Travel planning is a research-heavy process shaped by search engines, social platforms, reviews, price, and changing expectations about the travel experience. Expedia Group research found that travelers spend an average of 303 minutes researching a trip during the 45 days before booking, while Skyscanner reported that 84% plan to travel the same amount or more in 2026 than in 2025.
Contents
- Travel demand and future intentions
- How long travelers research
- Where trip ideas and information come from
- Destination flexibility and travel priorities
- Price, reviews, and booking decisions
- Travel styles and accommodation choices
Travel demand and future intentions
The broad outlook for leisure travel remains strong in the available 2025 and 2026 research. Expedia Group’s 2025 Traveler Value Index found that 88% of global consumers planned to take a leisure trip in the next 12 months. Half of consumers said travel is more vital to them than it was five years earlier.
The same study found that 68% were likely to book international travel in the next 12 months. That share was up 19% since 2022, indicating a larger appetite for cross-border trips in the survey’s comparison. Intentions varied by country:
| Market | Consumers planning international trips in the next 12 months |
|---|---|
| China | 87% |
| United Kingdom | 77% |
| Germany | 72% |
These figures describe intentions, not completed bookings. They also refer to the next 12 months measured in Expedia Group’s 2025 study, so they should not be read as a universal forecast for every market or travel season.
Skyscanner’s Horizons 2026 Spending Trends reported that 84% of travelers planned to travel the same amount or more in 2026 than in 2025. Within that group, 39% intended to travel more in 2026. Together, the findings point to continued demand, but demand does not mean travelers are ignoring costs: Expedia Group found that 58% expected to be more price-conscious over the following 12 months.
How long travelers research
Travel planning often begins well before a booking session. Expedia Group’s Path to Purchase 2023 research measured activity during the 45 days before purchase and found that travelers spent 303 minutes on average researching trips—more than five hours in total.
The volume of content viewed was also substantial. The average traveler viewed 141 pages of travel content in that 45-day period. In the United States, travelers in the study viewed as many as 277 pages. Early research averaged about 2.5 page views per day, but activity accelerated sharply at the point of purchase, when page views rose to 25 on the purchase day.
That pattern suggests two distinct planning phases. The first is an exploratory period in which people collect ideas, compare destinations, and gradually narrow their options. The second is a high-intensity decision period in which travelers check details and compare products shortly before purchasing.
The study also found that four in five travelers visited an online travel agency at some point before making a travel purchase. An OTA visit therefore belongs to the normal research journey even when the final transaction may occur elsewhere. For independent travelers, comparing multiple sources can be part of the process rather than an exception.
Where trip ideas and information come from
Search remains a major planning resource, but the available research shows a multi-channel journey. In Expedia Group’s Path to Purchase 2023 study, 80% of travelers used search engines during the 45 days before purchase. The same dataset also reports a 61% search-engine usage figure for the planning window; because the supplied study results present both percentages without further segmentation, they should be treated as separate reported measures rather than combined.
Other channels were also widely used:
- 58% used social media during the planning window.
- 54% used airline websites.
- 51% used metasearch travel websites.
- Four in five visited an OTA before purchasing.
Expedia Group’s 2025 Traveler Value Index found that 61% now found trip ideas on social platforms, up from 35% in 2022. The same study reported that 73% said influencer recommendations had influenced a trip or travel-component booking decision. These findings describe inspiration and influence, not necessarily the final booking channel.
Natural-phenomena travel shows how the information mix can change by subject. In Expedia Group’s Unpack 2025, 30% of travelers seeking natural-phenomena trips said social media such as TikTok or Instagram was their main information source. That share rose to 43% among travelers aged 18–24 and 36% among those aged 25–34. Travel blogs and websites were used by 22%, while 13% used online forums.
Destination flexibility and travel priorities
Many travelers begin planning without one fixed destination. Expedia Group’s Path to Purchase 2023 found that 59% either had no specific destination in mind or were considering multiple destinations when they first decided to take a trip. The pattern was even more pronounced among travelers from Mexico, where more than 80% were undecided at trip inception. In the United Kingdom, 62% were undecided at that stage.
This flexibility matters for independent trip planning because destination discovery can happen before a specific itinerary exists. A traveler may begin with a desired experience, season, budget, or natural attraction and only later select the destination.
Natural wonders were a particularly strong inspiration. Expedia Group’s Unpack 2025 found that 61% of global travelers said the Northern Lights were the natural phenomenon they most wanted to see. Geological phenomena—including volcanoes, geysers, and hot springs—were named by 30% as a desired type of phenomenon trip.
The practical setting can be as important as the attraction itself. Eighty percent said it was important to stay in a place offering prime viewing for natural wonders. Among travelers visiting a destination, 39% visited grocery stores or supermarkets while on holiday, and 44% shopped for local goods they could not get at home.
Price, reviews, and booking decisions
Price remains central to travel planning, but travelers also assign measurable value to trust and quality signals. Expedia Group’s 2025 Traveler Value Index found that three-quarters of travelers were willing to pay more for lodging with better reviews. A separate reported figure from the same study put that willingness at 80%, especially among younger travelers. Since both figures are supplied as study results without additional segmentation details, they are best retained as distinct reported findings rather than averaged.
Car-rental decisions show a similar balance between cost and reputation. Price was the leading car-rental factor in Canada, Australia, and the United States. Travelers under 40 found positive reviews nearly as influential as price when choosing car rentals.
Air-travel priorities also differed by market. Travelers in Germany ranked full refunds as their top air-travel priority. In China, 80% of travelers sought contactless experiences when choosing air travel.
Loyalty is another part of the booking calculation. Expedia Group reported that 83% of consumers considered travel their top category for redeeming loyalty points. In addition, 82% were interested in booking travel through non-travel loyalty programs, such as those offered by credit cards or retailers.
For someone planning an independent trip, these results suggest that a useful comparison should include more than the headline price. Refundability, review quality, loyalty value, and the booking experience can all influence perceived value, and their importance varies by product and market.
Travel styles and accommodation choices
The research also shows demand for trips that reduce friction or create a particular emotional benefit. Expedia Group’s Unpack 2025 reported that one-third of Gen Z travelers said their perception of all-inclusive hotels had changed for the better. Forty-two percent of Gen Z travelers said an all-inclusive resort would be their preferred hotel type.
Among Gen Z travelers, the leading reasons for embracing all-inclusive stays included minimal stress, cited by 41%; ease of booking, cited by 39%; and a luxurious feel, cited by 38%. These percentages describe reasons within that demographic and should not be generalized to all travelers.
The same report examined JOMO trips—travel associated with the joy of missing out. Sixty-two percent of travelers said JOMO trips reduced stress and anxiety, while nearly half said these trips enhanced quality time with loved ones. The figures suggest that the desired outcome of planning is not always maximum activity. For some travelers, a simpler schedule and lower decision burden are part of the product being chosen.
Travelers also respond to convenience in the air-travel journey. Expedia Group’s 2025 Traveler Value Index found that 80% of travelers in China sought contactless experiences when choosing air travel, while German travelers placed full refunds first among their air priorities. These are market-specific signals, but they reinforce a broader planning theme: travelers evaluate the total experience, from research and booking to flexibility and arrival.