Why 2026 is the year to go retro and revisit your favourite childhood escapes – with a grown-up upgrade.
Do you want to return to the places that built you, where every salty breeze and neon arcade stirs something vivid beneath the surface, but reinvented? Enter retro travel.
Many of us are craving the comfort of places that sparked our wonder when the world felt bigger (and maybe a little bit kinder) when we were children.
Now, a new travel phenomenon is emerging, says Sue Garrett, GM supply, pricing & marketing at Flight Centre South Africa.
“Many of our customers are retracing childhood footprints. But, they’re layering the journey with finer food, more freedom and “grown-up” indulgences. It’s essentially a trip back to the beginning – only this time, they hold the map.”
the psychology of nostalgia
Nostalgia (literally a longing to return ‘home’) was once described as a kind of homesickness. Today, experts know it’s one of the brain’s built-in comfort mechanisms, especially in times of change.
Psychologists like Krystine Batcho have found that nostalgic memories help us remember who we were and make sense of who we are today.
As Professor Ziyan Yang said, nostalgia is a form of mental time travel that can spark profound feelings of warmth, purpose and connection.
“Revisiting a place you loved as a child is a way to reconnect with who you were, and often to rediscover what really matters to you now,” Garrett explains.
Add in the sensory triggers – ocean spray, braai smoke, the squawk of hadedas at sunrise – and you understand why the retro getaway experience is almost medicinal.
why Gen Z and Millennials crave retro escapes
Gen Z and Millennials are chasing optimised productivity, digital dopamine and never-ending “hustle”. Yet, many younger travellers are yearning for something slower, softer and rooted in the past. Sociologists call it a survival strategy. Both generations are turning to nostalgia as a kind of self-care and emotional reset.
Vivek Iyyani, founder of Millennial Minds, notes: “Gen Z are overworked, overscheduled, and overwhelmed. They’re always planning how to be more productive with their time, looking for hacks to save a little of their time and energy. So, it’s no surprise they’re looking towards a distant past they have only heard of, but probably never experienced – those ‘nostalgic’ days when life was simpler.”
Read our article on the growing trend for slow travel.
family favourites
In South Africa, many holiday destinations are practically family heirlooms. Mauritius, for example, has been winning hearts for decades, weaving itself into the treasured memories of thousands of families.
According to Flight Centre’s Year In Travel 2025 Report, this sunshine-soaked island was the ultimate international favourite last year, and consistently ranks in the national top three.
Why? Because so many of today’s travellers once splashed in its warm waters as children – and are now passing that magic on to their own kids.
“The reason destinations like Mauritius and Kruger never go out of style is simple – they’re woven into our family stories. People return for the memories, but they also bring a new version of themselves to the experience,” comments Garrett.
5 tips for planning a meaningful retro escape in 2026
1. Start with your senses
Ask yourself what tastes, sounds or scents pull you back to those golden years? Was it the crunch of a toasted cheese at a freeway café or the smell of pine trees on a camping trip? Let these sensory cues guide your itinerary.
2. Mix old favourites with new luxuries
Blend the comfort of familiar spots with grown-up upgrades. For example, a historic train ride with a gourmet lunch or an amusement park followed by a spa afternoon. There’s real satisfaction in pairing retro pleasures with fresh indulgence.
3. Bring your people
Invite siblings, parents, childhood friends. Alternatively, bring your own children along for the ride. Their perspectives (and stories) can refresh old memories and create new inside jokes.
4. Include something unexpected
Break your pattern. Book that art gallery tour you always skipped or try a local cooking class. Sometimes the most meaningful moments come from combining what you loved then with grown-up forms of curiosity.
5. Capture it analogue
Trade the Instagram scroll for something hands-on like a disposable camera or a playlist of vintage hits. These little rituals slow down your travel experience and let you savour both the journey and the return.
Consider a holiday that different generations can enjoy together.
what retro travel promises
What does retro travel in 2026 promise? An invitation to reclaim wonder and rediscover joy. Retro travel is about showing up fully present for the comfort trips that turn into new adventures. In a world short on certainty, there’s something revolutionary in going back, only to discover something beautifully new.
