{"id":733561,"date":"2026-01-31T18:25:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T18:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/733561\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T18:25:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T18:25:17","slug":"the-underrated-european-city-that-everyone-will-be-flocking-to-in-2026-europe-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/733561\/","title":{"rendered":"The underrated European city that everyone will be flocking to in 2026 | Europe | Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Colorful<\/p>\n

Cork is the second biggest city in Ireland (Image: Getty) This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a> <\/p>\n

Brits are ditching pricey, overcrowded city breaks in favour of destinations that feel fresher, calmer and better value, and one underrated European city is emerging as the place everyone will be flocking to in 2026. According to KAYAK\u2019s new What the Future (WTF) Travel Trends 2026 Report, travellers are increasingly turning their backs on crowded hotspots<\/a> and hunting down places that feel more authentic, affordable, and still refreshingly underrated. Leading KAYAK<\/a>\u2019s list of Top 10 Emerging Destinations for 2026 is Cork, Ireland<\/a>, which is set to win over Brits looking for a city break that delivers culture, food and atmosphere without the eye-watering prices of other major cities worldwide.<\/p>\n

It leads ahead of Chongqing<\/a> in China and Harbin in northern China, which took second and third place respectively. The report is based on community data from TikTok. The data reveals that 71% of Gen Z and Millennial Brits are actively searching for “hidden gem” destinations that aren\u2019t all over social media yet, while a huge 84% of travellers said they\u2019d rather holiday in a smaller town or lesser-known city than a busy tourist hub in 2026.<\/p>\n

It found that rather than flocking to the same well\u2011trodden destinations, travellers are on the hunt for underrated destinations to uncover. On TikTok, #hiddengems content has jumped by more than 50% and #slowtravel posts have surged by 330%.\u00a0<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Village ‘straight out of a storybook’ with colourful streets and ‘perfect’ bay <\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> 15 travel trends that will influence Brits’ summer holiday choices in 2026 <\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Brits are ditching pricey city breaks for Cork in 2026 (Image: Getty)<\/p>\n

Cork is sometimes called “the real capital” by locals as they take pride in the city\u2019s long history of independence and rebellion. Cork famously opposed the Anglo\u2011Irish Treaty during the Irish Civil War.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The city offers an authentic, less\u2011crowded alternative to Dublin<\/a>, with a great atmosphere, food, culture, and character. Often also called Ireland\u2019s culinary capital, Cork has a vibrant food scene with a brilliant mix of local produce, markets, and some of the restaurants in the country.<\/p>\n

Some highlights include the historic English Market, nearby Blarney Castle, the Cork City Gaol, St Fin Barre’s Cathedral and it’s also home to the second-largest natural harbour in the world. Cork is packed with festivals, events, and a growing street\u2011art scene, giving the city even more personality.<\/p>\n

KAYAK UK travel expert Rachel Mumford told the Express: “2026 is set to be defined by travel trends that deliver maximum reset in minimum time. Brits are looking to properly switch off, take shorter holidays and enjoy the charms of the real world away from the reels.<\/p>\n

“For all of this, Cork in the south-west of Ireland is exactly the kind of place travellers are gravitating towards this year. It\u2019s a \u2018little big trip\u2019 city that’s compact, walkable and packed with character, where you can enjoy a weekend without the prices of a major hub.”<\/p>\n

She added: “It\u2019s an easy reset as you\u2019re in the middle of a lively food scene within minutes of arriving. Your weekend doesn\u2019t need to be packed to feel like you\u2019ve escaped.<\/p>\n

“Think quality over quantity with a simple day trip to Kinsale for seafood, Cobh for coastal views or a soft hike at Gougane Barra Forest Park without committing to a full-on adventure.”<\/p>\n

List of the top 10 emerging destinations for 2026<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Cork, Ireland\u00a0<\/li>\n
  2. Chongqing, China\u00a0<\/li>\n
  3. Harbin, China\u00a0<\/li>\n
  4. Zakynthos, Greece\u00a0<\/li>\n
  5. Shenzhen, China\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  6. Almaty, Kazakhstan\u00a0<\/li>\n
  7. Hilo, United States\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  8. Noumea, New Caledonia\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  9. La Romana, Dominican Republic\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  10. Luxembourg, Luxembourg\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cork is the second biggest city in Ireland (Image: Getty) This article contains affiliate links, we will receive…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":733562,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5174],"tags":[52828,41936,217719,2000,299,5187,217717,109556,678,217718,139257,57944,35276],"class_list":["post-733561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-eu","tag-city-breaks-section","tag-cork","tag-emerging-destinations-2026","tag-eu","tag-europe","tag-european","tag-hidden-gem-destinations","tag-hidden-gems","tag-ireland","tag-kayak-travel-trends-2026-report","tag-slow-travel","tag-travel-section","tag-travel-trends"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115991119524464349","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/733561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=733561"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/733561\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/733562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=733561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=733561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=733561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}