Best value destinations for 2027 - International Traveller

From Mexico City to Vienna, these destinations are shaping up to be better-value escapes in 2027, with airfares down by up to 27 per cent year on year.

Looking for inspiration for your next overseas escape? Skyscanner selected its best-value destinations for 2027 using year-on-year airfare drops, accommodation pricing insights, and how good they’d be for a holiday.

The analysis compared economy return flights booked between 1 January and 17 June 2026 for travel that year with the same period in 2025, highlighting the top 10 places where your travel budget could go further for next year’s trips.

1. Mexico City, Mexico

Year-on-year price drop: −27%

If your holiday planning tends to start with booking your lunch and dinner reservations, put Mexico City on the shortlist. Food is a compelling reason to visit Mexico’s capital, but its design scene and layers of history deserve just as much space on the itinerary. With airfares recording the list’s biggest year-on-year drop at 27 per cent, there’s a little more room in the budget to follow where your stomach calls.

2. Hamilton, New Zealand

Year-on-year price drop: −23%

An overseas escape doesn’t need to be a long-haul flight or require months of saving. Hamilton makes a convincing case for keeping things closer to home, with reasonably priced accommodation and a relaxed pace that lends itself to an easy few days away. It’s also a handy base for visiting Hobbiton and the Waitomo Caves.

3. Montreal, Canada

Year-on-year price drop: −19%

Explore historic streets by day, epic restaurants by night and, with the right timing, a festival somewhere in between: Montreal makes filling an itinerary particularly easy. The Canadian city brings a European feel to a North American holiday, with plenty to tempt travellers who like their city breaks served with a generous helping of culture.

For a North American holiday with a bit of European flair. (Credit: Getty Images / Onfokus)

4. Okinawa, Japan

Year-on-year price drop: −16%

Don’t stop with Tokyo: Japan’s tropical side deserves a place on your itinerary. In Okinawa, an island escape comes with the food, culture and hospitality that keep Australians returning to the country, with plenty of scope to slow the itinerary down.

5. Vienna, Austria

Year-on-year price drop: −14%

A holiday built around palaces, museums and lingering café stops sounds like an indulgence. Vienna delivers on all three, and a 14 per cent drop in airfares makes its grand surroundings a little easier to justify. The Austrian capital is a strong contender for travellers planning a European city break around art and history, with lots of day trips available for those who want to explore Austria’s natural beauty.

6. Ankara, Türkiye

Year-on-year price drop: −11%

Istanbul tends to dominate the holiday wish list, but Türkiye’s capital warrants a closer look. Ankara offers an opportunity to explore the country’s history and culture with fewer crowds, while lower local prices help keep spending in check once you arrive.

Ankara turkey — Istanbul gets most of the attention, but Ankara is worth a spot on your itinerary. (Credit: Mesut Dogan)

7. Prague, Czechia

Year-on-year price drop: −9%

Prague is a must-visit for anyone planning a Europe trip. Its historic streets and Gothic architecture supply plenty of reasons to take the scenic route, while a lively nightlife scene gives you an excuse to stay out after sightseeing is done. Long favoured by travellers watching their European holiday budget, the Czech capital has another point in its favour: airfares fell nine per cent year on year

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8. Medan, Indonesia

Year-on-year price drop: −7%

There’s plenty more in Indonesia to explore beyond Bali, and Medan offers a starting point for a different kind of adventure. The city is a gateway to Lake Toba, with opportunities to build a trip around local culture and the surrounding landscapes. A fall in airfares makes it great value for money, particularly for travellers keen to put somewhere less familiar on their next Indonesian itinerary.

9. Fuzhou, China

Year-on-year price drop: −4%

Hot springs, temples and a holiday itinerary with food firmly at its centre: Fuzhou has plenty to recommend it. The Chinese city offers an alternative to the well-trodden Shanghai and Beijing circuit, with fewer tourists and lower prices among the attractions highlighted by Skyscanner.

Fuzhou china — For an itinerary full of tasty food and hot springs, take a look at Fuzhou. (Credit: Getty Images / Rodho)

10. Adelaide, Australia

Year-on-year price drop: −4%

Adelaide lends itself to the sort of break where lunch can happily become the main event, and with the Michelin Guide now revealed in South Australia, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to stellar restaurant options. Build a few days around food markets and beach time, then venture out to the Barossa Valley for a change of scenery and a winery stop or two. With airfares down four per cent year on year, the South Australian capital offers another reason to keep your next escape within Australia.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

Best value destinations for 2027: 10 places where airfares have dropped