Craft-based travel is on the rise, with Tripadvisor’s 2026 Mid-Year Experiences Report naming craft classes as its fastest-growing experience category in 2026, with bookings up 88% year-on-year.
G Adventures’ md ANZ Sean Martin says partaking in craft lessons teaches travellers new skills, while providing long-term economic
opportunities for local communities and helping to preserve these skills and traditions for generations to come. “Many travellers are increasingly treating their time off as an investment in themselves, seeking immersive experiences in destinations where they can learn a skill straight from the source,” adds Martin.
Learning to block print with the women of the Annothi Project in Jaipur and visiting the Ccaccaccollo Community and Women’s Weaving Co-op near Cusco in Peru are two examples.
Trafalgar too has traditional crafts woven into a number of its itineraries. TTC Tour Brands partner marketing director Oceania Louise Levesque says these give guests the chance to meet local artisans and learn about techniques that have been passed down through generations. These include meeting artisans safeguarding traditional weaving methods in Egypt, a traditional wooden-frame hand-weaving workshop in Italy and meeting master glassblowers and seeing the ancient craft in action in Venice. Traditional crafts have also long been part of the Intrepid experience, with md ANZ Brett Mitchell saying it features everything from pottery-making in Morocco to traditional papermaking in Taiwan and craft workshops in Sri Lanka. “The hands-on element is what makes these experiences particularly memorable,” Mitchell says. “Travellers aren’t just seeing a finished product, they’re meeting the person behind the craft, learning about the tradition and having a go themselves.”
. . . Cruise
On the cruise front, Oceania will feature creative workshops on select 2027 sailings with six or more sea days, led by dedicated Crafting Arts Ambassadors.
There are also Craft Cruises, founded by American cruise specialist Melissa Gower, with the agency offering knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, handspinning and beading cruises aboard lines such as Holland America Line and AmaWaterways. Meanwhile Lickety Split Scrapbooks hosts scrapbook cruises on contemporary cruise lines. See more on the trends HERE.
