Travel Trends 2026: What 25-34 Year Olds Are Booking Next

The 25 to 34 age group has become one of the most distinctive booking demographics in travel, prioritising differently to both the family market above them and the pure budget market below them. They tend to have more disposable income than in their early twenties, fewer of the constraints that come with school-age children, and a strong appetite for travel that says something about who they are, not just where they have been. Here is what that is translating into for 2026 bookings.

Experience over accommodation

This age group is consistently willing to spend more on activities, tours and unique experiences than on the hotel itself, often choosing simpler accommodation in order to fund a cookery class, a diving certification, or a guided hike that becomes the centrepiece of the trip. Itineraries built around a single standout experience, rather than a checklist of sights, are converting particularly well with this group.

Solo and small-group travel continues to rise

• Solo travel has moved firmly into the mainstream for this age group, particularly among women, driven by flexible working patterns and a growing comfort with travelling independently
• Small-group trips, typically eight to fourteen people, are increasingly preferred over both fully independent travel and large coach-tour groups, offering structure without losing flexibility
• Destinations perceived as safe and easy for solo travellers, including Japan, Portugal and much of Scandinavia, are seeing particularly strong interest from this group

Off-peak and shoulder-season booking

Without school-holiday constraints, this age group has significant flexibility over when they travel, and increasingly uses it, booking shoulder-season trips in May, June, September and October to access better prices and quieter destinations. This aligns closely with wider off-peak trends across the market, but the 25 to 34 group is disproportionately driving it.

Sustainability as a genuine booking factor

While price remains the dominant factor for any age group, this demographic is more likely than older travellers to actively consider a trip’s environmental footprint when choosing between options, favouring train travel over short-haul flights where practical, and showing interest in destinations and operators with a visible sustainability commitment.

What this means for how we market and package trips

• Clear, activity-led itineraries convert better than generic destination marketing with this group
• Flexible date options and shoulder-season pricing should be visible upfront, not buried in a quote
• Solo and small-group options need to be genuinely available, not simply the same package with a single-supplement note attached
• Social proof, reviews, photos and short-form content, plays a larger role in this group’s booking decision than in older demographics

Whether you’re planning a solo adventure, a small-group experience trip or a shoulder-season escape, Global Travel Worldwide can build an itinerary that matches how you actually want to travel, not a one-size-fits-all package.