For decades travel has been marketed as “sightseeing.” You go to look at a bucket-list location so you can grab a photo to prove you were there and check it off the list.
But today’s travelers need more than that. Call them jaded, but “seen it all,” and what they’re seeking now is more emotional and experiential. Travelers are no longer driven to a destination to see it. They want to know what that destination can do for them.
The growth of global travel, proliferation of travel influencers and storyteller platforms (think TikTok and Instagram Reels), and the adoption of AI tools in travel planning have an impactful Travelers are getting very specific about what they’re looking for.
Top 10 lists and trending itineraries no longer satisfy them. Instead, they’re pulled in by conversations that align with their niche interests, shared passions and communities. They’re looking to create connections that feel both fresh and familiar.
What’s Happening in Travel
As economic and sociopolitical tensions increase, you’d expect the appetite for travel to decrease. But the opposite is true, at least domestically. The latest travel research shows that U.S. consumers see travel as a necessary and even self-medicating escape from daily and worldly stressors:
- 67% of travelers expect to take a vacation in the next six months (2026 Portrait of American Travelers™ “Spring Edition”).
- 56% intend to spend more on travel in the next 12 months than they did in the past 12 months (2026 Portrait of American Travelers™ “Spring Edition”).
- 70% say travel is a better use of leisure dollars than material goods (Mintel).
- 51% will cut everyday spending to fund travel (Mintel).
- Less than one-third of consumers changed or canceled travel plans due to budgets tightening (Mintel).
In the face of increased financial uncertainty, U.S. travelers increasingly look for reasons that justify their travel expenditure.
One such trend we’ve seen in the last few years is gig-tripping, where travelers combine their recreational and travel budgets to both attend an event and explore a new destination. We saw it with fans of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, and we’re about to see it with the World Cup.
What’s Happening Culturally
Over half of Americans report feeling lonely (Cigna), and 35% say they often feel left out (Mintel), highlighting a culture that feels increasingly isolated. These feelings extend beyond U.S. borders, however, with 72% of global citizens saying, “I long to be part of something bigger than myself” (VML Intelligence).
In their search for connection and community, people are branching out, giving new activities a try and picking up hobbies that come with built-in communities. Searches for “analog hobbies” on the website for Michaels, a U.S. arts and crafts store, have increased by 136% in the past six months (CNN), and nearly three-quarters of adults participated in a crafting project in 2025 (Mintel), proving that people are actively pursuing offline learning and hobbies as they search for more ways to connect in person:
- In the U.S., 59% of consumers agree that “seeking out local events, and new hobbies/passions is the best way to find and build community” (Mintel).
- In China, 41% say they have spent more time learning skills or acquiring knowledge offline compared to the prior 12 months (Mintel)(.
- In Canada, 40% agree they “try to get out of [their] comfort zone and try new activities” (Mintel).
Why It Matters
The destinations that give people a reason to gather – not just a reason to visit – are the ones that will win over travelers.
We flagged this in our 2026 Global Compass: People have developed a taste for community-based experiences that make them feel less isolated and part of a larger group. They’re traveling to events hosted by their favorite influencers, like Jenna Palek’s “Barre to Brunch,” or going on fandom-based trips like the annual gathering of Fallout: New Vegas video game fans in Goodsprings, Nevada.
These subcultural travel experiences turn community into a form of hospitality. People are welcomed and seen for who they are; they’re given authentic ways to connect to each other and the destination; and the reason that justifies the monetary expenditure is built in. In short: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
These microcommunities come with established trust, shared values and strong motivation to spend and travel together, making them prime audiences to expand destination market share.
The Opportunities:
- Creator-led or community-led travel
- Hobby- and passion-based trips
- “Solo but not alone” experiences
- Identity-led itineraries
How to Inspire Subcultural Travel
Broad messaging is getting weaker.
Travelers are increasingly asking “why this trip, why now, why here,” and destinations need sharp answers that speak to the emotional drivers behind the “why.” The traveler’s personal experience needs to be at the center of the messaging and not just another list of amenities or generic itinerary.
- Niche down.
- Stop trying to be for everyone.
- Focus on communities, passions and identities that naturally align with your destination.
- Lead with belonging, not just things to do.
- Sell the social and emotional payoff, not just the amenities.
- Create with communities, not just for them.
- Build itineraries and programming with creators, niche leaders and trusted community members. Audiences can tell when the message isn’t genuine. (Look at the recent clapback for influencers who went on the Starbucks brand trip despite being “anti-Starbucks.”)
- Treat creators as curators, not just amplifiers. Trust them to communicate with their own voice to reach their community in the way only they know how.
- Think of hospitality as hosting community.
- The product isn’t just the trip: It is the feeling of being part of something in a place you’re welcomed with open arms.
- By making visitors feel like community members, they care for the destination like it’s their own.
Travelers are craving connection. Destinations can give it to them. Their aspirations need inspiration, and finding ways to nurture their passions and facilitate their fandom draws them in, creating fans and advocates for life.
