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Nadia Henry, who goes by Sparkle professionally, is a travel advisor, and she said she’s seeing firsthand how people are taking trips differently now.
“People just want to explore other destinations other than the U.S. or the Caribbean. I think they are willing to sacrifice and spend more money than usual than a couple of years ago. I think they are also spending more money on experiences,” she told USA TODAY. “A lot of people are doing private tours, are paying to stay extra in a museum, go in small groups, they’re just putting forward to make these excursions when they’re in destination a little more personalized.”
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Sparkle said it’s not just her clients, either. She finds her priorities are different in her own travels these days, too.
“I used to want to do the fun thing of going to an all-inclusive and sitting on the beach and doing little local things,” she said. “I have now incorporated going abroad and learning experiences for my children. Allowing them to see other cultures, tasting food.”
Sparkle and her clients are emblematic of broader trends in the travel industry. Since the height of the coronavirus pandemic, travelers are getting out there for different reasons and shaping their trips differently than they did even a few years ago.
It’s all about the experience
“I think (travelers) felt the absence, and they realized this was something that we took for granted,” Christine Hudson, Expedia’s head of public relations in the U.S., told USA TODAY. “People are prioritizing trips that they thought they’d take someday, and now they’re like, ‘we’ll take it this time.’ ”
Hudson said people are prioritizing experiences like concerts over other kinds of trips.
A recent Expedia survey found that nearly 70% of the 20,000 worldwide respondents said they’d be willing to travel for a concert they really wanted to see, and more than 40% said a concert would be a good excuse to visit a new city.
Laura Lindsay, director of consumer communications and public relations at Skyscanner, said her firm’s surveys are showing similar results.
“To see a concert in New York, the demand would be very high so tickets are obviously more expensive,” she told USA TODAY. “(But) if you live in New York and you want to see a concert, and for the same price as buying a ticket in New York you can have a weekend somewhere else and still see the same concert, now we’re seeing that more.”
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What do you value most as a traveler?
Lindsay also said travelers are willing to spend more on travel now than they were a few years ago, within limits.
“Value is no longer being considered as ‘the cheapest is the best,’ ” she said. “Whilst it might seem counterintuitive in a cost of living crisis or at a time when certainly dollars are tighter than they once were, what we’re seeing is people are putting more value on experience.”
Skyscanner data shows that 39% of travelers in the U.S. have budgeted more for travel in 2024 than they allotted in 2023.
Hudson agreed that spending habits around travel have changed.
“People are willing to scrimp in other areas so they could spend more money on travel,” she said.
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Vacation vibe check
Hudson said that searches for “what’s the vibe” around travel have increased dramatically since the pandemic began, with people prioritizing places that suit their moodboards.
“People are looking for places to stay that have a nice ambiance,” she said.
An Expedia analysis shows that hotel reviews mention the word “vibe” almost 1,100% more in 2023 than they did last year.
Lindsay also said that ambiance is important for travelers, who increasingly value the ability to rest and unplug when they get away.
“People are finding when they do go away they want to completely switch off when it’s their time,” she said. “Over 20% of people said it’s the main thing they want to do on their trip.”
With that in mind, Lindsay said, more people are spending more time looking into hotel provisions like bedding, pillows and blackout curtains to make sure they can maximize their sleep.
More quality time, more reasons to travel
Sparkle said she’s found that people are traveling more for quality time together and expand their horizons, too.
“The mother, the father, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They’re looking to go away and do something as a family,” she said. And she’s doing it in her own travels, too. “I want my children to be well-rounded and learn different cultures and learn about different countries. There’s so much going on, and I want them to be able to accept going different places regardless of background, ethnicity, race.”
