AARP Hearing Center
Adults 50-plus continue to prioritize travel, but the story is not just about where they are going. It is about how they are adapting to cost pressures, choosing meaningful experiences, and navigating accessibility needs.
VALUE OF TRAVEL
Despite higher costs, older adults continue to make travel a priority.
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) of adults age 50-plus expect to take at least one leisure trip in 2026, maintaining strong demand even after the 2025 high of 70%.
- Travel remains a valued use of discretionary income, with 86% of adults 50-plus ranking it among their top three spending priorities.
- Travel aspirations are translating into action: in 2025, travelers expected to take 3.6 trips but averaged 4.2, and anticipated trips are rising to 3.9 in 2026.
- Expected travel spend increased from $6,847 in 2025 to $7,292 in 2026, with the largest increase among adults ages 60–69 (11.6%).
- By the end of 2025, 86% of 2026 domestic trips were already booked or being planned, and 83% of those planning international travel had already chosen a destination.
[Source: 2026 Travel Trends, fielded November–December 2025]
Travel is an investment in relationships and experiences, and is still about connection, especially family connection.
- The leading motivation for personal travel is spending time with family or friends (57%), followed by getting away from everyday life (47%).
- Informal family trips are more common than formal reunions: 13% of domestic trips and 10% of international trips are family trips, compared with 7% and 5%, respectively, for family reunions.
- Among adults 50-plus planning family trips, 61% take family trips annually, and 26% say those trips are multigenerational.
- The top benefits of family travel are strengthening family bonds (76%) and creating lasting memories (71%).
[Source: 2026 Travel Trends, fielded November–December 2025]
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Cost is still the biggest barrier, but older travelers are responding with strategy, not retreat.
- Cost remains the most common threat to 2026 travel plans (39%), with pressure especially high among travelers with household incomes below $100,000 (49%).
- Most adults 50-plus (89%), regardless of income, say they shop for bargains when planning trips.
[Source: 2026 Travel Trends, fielded November–December 2025]
Loyalty programs and AI are helping travelers stretch their dollars.
- Common savings strategies include comparing prices directly on airline or hotel websites (63%), using loyalty points, miles or rewards programs (60%), and searching for deals on travel websites or apps (49%).
- Most older adults participate in at least one travel-related loyalty program, especially airlines (69%) and hotels (68%).
- More than half (60%) of older travelers said they used one or more loyalty discounts or rewards on recent travel expenses.
- As AI use continues to grow, deal-finding is one of its most popular uses.
[Source: 2026 Travel Trends, fielded November–December 2025]
DESTINATIONS: DOMESTIC FAVORITES ENDURE WHILE GLOBAL INTEREST GROWS
Domestic travel remains seasonal and regional, with summer, the South and the West leading.
- Summer remains the most popular season for domestic trips, with 31% planned for June–August, followed by spring at 26%.
- Within the U.S., the South (40%) and West (31%) continue to attract the most domestic leisure travel.
[Source: 2026 Travel Trends, fielded November–December 2025]
International travelers still favor Europe, but interest is expanding.
- Spring is the leading season for international travel (33%), followed by summer (24%), and September–October (21%).
- For international trips, bucket-list experiences (20%) and summer vacation (20%) are leading motivators, followed by family or multigenerational travel (10%).
- Europe remains the top international destination (40%), followed by Latin America/Caribbean (29%). Interest in Asia and/or the Middle East rose to 18%, up 8 percentage points since 2025.
- Among European destinations, Italy (9%) leads, followed by Great Britain (7%) and France (5%). In Latin America/Caribbean, Mexico is the top destination, while the Bahamas and Jamaica each trail at 2%.
[Source: 2026 Travel Trends, fielded November–December 2025]
CONVENIENCE DRIVES TRANSPORTATION AND LODGING CHOICES
Flying is back on top, but travelers are still wary of disruption.
- Air travel has re-emerged as the preferred mode of domestic travel (49%) for 2026, up three percentage points from 2025 and marking a return to pre-COVID norms.
- International air travel remains steady at 66%.
- Adults ages 50–59 skew toward air travel (51%), while adults 60-plus are equally likely to travel domestically by air or road trip (48% each).
- Sensitivity to airline disruptions increased 13 percentage points to 46% in 2026.
[Source: 2026 Travel Trends, fielded November–December 2025]
Cruising is gaining ground, especially among travelers 60-plus.
- International cruising rose four percentage points in 2026, reaching 24%.
- Cruising is more popular for international travel among adults 60-plus (26%) than among those ages 50–59 (15%).
- Hotels and motels remain the leading accommodation choice, but cruise ship cabins increased domestically to 8% from 5% in 2025 and internationally to 33% from 26% in 2025.
[Source: 2026 Travel Trends, fielded November–December 2025]
ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL REMAINS A CHALLENGE AND AN OPPORTUNITY
Nearly one in three older travelers have health conditions that make travel harder.
- Three in 10 adults 50-plus (29%) are traveling with a disability, physical condition, chronic health issue, or other age-related condition that makes travel difficult.
- Mobility challenges are cited most often (67%).
- More than half (57%) began experiencing these conditions in the past five years, meaning many travel adjustments are recent.
- About half say they have changed how they travel (55%) or travel less than they would like (45%).
[Source: Destination Aging: Travel Challenges Among 50-Plus Adults, fielded June 2024]
Accessibility opens the door to increased travel demand and untapped market potential.
- Common adjustments include taking shorter trips (49%), traveling by car more than before (48%), going to a single destination instead of multiple destinations (39%), being more likely to use a wheelchair (37%), and being less likely to stay at a campground (26%).
- Two-thirds (66%) say their conditions have changed where they choose to go, often favoring places closer to home or destinations that require less walking.
- If necessary accommodations were in place, 63% say they would travel more in the future.
[Source: Destination Aging: Travel Challenges Among 50-Plus Adults, fielded June 2024]
Airports and airplanes remain major friction points.
- Key airport challenges include getting through security (33%), traveling from parking into the airport (33%), and navigating to the gate (32%).
- Among those with hearing loss, 65% report difficulty hearing announcements in airports and at gates.
- On the aircraft, the biggest challenges include handling luggage (50%) and deboarding (41%); 36% also report difficulty handling bags at their destination.
[Source: Destination Aging: Travel Challenges Among 50-Plus Adults, fielded June 2024]
Travelers point to practical fixes that could improve the experience.
- Helpful airport and air-travel solutions include dedicated TSA screening lines (60%), special ticketing lines (54%), special seating for travelers with conditions (54%), increased wheelchair access (52%), and the ability to self-identify as needing accommodations (49%).
- For accommodations at the destination site, specially designed rooms (47%) and luggage assistance to rooms (44%) are cited as helpful.
[Source: Destination Aging: Travel Challenges Among 50-Plus Adults, fielded June 2024]
Companions and caregivers often make travel possible.
- Most travelers in need of accommodations travel with a companion (86%), and 81% indicate that their companion provides support that helps reduce the impact of the traveler’s condition on their travel experience.
- Nearly three-quarters of informal family caregivers (73%) traveled with a care recipient in the past 12 months.
- Caregivers report benefits from travel, including improved emotional well-being (47%) and social connectedness (46%) for themselves, and improved emotional (52%) or mental health (47%) for care recipients.
- At the same time, some caregivers report worsening sleep (28%) or energy level (27%), and 50% have avoided a personal trip with a care recipient due to the difficulties involved.
- More seating at destinations (44%), parking closer to entrances (36%), and better transportation options (33%) could encourage more caregiver travel and make the experience better for both.
[Sources: Destination Aging: Travel Challenges Among 50-Plus Adults and Caregiving and Traveling, fielded June 2024]
TRAVELERS USE AI TO PLAN TRIPS, NOT CHOOSE THEM
AI adoption is growing quickly, particularly as a planning tool, but not to determine destinations.
- AI use for travel planning doubled among adults 50-plus, rising from 8% in 2025 to 16% in 2026.
- Growth was especially notable among adults ages 50–59, up 14 percentage points, and adults ages 60–69, up 11 percentage points.
- AI is most often used to find the best deals (44%), identify unique experiences at destinations (44%), find the lowest airfares (41%), and curate personalized itineraries (39%).
[Source: 2026 Travel Trends, fielded November–December 2025]
Trusted recommendations and personal research still drive destination choices.
- Choosing where to travel is primarily shaped by personal research (66%) and personal recommendations (51%).
- For social media users, platforms help with research and inspiration: 56% research places to stay, eat or visit; 50% get inspiration for destinations or activities; and 49% look for deals, discounts or promotions.
- Desired experiences also inspire travel, including cultural immersion (22%), heritage tours (21%), and live events (19%).
[Source: 2026 Travel Trends, fielded November–December 2025]
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