The 2027 traveler isn’t dialing back, they’re getting sharper.
84%
agree a great deal feels as good as the vacation itself
Travelers are treating every trip like a puzzle worth solving: how to maximize the experience while getting more from every dollar.
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 prefer a rate that includes amenities like parking and breakfast
“Our 2027 trends share a common thread: travelers are treating trips less like generic purchases and more like personal projects. They’re becoming more deliberate about how they spend and more creative about how they plan, all to create an experience that feels distinctly theirs.”
Brigit Zimmerman, Priceline CEO
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.
WHERE IT LANDS
Local restaurants
25%
On-property dining
15%
Extending the stay
14%
Upgrading the room
10%
65%
of value-seekers reinvest their savings straight into the trip
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They’ll fund the splurge with the save: a shared room to upgrade the rental car, a longer layover for a better hotel. In fact, 42% would take an 8-hour layover for a high-end stay.
67%
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 without 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.
74%
say a GLP-1-aware hotel would sway their booking decision
GLP-1 users expect these accommodations to make their stay comfortable:
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. For these completionists, every trip will be a journey with purpose.
80%
of Americans are interested in some type of checklist travel goal
32%
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
Completionists plan around the next checkmark, which gives them a reason to book now instead of someday. A property near a landmark, a national park, or a bucket-list stop isn’t just conveniently located, it’s part of the goal.
#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. That might be a morning run club that turns strangers into friends, or a waiter who remembers your latte order. 2027 travelers are placing a premium on the human moments that make a stay memorable.
66%
call that kind of attention what makes a stay memorable
37%
have returned to a hotel because of a memorable staff interaction
66%
would pay extra for attentive service
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.
Your next guest is already sharing their personality details with AI
In 2027, travelers will build itineraries around how they see themselves, drawing on personality frameworks, value systems, love languages and even dream journal excerpts. The more personal the input, the more enticing the AI’s output.
45%
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. Two-thirds of Americans (66%) have wondered whether their destination would be a better place to live than their hometown.
21%
of Americans have moved to a place they first visited as tourists
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 building entire trips around a single dish flooding their feed, but virality isn’t the only draw: 33% of Americans say a local or culturally distinctive specialty is worth seeking out.
80%
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. After years of collective cultural stress, travelers are ready to let loose, whether it’s a bachelorette trip, a group getaway, or a family celebration.
68%
of Americans traveling in groups make a point to party together
75%
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.
The 2027 Priceline Travel Trends Report was developed in partnership with Current Forward. The primary survey was conducted online by Wakefield Research among 3,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+ between August 11 and 22, 2026. A supplementary survey on viral foods was conducted by Zappi among 2,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+ between September 18 and 20, 2026. The report also draws on Priceline's proprietary search and pricing data for searches made between May 2025 and May 2026, for any travel dates.
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.
Supplementary survey among 2,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+ on viral foods (Zappi).
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