With everything going on in the world right now, what’s going to happen with travel? This is the question, we know, at the forefront of many a tour and attraction operator’s mind right now.
The latest Arival report on the U.S. Experiences Traveler Outlook — which involves a survey of 800 U.S travelers on their behavior, preferences, and travel intent — offers some indications of what to expect.
And while U.S. travelers are certainly feeling the strain of geopolitical and economic uncertainty, it’s not, in general, stopping them from traveling. It may, however, be contributing to a change in how they plan their trips, and what they prioritize.
The good news, for operators, is that they’re still prioritizing experiences. However, with fewer trips overall, and more travelers using AI to plan their trips, competing for that “experience share” of each traveler’s trip has become more important than ever.
The New Normal for U.S. Travelers: Less Trips
Less trips appears to be the new normal for U.S. Travelers. Most U.S. travelers took three or fewer trips over the year in 2025, as in 2024; however, in 2026, trip frequency will slip: more than four in five travelers say they will take the same or fewer trips this year vs. 2025, with one in four taking fewer trips.
The top driver for this pullback is economic. Travelers say personal financial considerations are behind it, and this shows as well in their spend: after three years of record growth trip spend, U.S. travelers pulled back in 2025.
There are some notable exceptions to the less trips / less spend trend: affluent travelers are slightly more likely to take more trips, and older affluent travelers in particular are more likely to spend more on each trip.
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The Good News for Operators: More Experiences
So is there any good news here? There is, for tours, activities and attractions. Despite the pullback in spend overall, U.S. travelers are stretching their dollars a bit further to prioritize what matters: experiences.
Travelers in 2025 spent more year over year across every category of experiences (tours, activities and attractions). This suggests they are reducing spend on other parts of the trip to prioritize the things they want to do.
Younger and mid-age travelers in particular are leading the charge: travelers under 55 spent the most on experiences in 2025, outpacing their 55+ counterparts by approximately $100 per experience on average.
Operator Takeaways: With fewer travel occasions each year, every trip carries more weight in the traveler’s planning and spending decisions, and the affluent traveler segment becomes even more important:
- Operators looking to grow should look not only to appealing to more people, but to capturing more share of each traveler’s itinerary: explore opportunities for cross-selling and up-selling.
- Operators should explore ways to appeal more to affluent travelers in 2026, such as by adding private tour options or upselling VIP experiences.
Dig Deeper with The Full Report
The latest Arival consumer report, exclusively for Arival Insider Pro members, delves inside the minds of U.S. travelers: what they are looking for and how you can plan to attract them in 2026.
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Header photo: Pexels / Jay Fan
