Remember "revenge travel"? (Cue the snickers and eye rolls.)
Talk to anyone in the travel industry, and they’ll tell you that post-pandemic travel frenzies are old news. Today’s travelers aren’t just itching to go anywhere and do anything—they’re planning their trips with more thought, meaning, and, most importantly, a strict budget.
For brands and organizations focused on member engagement and retention, this shift presents an incredible opportunity. People still want to travel, but financial constraints are making it harder. Offering travel benefits that help members save—on everything from hotels to theme parks—positions your organization as one that truly understands their needs and supports their lifestyle. It’s more than just a perk; it’s a value-driven benefit that strengthens loyalty and long-term engagement.
In this article, we’ll explore six major travel trends shaping consumer decisions today. They highlight why making travel more accessible is a smart investment and how a well-designed travel benefits program added to your member benefits can drive retention, satisfaction, and deeper connections.
The era of revenge travel is over. Let’s take a moment and define what that means. “Revenge travel” is the name assigned to a unique phenomenon. In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, people booked extravagant, once-in-a-lifetime vacations, in which they traveled farther, longer and in more luxury than ever before. Experts say the surge in travel demand was in reaction to the near-total lockdown of all things travel, hospitality and entertainment resulting from fear and government restrictions. And surge it did. Americans everywhere made up for lost time by spending freely, flocking to big city and tropical destinations in 2022 and flooding the seas with luxury cruises in 2023.
The post-pandemic surge has leveled out, and many Americans are prioritizing financial responsibility in their travel decisions. The steep upward trajectory of spending may be over, but it’s not going down. Instead, those in the know are calling it “normalization” and they’re saying the coming year will show the same slow and steady growth that is typical in the travel industry.
What will this look like from the typical traveler’s perspective? Well, their ONCE-in-a-lifetime vacation is behind them, leaving fresh memories and depleted savings. To add to that, economic pressures are still looming. As a result, today’s travelers are projected to be more discerning about destinations, accommodations, and costs. They’re waiting for the right opportunity—and the right deal—to make their plans a reality.
Travel discounts are in high demand, particularly for hotel stays, flights, car rentals, and theme park tickets. All of these are big-ticket expenses, meaning the savings for a single vacation can easily reach tens, hundreds or even thousands of dollars. For some people, that could mean keeping more of their hard-earned dollars in their pockets. For others, it means they can afford to extend their stay or upgrade their hotel. Others still may find that the discounts you offer bring a trip within their reach, when it would have otherwise been unattainable. Either way, they’ll have you to thank for it.
For businesses and organizations, travel discounts can also be a cost-effective way to add value. For example, you can give a travel voucher that will save the recipient $200 (a lot of value, sure) BUT it will cost the giver about the same amount the recipient saves. That’s why more organizations are partnering with a reputable travel benefits provider—the member’s savings can be even more impressive AND this will come at a fraction of the cost. It’s a more economical way to create significant savings for your members while strengthening their loyalty to your brand.
Ask any American on the street about their finances and you’re likely to hear about massive grocery bills, worsening debt, oppressive housing prices and financial anxiety on a daily basis. Plus, with travel prices going up, 31% of Americans claim it’s just too expensive to travel right now. Take this economic doom and gloom, add in a distinct cooling off from the revenge travel boom, and you might assume that your members will travel less than normal this year. However, studies are predicting that Americans will spend 3.9% more on travel for a total of $1.35 trillion, which is more than 2019 (pre-pandemic).
How? Why? Many Americans consider visiting loved ones and exploring new places a necessity rather than a luxury. They’re doing what it takes to make their travel plans happen: adjusting their budgets to make room for travel, using windfalls like inheritances & tax returns and dedicating time to money-making side gigs. Most importantly for you, they’re actively seeking out money-saving resources (and giving their loyalty to the businesses that provide them.)
Consumers are actively searching for extra pennies to dedicate to their travel dreams. By adding a comprehensive suite of savings to your loyalty benefit, you can help them get more out of their budget, leaving more for travel. The best discount programs help them save on the things they would have to buy anyway, like food, clothing, car maintenance, entertainment and more. Plus, while travel discounts deliver a huge burst of value and goodwill, everyday savings help you encourage micro-engagements to stay relevant between vacations.
A good nationwide program full of everyday savings boosts vacation savings as well. That’s because your members will be able to save when they dine or play at their destinations just as easily as they can at home.
Today’s travelers want more than just a vacation—they want meaningful experiences. What qualifies as “meaningful” is personal to each individual; however, several trends are emerging. For example, the following reasons for travel are already on the rise this year:
The second major trend this year is more travelers choosing alternatives to overrun tourist hotspots. Looking back, 80% of travelers typically visit the same 10% of the world’s destinations. Now, more travelers are booking during shoulder seasons instead of summer break and highly-traveled holidays. They’re also choosing secondary cities, hidden wonders featured by social media influencers, local theme parks/attractions and other less-traveled destinations.
Your travel perks should reflect the diversity of your audience. Discounts on both premium and budget-friendly travel options ensure that all members find value, whether they’re planning a high-end retreat or a cost-conscious getaway. For example, your member base would appreciate discounted tickets to Disneyland AND their local zoo. They want options for 5-star hotels AND small-town B&Bs. Variety allows members to customize their travel experiences, making your organization an essential part of their journey—no matter where they go.
The excitement of a trip starts long before departure. In fact, research shows that travelers experience a boost in happiness and energy as soon as they begin planning where and when to go.
It’s no surprise that travelers want a smooth, stress-free booking process—one that is personalized, high-tech and supported with a caring human touch. Increasingly, travel booking platforms are featuring:
Above all, travelers want to interact with platforms that anticipate their needs, offer personalized suggestions and provide real-time assistance.
While there are a few ways for businesses to organize their own travel perks (like in the case of business-funded travel stipends), it’s more common for organizations to partner with a travel benefits provider. This is especially true when it comes to offering your members exclusive access to discounted rates and tickets.
Organizations will be smart to thoroughly vet any potential partners to ensure they can provide your members with the exceptional experience they crave. First, you’ll want to analyze the quality of the things your members will experience: 1. The ease of the booking platform, 2. The effectiveness of their customer service and 3. The breadth and depth of their discounts. Plus, you’ll want to look for qualities your members won’t see, but that will make the partnership much smoother for you. For example, a quality partner communicates well, tracks and reports member engagement, and offers private labeling or I-framing capabilities so members always remember who to thank for the benefit. Learn more in this ultimate buyer’s guide.
In recent times, loyalty programs across various airlines have undergone significant changes, leading to a devaluation of reward points—a trend that has not gone unnoticed by discerning travelers. Devaluation happens when a brand requires their customers to spend more money to earn each point, use more of their points to redeem for a benefit or both at the same time—and it isn’t a new tactic. Remember when Starbucks reduced the value of the star in 2023 and everyone lost their minds?
This year, major brands in the travel and tourism world have announced changes to their rewards program structure that will greatly devalue their benefits. While top big spenders can still find value in many of these loyalty programs, economy travelers and average spenders may find it challenging to earn enough reward to make it worth their while. For example:
As customers get less value from airline and hotel brands’ loyalty programs, they’re valuing the programs (and subsequently the brands) less. All generations were less likely to find loyalty programs like these important last year, leading those brands inventing new ways for members to earn and burn their reward points.
As traditional travel reward programs become less valuable, customers are seeking more immediate and tangible benefits from alternate loyalty programs. That means any business adding travel benefits to their loyalty program today is likely to see enthusiasm from deal-hungry members. For example, travel perks that provide instant value—such as discounted hotel stays, flights, and car rentals—can entice members to return again and again. This is especially true if they can grow to trust that your deals are consistently better than they can find elsewhere.
Travel savings integrate nicely into existing cash back and reward point programs as well. In this scenario, members book their travel reservations at a higher price and then receive cash back, or the equivalent value of a brand’s currency as a reward. It’s a popular option among travelers. Plus, it opens opportunities for revenue sharing, in which part of the cash back or points goes to the member, and part goes to the company/membership organization. Travel rewards present an excellent opportunity to revenue share because the rewards are typically big enough to provide undeniable value to members AND give organizations the chance to offset the cost of providing the benefit in the first place.
We live in a world of digital overload, with mega-giants (armed with ever smarter algorithms) fighting over your audience’s attention. Membership marketers know just how hard it is to compete against the constant flow of content and loyalty programs available today. This saturation makes it challenging for brands to capture and retain member attention. However, by offering high-value travel rewards, businesses can distinguish themselves and foster deeper customer loyalty.
Many brands find their outreach efforts get lost in all the noise; or worse, annoy members to the point they stop listening.
Because of the high cost of travel, travel rewards often provide the most monetary value. Even better, they offer a lot of emotional value. It is said that memories and personal growth earned through experiences are more valuable than material possessions. Now that travelers are putting even more thought and intention into their travel plans, there’s even more emotion wrapped up in the process. This emotional connection is key to capturing the hearts of your members, which leads to higher lifetime value, more member recommendations to friends and family, and even higher spends.
Something as valuable and desirable as travel rewards also gives you good reason to reach out often to your audience in a way they’ll appreciate. Value of this magnitude allows organizations to market to their members more often and in a more positive way that builds brand affinity in an overcrowded world.
Ready to elevate your loyalty strategy with travel rewards?
Let’s talk about how you can help your members experience more while strengthening their connection to your brand. Access Development helps people nationwide stretch their budgets with savings on everyday purchases like food, clothing, services and more. When you partner with Access, you can offer your members a fully-branded travel booking platform with prices typically 5%-50% better than popular platforms like Expedia and Booking.com. Not only that, Access supports your goals AND your members’ goals with in-house customer service, engagement analytics and marketing to help keep your rewards top-of-mind.
Ready to talk to an expert about how you can spark memorable member engagement moments this year with travel benefits?
Now, for fun—where’s your dream destination this year? Drop a comment below and let us know!