As 2025 draws to a close, American travelers are showing renewed optimism with expected trip volume climbing back to 4.0 trips—matching early-year levels and signaling a recovery from spring’s tariff-induced uncertainty. Meanwhile, generational differences represent interesting opportunities for travel marketers, with Millennials emerging as the cohort most likely to prioritize wellness-driven travel, and Gen Z pioneering “connection travel” to meet online friends in person for the first time.
Travel Spend Remains a High Priority Amidst Steady Financial Sentiment
As we approach the end of the calendar year, American travelers’ financial sentiment continues to hold steady, maintaining the recovery seen over the summer following uncertainty brought about by conversations around U.S. tariffs in the spring. More than a third of American travelers (34.9%) said they feel better off financially now compared to a year ago—a notable +5.6 percentage points higher than the same time last year and a nominal increase of +2.6 points compared to last month. Financial outlook remains essentially flat month-over-month, with 45.5% saying they expect to be better off a year from now (-0.4 points versus last month). However, this represents a decrease of -4.1 points compared to November 2024.
Willingness to Spend on Travel Ticks Upward
Recent Travel Volume and What’s Ahead
Looking at recent travel volume, past month overnight trips continue their seasonal decline, with 46.7% of American travelers reporting an overnight leisure trip in November—down -1.5 points from last month and -7.4 points from summer’s peak in July. On the other hand, overnight trips to visit friends and family remained flat at 44.3% this month, just -0.1 points down from last month.
Future Trip Volume Rebounds to Early-Year Highs
Wellness as a Pivotal Consideration for Younger Travelers
Future Partners continues to examine the relationship between day-to-day stress, mental wellness, and travel as part of The State of the American Traveler study. One undeniable differentiation between younger travelers—particularly Millennials—and older travelers is the role of travel in helping them manage their well-being.
The Stress-Life Satisfaction Gap
Travel as Wellness Solution
When asked how important it is that their leisure trips support their physical, mental, or spiritual well-being, over seven in ten (71.7%) Millennial travelers said leisure travel is important—versus 61.1% of Boomers. These younger travelers are also taking action: more than half of both Gen Z (52.6%) and Millennials (52.6%) say they often or always plan leisure trips specifically to help manage their well-being.
A Look at the Travel Trends Shaping 2026
As Future Partners does every year, we examined the popularity of travel trends among Americans as we enter a new year.
The undeniable stalwart—so much so that it may be time to call it a fact of travel rather than a trend—is foodie trips or culinary travel, which holds high appeal among 62.8% of American travelers. Culinary travel is most appealing among Millennials (72.6%), but the majority of all generational cohorts find food-focused trips appealing.
- Slowcations (64.7%) – extended, slower-paced trips focused on relaxation
- Experiential travel (61.1%) – immersive, hands-on experiences that connect travelers with a destination’s culture, history, or environment
- Noctourism (61.1%) – destinations chosen for their nighttime appeal such as stargazing, dark-sky parks, night safaris, or late-night cultural/urban experiences
Key Takeaways for the Travel Industry
- Trip volume recovery is real: The rebound to 4.0 expected trips matches early-year optimism and suggests momentum heading into 2026.
- High earners and families are your volume drivers: With 5.2 trips planned among $200K+ households and 4.2 among parents, these segments warrant focused attention.
- Wellness isn’t optional for younger travelers: With over 70% of Millennials prioritizing well-being in travel and more than half actively planning wellness-focused trips, marketing must speak to this motivation.
- Culinary travel has transcended trend status: At 62.8% appeal across all ages, food experiences should be central to destination marketing.
- Watch emerging trends by generation: Noctourism for Millennials and connection travel for Gen Z represent untapped opportunities for differentiation.
For the complete set of findings, including data on your audience segments and historic brand performance of your travel brand or destination, subscribe to The State of the American Traveler Insights Explorer tool.
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