PRIVATE AIR TOURING IN 2026
At a glance
Private air touring is evolving from “more destinations” to more meaning: education, connection, and restoration.Multi-generational travel is surging, with journeys designed around shared highlights plus personalised pacing and interests.
Wellness is becoming a primary purpose, shaped by life stage and personal goals—mind, body, and spirit—rather than by age.
Private jet touring and private air touring are increasingly used by brands and institutions to create immersive, values-led journeys.
Working with an Global DMC specialising in private jet touring helps partners shape a cohesive, brand-aligned tour concept that feels designed, not assembled.
The year travel became more human
As we close the year, one shift feels unmistakable: the most sought-after journeys aren’t defined by how much you fit in - they’re defined by how deeply you connect. In premium travel, the conversation is continually moving towards purpose, perspective, and presence.
At Bartelings, we’ve seen this show up in three key themes that increasingly overlap in the same itinerary: education, connection, and restoration. Together, they’re shaping what guests value most - and what partners are asking for when they explore private air touring concepts.
Travel as education - learning that stays with you
The most lasting journeys do more than entertain. They teach - through culture, heritage, craft, landscapes, and the people who bring a place to life. What feels “new” in wider luxury travel has, in many ways, been long understood within the educational travel sector: that the real value of travel is how it expands perspective, challenges assumptions, and reveals the world’s untold stories.
This is particularly true for silver travellers, many of whom are actively seeking lifelong learning - not as a formal programme, but as an ongoing appetite for enrichment. They want experiences that add depth and dimension: not only the headline sights, but the “why” behind them- local voices, overlooked narratives, and moments that offer new perspectives.
That’s also where carefully curated behind-the-scenes access becomes so powerful. Whether it’s a private viewing, a specialist-led encounter, or access that’s not typically available to the general visitor, these moments turn a destination from something you see into something you genuinely understand.
What this means for private air touring: it creates an opportunity to design journeys around insight and meaning - where each destination adds contrast and context, and where discovery is shaped by the stories you unlock, not just the places you visit. Our Curators Circle itinerary is a great example – with behind the scenes visits to major galleries and private art collections throughout Europe .
Connection across generations-and the power of shared moments
Multi-generational travel is one of the most consistent drivers of premium demand-but the most successful journeys aren’t built around age brackets. They’re built around mindset, interests, and pace.
In practice, that means designing each itinerary with choice built in - shared “anchor” moments that bring everyone together, plus optional pathways that let guests shape the day around what they love. One part of the group might head out for a round of golf, while others opt for a guided walking tour - then everyone reunites later for a festive market visit and a hands-on cooking course.
This balance is what makes the journey feel both cohesive and personal. Certain destinations and events are simply elevated when experienced together-especially when you can unlock access to private venues, create events at scale, and build genuine camaraderie through travelling as one group. And there’s something uniquely connective about the rhythm of a privately chartered aircraft: the conversations between moments, the shared anticipation, and the feeling of moving through the journey as a community - not just as individual travellers.
What this means for partners: the strongest private air touring concepts create belonging without forcing uniformity—bringing people together through shared highlights, while giving them freedom within the journey to personalise the experience. Our Winter Waltz is a great example of an itinerary that can be tailored to appeal to a group of all ages and interests.
Wellness is becoming the “why” behind travel - not an add-on
Coming out of ILTM Cannes, it’s clear that wellness has moved from a sidebar to a central design principle in premium journeys. ILTM’s flagship Cannes event is where much of the luxury travel industry aligns on what’s next, and the momentum around wellbeing is unmistakable.
What’s changing is the reason people are asking for wellness. Increasingly, it’s not about age - it’s about where you are in life. We see particular momentum among women navigating moments of transition: changing careers, the empty-nest chapter, a new relationship with time, or retirement as an opportunity to finally focus on themselves. In that context, travel becomes a vehicle not only for discovery and adventure, but for personalised treatments and mind–body–spirit restoration.
And there’s a cultural underline to this shift too: 2026 marks 20 years since Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat Pray Love—not as a cliché to recreate, but as a reminder that the desire to reset, reconnect, and return home changed is now firmly part of the luxury travel mindset.
What this means for private jet touring and private air touring: wellness works best when it’s designed into the journey as a personalised layer - supporting travellers through transition, and creating experiences that restore as much as they inspire.
What partners are asking for: brand-led journeys, not off-the-shelf luxury
We’re seeing growing interest from brands, tour operators, advisors, and institutions who want something more distinctive than standard luxury packaging. They’re looking for journeys that:
reflect their values and identity
feel immersive and culturally meaningful
build loyalty through shared experience
create a sense of belonging and community
That’s why the partner conversation is shifting from “where can we go?” to “what do we want this journey to stand for?”
This is where an DMC specialising in private jet touring becomes a strategic asset: helping shape an end-to-end concept that partners can confidently put their name to - one that feels seamless, elevated, and unmistakably aligned with the intended audience.
Looking to 2026: what we’re building now
As we move into the new year, the journeys gaining momentum share three outcomes clients consistently want:
Perspective — travel as education and cultural connection
Belonging — shared experiences that bridge generations, communities, and interests
Restoration — wellbeing through personalised design, rhythm, and time together
If you’re exploring a private air tour concept - whether for a brand community, a client programme, a private group, or an institutional audience - this is an ideal moment to start shaping what next year could look like. Contact us to schedule a call with one of the team, and start your journey today!