“Travel in 2027 will be all about finding your own sweet spot in a world of competing forces. But whether you’re a traveler who seeks the perfect AI-personalized itinerary, or one who places a premium on human connection, you’ll be united by your drive to make your budget work harder.”
Brigit Zimmerman, Priceline CEO
2027: travel spend is growing, and a lot of it lands on you.
0%
of what travelers save on a deal gets reinvested right back into the trip, often on the property itself
Travelers aren’t pulling back. They’re just deciding, dollar by dollar, where it counts most.
84%
agree a great deal feels as good as the vacation itself
49%
say lodging is the #1 category where a deal would “reclaim” vacation plans
20%
regret booking lower-tier accommodations, the #1 regretted cost-cut
64%
of travelers will pay for a rate that clearly shows what’s included
Where the savings actually go
When a traveler lands a great deal, they don’t pocket it. They put it right back into the trip, and it shows up on your property.
0%
of deal-seekers reinvest their savings straight into the trip
WHERE IT LANDS
Local restaurants
25%
On-property dining
15%
Extending the stay
14%
Upgrading the room
10%
Hotel takeaway
The dollar a guest saves on your room rate doesn’t leave the trip. It very often lands back on your property.
How travelers are changing in 2027
Travelers aren’t just traveling more. They’re traveling differently. Here’s where that shows up for you this year.
As you go, click the ★ next to any trend to flag it as relevant to your property, and we’ll pull together your picks at the bottom of the page.
A dollar saved on getting there is a dollar spent on being there.
They’ll fund the splurge with the save: a shared room to upgrade the rental car, a longer layover for a better hotel. 70% now pick a destination based on how far their money stretches.
0%
of travelers agree the thrifty save is what makes the splurge worth it
62% cut back on one part of a trip so they can upgrade another
From Gen Z to Boomers, Americans are cutting back or downgrading one part of their trip so they can upgrade another:
74%
Gen Z
70%
Millennial
60%
Gen X
48%
Boomer+
Why It Matters
The Insight
This isn’t indecision, it’s confidence: travelers increasingly know exactly where they want their money to land, and treat every other line item as negotiable to get there.
The Stakes
That trade-off logic doesn’t stop at booking. It’s the same instinct that turns a discounted room rate into room service, a dinner out, or an extra night, on your property, not just in the search results.
Checking in for a vacation doesn’t mean checking out of healthy habits.
As GLP-1 adoption grows, travelers expect properties to meet them halfway with in-room fridges, protein-forward menus, and strength-focused fitness. Only 55% of GLP-1 users say hotels do that well today.
0%
say a GLP-1-aware hotel would sway their booking decision
How GLP-1s change users’ travel behaviors:
Accommodate medication
38%
Smaller meals / apps
38%
Drink less / no alcohol
32%
More protein-forward food
31%
Work out for muscle tone
26%
Why It Matters
The Insight
This isn’t travelers giving up vacation indulgence, it’s them redirecting it, trading a late checkout for an early workout, room service for a quiet moment to themselves, and expecting the property to keep up.
The Stakes
That’s a guest segment actively looking for a reason to book, and right now, most properties aren’t giving them one.
The 2027 traveler wants to complete the world, not just see it: all 50 states, every national park, every continent. 80% are chasing some kind of checklist travel goal.
0%
of Americans are interested in some type of checklist travel goal
0%
say completing the list feels more satisfying than a once-in-a-lifetime trip
Why It Matters
The Insight
For these travelers, finishing the list isn’t a consolation, it’s the win itself, sometimes more satisfying than the trip they’d otherwise call a dream vacation.
The Stakes
That completionist mindset already lines up with how Priceline markets deal-driven timing (Spring Breakaway, Mega Sale, Cyber Week), proximity to a landmark isn’t just geography, it’s a reason someone books now instead of someday.
#4 · High-Touch HospitalityClick to flag as relevant
Because high-tech can never fully replace human touch.
Between self-service kiosks and chatbot concierges, travelers are craving a pulse, not just a platform, like a run club that turns strangers into friends, or a waiter who remembers your order. 66% call that kind of attention what makes a stay memorable, and 37% have returned to a hotel because of one.
0%
call that kind of attention what makes a stay memorable
0%
have returned to a hotel because of a memorable staff interaction
Why It Matters
The Insight
This isn’t about adding another amenity to the list, it’s that attention can’t be standardized or copied the way a room or a rate can, which makes it one of the few things a competitor can’t simply match.
The Stakes
That’s not a nice-to-have anymore, it’s pricing power: attentive service is becoming a real reason travelers choose, and return to, a specific property instead of the next one down the search results.
You contain multitudes. Soon, your itinerary will too.
AI trip planning is getting personal: travelers are feeding tools like Penny their personality type and mood, not just a budget and a date range. 45% would hand over that data for a better-tailored trip.
0%
of Americans would hand over deeply personal data for a better AI-planned trip
Americans, young and old, are willing to share their personality with an AI in order to receive better travel recommendations:
61%
Gen Z
62%
Millennials
44%
Gen X
20%
Boomer
Why It Matters
The Insight
For these travelers, a personalized AI itinerary is starting to feel more trustworthy than a five-star review, because it was built around them specifically, not the masses.
The Stakes
A generic listing gets matched generically. As AI-driven trip planning keeps growing, the properties with more specific, more human descriptions are the ones the algorithm actually has something to match on.
Travelers are test-driving cities before committing: shopping the grocery store, hitting a weekday coffee shop, browsing real estate mid-trip. 45% of Gen Z & Millennials are quietly vetting their next move.
0%
of Gen Z & Millennial travelers shop the local grocery store to vet a destination
How Gen Z & Millennials “test drive” a destination:
Shop the grocery store
45%
Coffee shop, weekday AM
28%
Browse real estate mid-trip
24%
Why It Matters
The Insight
This isn’t just curiosity, it’s due diligence. For a growing number of these travelers, the trip is the first real research they do before an actual move, and some genuinely follow through.
The Stakes
They’re shopping for a lifestyle preview, not a sightseeing checklist, which means properties that read as “everyday” rather than “touristy” are competing for a completely different kind of attention.
Trip planning starts with what’s on the menu: travelers are booking flights around a single viral dish or snack. 80% of Gen Z & Millennials would book a trip around a food experience alone.
0%
of Gen Z & Millennials would book a trip around a food experience
Taste-chasers are most inspired to book a trip based on:
A region/city’s cuisine
36%
A specific restaurant
31%
One dish, one spot
19%
Why It Matters
The Insight
A single video is now doing the job an entire destination marketing budget used to do, and travelers are booking flights to prove it’s worth the trip.
The Stakes
Food has become a real reason travelers pick where to stay, not just something they do once they’ve arrived, proximity to the right food story is now part of a property’s appeal, not a footnote.
The 2027 traveler is planning trips around one mission: a great time, all the time, with live music, pool days, and anything-goes energy. 68% traveling in groups make a point to party together.
0%
of Americans traveling in groups make a point to party together
0%
direct their budget toward sun-up activities like festivals and pool parties
Why It Matters
The Insight
For this group, celebrating with people they love is starting to carry the same weight as a museum or a monument, a fully legitimate reason to travel, not a guilty-pleasure add-on.
The Stakes
That’s a real shift toward daytime energy over nightlife, which changes what kind of property experience actually earns a group’s attention, and their money.
This is where it gets specific: talk to your dedicated market manager, they know your systems and your content, and can turn these insights into a real plan for your property.
Travel Trends 2027
Methodology
The Priceline Trend Report Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 3,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+, between August 11th and August 22nd, 2026, using an email invitation and an online survey. The data has been weighted.
Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 1.8 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
Data Sources
Unless otherwise noted, the source for all data is the “Priceline Where to Next?” report.
Top trending searches on Priceline made between May '25 and May '26, compared to the same period last year, for any travel dates.
Most affordable flight destinations on Priceline made between May '25 and May '26, for any travel dates.
Top-ranked hotel searches on Priceline made by Gen Zers and Millennials between May '25 and May '26, for any travel dates.
Survey among 2,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+
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