Airport Experience® News - Conference Issue 2026

TOP 5 SOURCES FOR TRAVEL INSPIRATION BY GENERATION

28%

29%

29%

“Americans’ appetite for international travel hasn’t disappeared; it has simply become more selective,” says Kenton Barello, vice president at YouGov America, in the report. “Travelers are scrutinizing value more closely, stretching budgets further and adjusting plans based on cost, whether that means going off-peak, choosing alternative accommodations, or substituting domestic trips. Brands that clearly communicate value without compromising experience will be best positioned in 2026.” Inspiring Younger Travelers Across surveys and data it’s clear that older generations are pulling back on both domestic and international travel while Millennials are leading the charge, with Gen Z close behind. Talker Research’s report found that the average American surveyed goes on 2.5 trips and spends $3,409 a year, excluding work travel, with Millennials on the high end, traveling 2.9 times and spending $3,904 on average, and Baby Boomers on the low end, traveling 2.1 times and spending $2,895. With younger travelers now driving travel trends, social media and pop culture are becoming more important than ever. Talker Research’s report shows that YouTube was the top source of travel inspiration for respondents. “While recommendations from loved ones are still quite common, social media apps like Instagram and TikTok are becoming more popular for traveling—especially among younger Americans,” the report continues. “Gen Z respondents named

28%

31%

43%

16% 16%

30%

32%

32%

30%

48%

37%

32%

33%

44%

52%

34%

34%

Gen Z

Millenials

Gen X

Baby boomers

TikTok

YouTube

Instagram

Movies

Facebook

Travel books

Travel TV/documentaries

Recommendations from family

Recommendations from friends

Source: Talker Research

U.S. consumers, that 14% of respondents reported canceling an upcoming trip due to looming tariffs and recession concerns. In the YouGov survey, economic uncertainty was indicated by 28% of respondents to be a key contributor to the drop in international travel. “Looking ahead to 2026, a substantial share of international travelers say further price increases would lead them to take fewer overseas trips or pivot toward domestic destinations,” the report notes. The report further shows that economic pressures are influencing how Americans plan their international travel, with many choosing to travel during off-peak seasons or booking further in advance for better prices.

Economic Uncertainty Remains While the U.S. Travel Association report shows that international inbound travel to the U.S. is on shaky ground, domestic travel remains positive, with the report forecasting that domestic leisure trips will rise 1.9% in 2026 to 2 billion, reflecting a 1.9% increase in spending to $911.7 billion, while domestic business trips will increase 2% to 451.2 million, reflecting a 1.9% increase in spending to $287.9 billion. However, Americans traveling to international destinations is a different story. According to a recent YouGov survey titled “US International Traveler Outlook 2026,” 60% of the 1,506 Americans surveyed between October 20 and November 11, 2025 say they never travel abroad for leisure, and even among those who do travel internationally, “momentum has softened,” with 43% noting that they traveled less over the past year and Gen Xers and Baby Boomers leading the trend with 50% reporting a pullback on international travel. Also reflecting this trend of a more cautious American traveler, Talker Research found in its recent “Travel Trend Report,” which surveyed 2,000

THE YEAR STARTED WITH CONSIDERABLE POLITICAL UNEASINESS AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS, both of which have the potential to negatively affect travel this year. However, upcoming cultural events and the continued advancement of AI and other technologies could very well encourage more travel, especially among Millennials and Gen Zers.

28

AX NEWS MARCH 2026