Love, Actually: How Connection-Led Getaways Are Redefining Couples Travel

To explore the growing shift toward connection-led travel, TravelPulse Canada embarked on an experience-focused couples getaway to Cupids, Newfoundland, a small coastal community where slowing down feels instinctive and culinary experiences anchor the itinerary.

The visit underscored a broader trend emerging in 2026: couples are seeking destinations that offer emotional depth and food-led immersion in equal measure.

Forget roses and chocolate. For many couples in 2026, the most meaningful gift isn’t something wrapped - it’s time shared.

New data from Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2026 Report reveals that one in two travellers now choose to travel specifically to reconnect with loved ones and build shared experiences. Nearly 27% say they “feel freer to be themselves” when travelling.

While Valentine’s Day may provide the marketing hook, couples travel isn’t seasonal. It’s experiential, culinary and increasingly domestic.

The broader takeaway: connection-led travel is rising, and couples are planning trips with emotional return on investment in mind.

Love Lane Little House (Photo Credit: Supplied)

A Love Story in Cupids

In Cupids, romance comes pre-addressed.

As the oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in Canada, dating back to 1610, Cupids wears its history lightly, and its romance boldly, right down to street names like Love Lane.

Love Lane Little House, a love-themed rental straight out of a romance novel, was conceptualized by a retired French Immersion teacher and built on a private lot framed by towering trees.

Featured on Newfoundland and Labrador’s tourism website, the home’s arched-beam vaulted ceilings, a reading nook “the size of a doll house,” and its intentional design for couples seeking quality time mean the setting does much of the work.

The intimate interior is designed for simply slowing down. It’s compact without feeling cramped, more intentional than small.

Like stepping into a romantic screenplay, Cupids and nearby Brigus feel suspended in time, with preserved heritage homes painted in cheerful colours and winding lanes that invite unhurried wandering and pause for conversation. It’s the kind of place that gently nudges couples to put their phones away and lean into real-life connection.

 

The appeal is its pace.

Newfoundlanders, says Love Lane Little House host Kimberley, tend to wear their “heart on their sleeve,” inviting visitors to do the same.

Heart-shaped pastries delivered to the house from The Vindicator Press - a café housed in the former home of Brigus’ 1800s-era newspaper, restored by Randy Spracklin on his HGTV series Rock Solid Builds offer a personal connection to the area's heritage.

The love-themed treats waiting in the kitchen felt like the icing on the cake - a small gesture that underscored how Newfoundland hospitality often shows up in personal, thoughtful ways.

The Rise of Food-Driven Itineraries

If connection is the emotional driver behind couples travel, food is increasingly the practical one.

A recent release from Trip.com highlights that travellers are planning trips around gastronomic experiences, treating food not as an add-on but as the primary reason to go.

Newfoundland Distillery Co., perched on the shores of Conception Bay. (Photo Credit: Newfoundland Distillery)

An easy stroll from Love Lane leads directly to Newfoundland Distillery Co., perched on the shores of Conception Bay. Co-founder Peter Wilkins says the tasting room was designed so visitors can see the stills and grain tower, understanding exactly how the spirits are made.

“We actually fully distill our spirits on site and use local ingredients as much as we can,” he explained. “The key part of our process is that we put a little bit of the province in every bottle.”

The distillery provides tasting menus alongside mixers, serves cocktails with ocean views, and pairs spirits with locally produced charcuterie and smoked salmon, cheeses from Quebec and small plates.

“We’ve tried hard not to be a restaurant,” Wilkins told TravelPulse Canada, “but provide high-quality food customers can enjoy while trying our spirits.”

Over the summer, the distillery welcomes 9,000 to 10,000 visitors. Increasingly, Wilkins says, they’re seeing more European and Canadian visitors seeking authentic, place-based experiences.

It’s exactly the kind of culinary immersion today’s couples are seeking - intimate, rooted in place and story-driven.

Newfoundland Distillery tasting room (Photo Credit: Newfoundland Distillery)

The Domestic Romance Renaissance

For Canadian travel advisors, the rise in couples travel presents opportunity beyond the typical sun-and-sand package.

It’s a trend playing out both internationally and here at home, as domestic travel is proving especially resilient.

According to peer-to-peer car-sharing platform Turo, more than 70% of bookings in the Maritimes come from Canadians outside the province, suggesting strong interprovincial travel demand. Small communities, heritage properties and food-first experiences offer depth without requiring international airfare.

Calgary, meanwhile, is seeing a surge in airport bookings this February, up 88%, with international reservations now accounting for half of total bookings; a 20% year-over-year increase.

The Through-Line is Intention

Connection-led travel doesn’t always require grand gestures. It might mean morning coffee beneath vaulted beams, an afternoon coastal walk past rugged cliffs, or an evening tasting local spirits while watching the light shift over the bay.

Valentine’s Day may prompt the booking, but couples travel in 2026 is less about a single date on the calendar and more about sustained experiences that strengthen bonds year-round.

For travel advisors, it presents an opportunity to package intentional, experience-driven itineraries that go beyond traditional romance trips.

It’s woven into the small details - and sometimes, it arrives in the form of a heart-shaped pastry, still warm from a historic bakery down the road.

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