Fans of “romantasy”, a literary genre that blends romance and fantasy, find happiness in mythical storybook worlds in which characters do things like slay dragons and hang out in castles, all while finding love at the same time.

Now some are taking their passion for the genre into the real world by embracing “romantasy” travel, holidaying to destinations inspired by settings in their favourite novels such as snow-capped mountains, lush forests and ancient castles.

This is one of the global trends forecast for 2026 by digital travel platform Booking.com in its “Travel Predictions 2026” survey.

Conducted among a sample of adults who planned to travel for business or leisure in the next 12-24 months, it polled 29,733 respondents across 33 countries and territories, including 1,004 from Hong Kong.

“Romantasy” travel has struck a chord in Hong Kong, with 89 per cent of those surveyed from the city expressing interest in visiting destinations inspired by romantic or fantasy themes.

More than three-quarters (76 per cent) were also open to joining role-play retreats based on their favourite games, books or films, surpassing the global average of 53 per cent.