In the Mind of Global Travelers
At a glance
- International tourist traffic projected to reach 1.8 billion by 2030, up from 1.5 billion in 2024, driven by middle-class demand and demographic growth.
- Wellness travel forecast to grow to $1.3 trillion by 2025 from $720 billion pre-pandemic; almost 30% of wellness travellers now bring children.
- Gen Z and millennials aged 21–24 rank experiential and events-related travel highest; 86% of ages 25–34 favour eco-friendly travel options.
- Beach vacations remain top choice; emerging destinations like Red Sea and Patagonia increasingly appear on traveller lists alongside iconic locations.
- Environmental impact concerns 75% of respondents, yet convenience and direct flights often take priority; poor incident management is most consistent pain point.
What the report covers
Kearney surveyed 1,700 travellers across nine countries (US, China, India, France, UK, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UAE) to understand evolving travel preferences, destination appeal, and sustainability priorities. The report examines demand shifts towards wellness, experiential, events-based and ecotourism travel; the rise of emerging destinations; and challenges including over-tourism and incident management for tourism stakeholders navigating post-pandemic dynamics.
Key findings
International tourism traffic reached 1.5 billion in 2024 and is forecast to hit 1.8 billion by 2030, according to the report. Growth is driven by demographic patterns and rising middle-class appetite for travel. However, this surge has intensified over-tourism in popular destinations such as Kyoto, Amsterdam, Venice, Bali and Machu Picchu. Iconic destinations continue to dominate traveller preferences, yet emerging locations increasingly appear on short lists.
Beach and sea-focused vacations remain the most popular travel category overall. Wellness travel emerged as the third most popular purpose and is rapidly going mainstream beyond luxury segments, projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2025 from $720 billion pre-pandemic. Notably, almost 30% of wellness travellers now bring children, creating opportunities for multigenerational packages, weight management programs and mental wellness retreats.
Gen Z and millennials aged 21–24 rank experiential and events-related travel highest among all demographics. The report highlights major events' economic impact: the 2024 Super Bowl injected $850 million into Las Vegas economy; Taylor Swift's Eras Tour generated more than $5 billion in North American consumer spending. Younger travellers lead on sustainability, with 86% of those aged 25–34 prioritising eco-friendly travel options.
Environmental sustainability concerns 75% of survey respondents, yet the report identifies a significant gap between stated values and behaviour. Travellers prioritise direct flights and smooth connections over eco-friendly alternatives. Roughly 40% of top income earners claim environment influences choices. Poor incident management emerges as the most consistent and significant pain point across respondents, particularly for emerging destinations.
Urban proximity drives destination appeal, fuelled by bleisure travel, demand for culinary and cultural experiences, and desire to blend activities in single trips. The report notes 75% of respondents spend at least half their time exploring outside accommodations. Successful destinations share core strengths: innovative marketing, best-in-class customer service, efficient transport networks, robust infrastructure and offerings across income levels.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| International tourist traffic | 1.5 billion in 2024 |
| International tourist traffic forecast | 1.8 billion by 2030 |
| Wellness tourism value forecast | $1.3 trillion by 2025 |
| Wellness travellers bringing children | Almost 30% |
| Ages 25–34 favouring eco-friendly travel | 86% |
| Respondents for whom environment is crucial consideration | 75% |
| 2024 Super Bowl economic impact on Las Vegas | $850 million |
| Taylor Swift Eras Tour North America consumer spending | More than $5 billion |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
DMOs must adapt to emerging preferences: develop mixed-use urban-resort offerings; create alternative destinations to relieve over-tourism; excel at incident management and crisis communication; build specialised wellness and experiential products. Since 75% of travellers explore outside accommodations, coordinated local infrastructure and cultural programming are essential to compete globally and capture bleisure and Gen Z segments.
Hotels & hospitality
Hospitality operators should expand wellness offerings beyond luxury to budget segments and develop multigenerational packages, reflecting $1.3 trillion wellness growth. Over 50% of respondents prefer premium or luxury services; solo travellers and off-premises adventurers seek budget options. Urban-proximate properties combining leisure and business amenities will capture bleisure demand. Incident management excellence is critical—identified as the most consistent pain point.
Travel tech & distribution
Travel tech platforms should invest in sustainability transparency and eco-friendly filtering, as 75% consider environmental impact yet prioritise convenience. Travellers derive greatest satisfaction from booking tools. Opportunities include experiential and events itineraries targeting Gen Z; culinary and cultural curation for urban destinations; real-time incident alerts and review management for reputation protection.
Methodology and limits
Kearney surveyed 1,700 travellers across nine countries representing diverse age, gender and income brackets. Respondents ranked five travel categories (wellness, heritage, sea/sun/lifestyle, events, wildlife/ecotourism) on 1–5 scales and answered destination preference, sustainability and satisfaction questions. The report references external projections from UNWTO and Global Wellness Institute. This brief is based on the full published source text.
Official source
The report is © Kearney. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
Check the official statistics on Pulse
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