Key Takeaways:
- Big Travel Spenders are resilient, but not unchanging. Despite affordability pressures, 45% of Big Travel Spenders are not altering their plans at all. Of those who are adjusting, most are traveling less frequently rather than canceling entirely – meaning the audience is still in-market and worth competing for.
- Luxury means different things to different travelers. Ten percent of Big Travel Spenders equate luxury with recognition and loyalty program status, while 24% are motivated by tangible amenities. Marketers who segment creative around these two distinct motivations will outperform those running generic “luxury” messaging.
- Beach destinations lead, but trip diversity creates targeting opportunities. Forty-one percent of Big Travel Spenders are planning a beach trip in the next 12 months, but road trips (32%), cruises (25%), international sightseeing (23%), and lake or cabin getaways (22%) each represent distinct audience segments with different creative and offer needs.
- Values-driven messaging is a competitive advantage. This audience is motivated by excitement, novelty, prestige, and – perhaps surprisingly – maintaining traditions. Marketers who weave themes of adventure, cultural appreciation, and status into their creative will connect more deeply than those leading with price or generic aspirational imagery.
- Brand affinity signals a premium-but-practical traveler. Big Travel Spenders gravitate toward trusted hotel brands like IHG and Marriott alongside VRBO, and fly with airlines that prioritize network access and loyalty. This pattern points to travelers who value seamless, elevated experiences across the entire journey – not just the destination.
Travel exploded in popularity again over the last few years, as consumers booked trips to treat themselves for enduring the pandemic experience and to get themselves out into the world again and check destinations off their bucket lists. However, the uncertainty that has shown up in other industries has now begun to creep into travel spending.
Resonate data from late February 2026 shows that 18% of travelers had postponed or canceled a planned vacation due to higher prices. And this isn’t the only sign that things could be getting wobbly for the travel industry. 22% of Americans consider travel an unnecessary expense they’re willing to cut, so if the nationwide affordability issue continues, marketers could see people who might’ve previously taken a trip during a certain time of year choosing to stay home.
All told, Resonate’s 2026 Predictions Report showed that a significant 44.1% of consumers are planning to stay home this year, and that for the 55.9% who are willing to take a trip, affordability is top of mind. This affects the travel industry in an interesting way. Many brands have switched in recent years to focusing more on people who are bigger spenders and who are willing to splurge on luxury trips. Indeed, luxury vacation rental construction has exploded, and a significant number of companies are offering more perks for their more monied customers. Now, however, industry experts like Deloitte have noted even luxury travel spenders are not immune to uncertainty, and that if the trend continues, the travel industry could see growth start to plateau. Overall, competition for luxury travelers’ attention is intensifying.
In our Predictions Report, one of the audiences we featured was Big Travel Spenders: 45.2M people who anticipate spending anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 on vacations this year. In this blog, we’ll take a deep dive into this audience using our predictive consumer intelligence to show you how you can effectively compete for—and win—the business of this group.
How Is the Affordability Focus Affecting Big Travel Spenders?
There’s mostly good news for marketers with this audience: Despite the uncertainty, 45% of the Big Travel Spenders aren’t making any changes to their travel or leisure activities. Of those that are altering their plans, just 19% are delaying or canceling their vacations. A bigger percentage, 24% are still traveling, but less frequently. Finally, 5% are choosing domestic over international travel.
10% of the Big Travel Spenders find value in frequent traveler programs and believe that joining is the best way to receive gold-star treatment. And 24% believe luxury amenities are worth paying more for when they’re traveling.
What this means for marketers:
This data signals that Big Travel Spenders are willing to “pay to be recognized,” but they don’t all define luxury the same way. With 10% seeing frequent traveler programs as the clearest path to gold-star treatment, loyalty-linked offers (status-match messaging, elite-tier perks, priority service) can be a strong hook for a meaningful subset of the audience. Meanwhile, the larger group, 24%, is explicitly amenity-driven, making room for premium upsells that feel tangible and indulgent (upgraded rooms, lounge access, private transfers, concierge-style add-ons). For marketers, the opportunity is to segment creative and offers: lead with recognition and VIP treatment for loyalty-minded travelers, and with comfort-enhancing amenities for those who equate luxury with elevated details.
What Types of Trips Are Big Travel Spenders Taking in the Next 12 Months?
Resonate’s predictive consumer intelligence shows that in the next 12 months:
- 41% of Big Travel Spenders will be heading somewhere with a beach
- 32% are working on an itinerary for a multi-day road trip
- 25% of Big Travel Spenders plan to take a cruise
- 23% are intending to go on an international sightseeing trip
- 22% will be relaxing at a lake or cabin near fresh water
What this means for marketers:
This 12-month outlook tells luxury travel marketers exactly where to place their bets and how to steal share in a crowded premium category. With 41% of Big Travel Spenders headed to a beach destination, coastal escapes and resort-style packages should lead the narrative, but the real advantage comes from matching offers to trip intent: multi-day road trips (32%) call for flexible itineraries, elevated “drive-and-stay” bundles, and regional experience partnerships; cruises (25%) create an opening for premium cabin upgrades, pre/post cruise extensions, and concierge-level planning; international sightseeing (23%) rewards curated, high-touch itineraries and seamless end-to-end service; and lake/cabin getaways (22%) signal demand for privacy-forward luxury (think upscale rentals, wellness, and nature-meets-comfort positioning). The marketers who win will align creative, channels, and packages to these distinct travel modes, selling the experience and ease luxury travelers will pay more for, not generic “luxury” claims.
What Are the Big Travel Spenders’ Personal Values?
This audience values a life full of excitement, novelties, and challenges, as well as acquiring wealth and influence. Both of these values could explain the impetus behind their hobby of treating themselves to luxury vacations. You might be surprised, however, to learn that another of their values is maintaining traditions.
What this means for marketers:
Personal values insights are a great North Star for marketers as you plan your creative and messaging. To attract the attention of and engage this audience, consider using themes of adventure and inventiveness to appeal to their desire to live an exciting life, and incorporate themes of prestige and importance to appeal to their personal value of acquiring wealth and influence. For the value of maintaining traditions, think about using themes of family and appreciation for culture in your marketing messaging.
Which Brands Do Luxury Travelers Have an Affinity For?
When they’re on a trip, Resonate’s Big Travel Spenders tend to stay at:
- IHG Hotels & Resorts
- VRBO properties
- Marriott Hotels
To get to and from their destination, this audience likes to fly with:
- Air Canada
- JetBlue Airways
- American Airlines
What this means for marketers:
This audience shows a clear premium-but-practical travel pattern while they’re in-market. They’re booking trusted, high-quality hotel brands (IHG and Marriott) alongside high-end vacation rentals via VRBO, signaling they’ll pay for comfort, space, and reliability. Luxury travelers are known for often mixing “full-service” stays with private, experience-led accommodations. On the air side, their preference for Air Canada, JetBlue, and American Airlines suggests a flyer who values network access and convenience (routes, schedules, loyalty), not just bargain fares. For luxury travel marketers, the takeaway is simple. Win them with seamless, elevated experiences across the whole journey: exclusive packages, loyalty-aligned perks, and polished creative that speaks to comfort, control, and memorable upgrades (not discounts).
The Resonate Big Travel Spenders audience is available for immediate activation in major DSPs. Looking for a different audience? Our data experts will work with you to identify which of our 15K+ attributes are best for you and to help you build a custom audience that meets your needs. Schedule a consultation today to learn more about how our predictive consumer intelligence will drive growth for your travel-related business.
