The news: American Express Travel released its chief trends for 2026, citing milestone planning, experience-driven vacations, storytelling, and local cuisine as chief trends for Gen Zers and millennials, per its 2026 Global Travel Trends Report.

Zooming out: Travel remains a strong priority for Gen Z and millennials, with younger adults adjusting jobs and budgets to accommodate lofty travel ambitions:

• 74% of millennials and Gen Zers surveyed claim travel is a ‘non-negotiable’ budget item.
• 64% of both cohorts would take a job with fewer benefits if it allowed for more flexibility to travel.
• And 75% of millennials and Gen Zers plan early arrivals to the airport to take advantage of lounge benefits.

Diving into the trends: Younger travelers are planning around celebrations, and looking to integrate into local cultures and cuisines to have enviable stories to tell friends and family.

Milestone trips. 79% of millennials and Gen Zers say that trips around milestones feel more rewarding than typical vacations, and two-thirds (66%) of all age groups anticipate taking a trip to celebrate another person’s milestone this year. Importantly, 42% of all respondents use milestone trips to build out longer vacations; 72% lengthen these trips by at least three to four days.

Hands-on activities. Passive sightseeing is out;authentic, local experiences are in. Seventy-nine percent of millennials and Gen Zers surveyed are likely to search out local workshops and activities specific to their travel location, and 76% all-aged travelers polled believe skills learned on vacation are more valuable than a material souvenir. 

Lore building. Vacation isn’t just for a change in scenery. Travelers now want adventures to report once they get home, with nature and wildlife, geological experiences, and water adventures polling particularly well with younger vacationers. 

• 86% of millennials and Gen Zers polled claim they’re more likely to try something adventurous while on a trip.
• 83% say they prioritize unique, local experiences over tourist attractions.
• And 82% of millennials and Gen Zers polled said they'd do something “completely out of the ordinary” if it makes for a good story.

Local snacks. Making time for local-specific flavors is also a must-have for millennials and Gen Zers, with 89% of the cohort reserving time in their itineraries for local snacks and 66% targeting foodways not found at home. Street food polled particularly well with young travelers, with over two-thirds (69%) wanting to hit street foods and half desiring bakery snacks (53%) or local grocery store experiences (50%).

Implications for issuers: While young and affluent travelers may be eager to jet set, energy shocks from the Iran war are likely to dampen international aspirations as airfare and fees rise to accommodate the surge in jet fuel prices caused by the Strait of Hormuz’s closure. 

To meet millennial and Gen Zers’ hunger for authentic experiences, issuers should turn to local and regional pop-ups to encourage domestic travel possible by public transit, train, or car in unique and under-explored pockets of the US for more attainable luxury events.