Americans are planning their 2026 summer trips around hobbies, not destinations. Here's where they're going and what they're doing

Airbnb's summer 2026 data show Americans increasingly book around activities rather than destinations. Listings near golf courses, lakefronts, and surf spots delivered among the strongest booking growth in recent years, as travelers build trips around the activity itself. A third of U.S. summer travelers are staying closer to home this season, underscoring a shift from sightseeing to plan-driven trips. Inland-water destinations like Saugatuck on Lake Michigan and Lake Chelan in the North Cascades illustrate how being on the water shapes choices rather than the town alone. Coastal surfing hubs illustrate the trend, with Holden Beach offering mellow conditions for beginners and Nags Head attracting travelers with steadier swells. Golf-focused picks include Ann Arbor and Victor, Idaho, known for courses that anchor trips around golf rather than landmarks. The data also show runners and cyclists planning trips around trails, reflecting a broader shift to identity-based active travel.