The standard "out of office" message is starting to have a "back to school" vibe. A growing number of travelers are using their paid time off to pick up new abilities—think sourdough techniques, photography, falconry, mahjong, whatever—in what the travel industry is now branding as "skillcations" or "curiosity leave," reports Axios. Hilton's 2026 trends report finds that 72% of people say they want their time away from work to focus on a personal passion, skill, or hobby, reframing vacations as self-improvement projects rather than pure downtime.
As you might expect, the travel industry is quickly packaging that impulse. Airbnb has leaned into the idea with experience-focused offerings, while hotels and tour operators are rolling out structured learning trips. At Sea Island in Georgia, for instance, guests can sign up for a falconry lesson for about $215 per person. Forbes notes that a particularly popular idea seems to be taking a getaway to improve work skills. "For high performers, especially remote workers, learning a new skill while traveling can feel like optimizing downtime," says David Dominguez of the firm Smallpdf.
On the upside, many people feel more recharged after such breaks. "Psychology shows that renewal often comes from doing something different, something that engages both the mind and the body," Marais Bester of SHL tells Forbes. The downside: "Without boundaries, 'skillcations' can lead to cognitive fatigue rather than recharge," says Dominguez. "Instead of burning out in the office, you're burning out in Bali." A story at Thrillist ticks off some of the more ambitious (and pricey) skillcation trips on offer, including cooking lessons in Italy, sailing lessons in the Bahamas, and bartending in Switzerland.
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