Growing up in a small town near Syracuse, New York, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I have vivid memories of playing golf with buddies, attending Syracuse Chiefs minor league baseball games, dropping quarters into the Donkey Kong arcade game at Aladdin’s Castle and savoring summer treats at Sno-Top – the local ice cream shop whose sign resembled a giant soft-serve cone. It was classic small-town Americana. It was a simpler time. And, I must admit, I genuinely miss it.
I moved away when I was 11 years old, and now it’s been at least 20 years since I last visited the area. Recently, I had a chance to return to Syracuse for a business trip. As fate would have it, my return flight was canceled and rescheduled for the following day. On a whim, I rented a car and decided to revisit the places that filled my childhood with joy. While the arcade had long since closed, Sno-Top was still standing – and I couldn’t resist ordering a chocolate-dipped cone for old times’ sake. I strolled past my former Little League ballpark, which looked remarkably unchanged, and capped off the day with a round of golf at Green Lakes State Park, my favorite course from boyhood. That unplanned detour turned out to be one of the most enjoyable travel getaways I had taken in years.
The world has changed dramatically over the past four decades. Advances in computer technology, the internet, mobile devices and social media have connected us in unprecedented ways. Yet these same developments have accelerated the pace of life and, in many cases, heightened feelings of stress and uncertainty. The events of Sept. 11, 2001, introduced an era of fear and prolonged conflict, while more recent challenges – a global pandemic and widespread financial insecurity – have deeply affected lives and strained mental health across generations. Against this backdrop, it is no surprise that travelers of all ages are increasingly drawn to nostalgic experiences: those that evoke a simpler time, a slower rhythm and the comforting familiarity of cherished memories.
Our research supports this trend. Over the past four years, every edition of MMGY’s Portrait of American Travelers™ has shown a steady increase in the percentage of respondents who list “nostalgia for past road trip vacations” as a motivator for taking a road trip. Interestingly, it is not only Boomer and Gen X travelers who express this sentiment; members of Gen Z are now the most likely to cite nostalgia as a travel motivator, with more than one-third of respondents referencing it. This may be partly because today’s digital natives can so easily revisit past experiences through photos, videos and social posts on the very devices they use daily.
Travel brands have a tremendous opportunity to harness this powerful emotion, and many are already doing so effectively. The most successful examples create immersive, multisensory experiences that weave together heritage, design, cuisine and storytelling to spark emotional connection.
Consider Accor’s revival of the iconic Orient Express through its La Dolce Vita train routes in Italy. By blending scenic travel, cultural heritage and the romance of a bygone era, Accor has created a luxurious yet deeply evocative experience. The company is even extending the concept to include Orient Express–themed hotels and cruises, further expanding the reach of this nostalgia-infused brand story.
In the hotel sector, The Wayback in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, embraces the spirit of the mid-century roadside motel, offering guests vintage design paired with modern comforts. Meanwhile, luggage brand Samsonite skillfully tapped into nostalgia with its “Travel Like Your Parents” campaign, celebrating the company’s legacy while reminding travelers of what it’s like to be fully present on their journeys.
Beyond the travel industry, nostalgia has fueled the resurgence of vinyl records (and even Sony Discmans and CDs), vintage apparel and a host of retro-inspired consumer products – all evidence of how powerfully the past can shape contemporary desires. Nostalgia is not merely a passing trend; it is a deep-seated emotional driver that connects people to who they were, who they are and who they aspire to be.
For travel marketers, the opportunity lies in translating that emotion into authentic brand experiences. Consider how your brand might connect with travelers in meaningful and memorable ways. For example, you might:
- Offer guests complimentary postcards, record players with vinyl albums, or classic board games in their rooms.
- Host “Movies in the Park” events featuring beloved vintage films, complete with blankets and popcorn.
- Curate experiences that invite guests to revisit the essence of travel from earlier decades – through connection, not technology.
Nostalgia reminds us why we travel in the first place. To feel something both familiar and new, to rediscover joy in simple moments, and to reconnect – with places, with others and with ourselves. As travel brands look toward the future, evoking the past may well be the key to inspiring the journeys yet to come.
