Adults 50+ Prioritize Travel in 2026

Leisure journey stays a high precedence for adults age 50 and over, based on the AARP 2026 Travel Trends survey. Nearly two-thirds (64 %) of respondents count on to journey in 2026, a lower of 6 proportion factors from 2025, however nonetheless a stable majority. 

The survey of two,051 individuals was carried out on-line from Nov. 11 to Dec. 15, 2025, on the heels of the U.S. authorities shutdown that lasted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12. During the shutdown, there have been widespread delays and cancellations because of a scarcity of Transportation Security Administration officers and air site visitors controllers, who had been required to work with out pay.

“The desire to travel is incredibly resilient,” says Lona Choi-Allum, senior client insights supervisor at AARP. “Despite challenges or barriers, older adults are adapting how they travel, not whether they travel.… [It’s] always going to be at the top of their list, and … they’re becoming savvier and more strategic.”

That need was evident in response to the survey query addressing discretionary earnings spending. Travel and holidays got here in at primary, with 86 % of respondents naming it a top-three precedence. Entertainment, akin to eating out and attending concert events, ranked second, with 63 %.

Those who prioritize journey embrace the 15 % of respondents who require lodging for a incapacity or well being situation. According to the survey, these vacationers anticipate taking a number of extra journeys than those that don’t want such lodging.

The examine revealed that, as in years previous, price is the commonest roadblock to journey. This is very true for respondents with annual incomes underneath $100,000, almost half of whom recognized price as a barrier to journey. “We noticed a significant increase in the [anticipated] annual dollar spend, from over $6,800 last year to a little over $7,200 this year,” Choi-Allum says. “Everything’s getting more expensive.”