to cultural insight, new ways of seeing the world, and fostering meaningful relationships, ultimately transforming each chapter on the road into a path to personal growth. 

Yet, emotion isn’t the only thing guiding itineraries in 2026. The path to self-expression is also being mapped out through taste buds, taking global nomads from aircraft aisles to supermarket aisles on the hunt for authentic and local flavours, as well as being driven by the search for beauty, as Gen Z go chasing skincare rituals around the world.

Explore how escapism is becoming a gateway to cultural curiosity, creativity, and connection in Skyscanner’s full Travel Trends 2026 report.