Display break: Europeans commerce algorithms for journey, meals and in-person experiences this summer time

Digging deeper, it reveals Cypriots are Europe’s front-row kings, keenest to have experiences that convey them as near the motion as potential (59%). The Portuguese are probably the most social, with three in 4 (76%) favouring communal actions above going it alone.  Romanians are first within the queue for trending experiences (46%), whereas the Irish most worth leisure moments really useful by mates, household or colleagues (70%). Four in 5 Bulgarians (81%) really feel experiences ship their finest life recollections, the best throughout Europe. 

The developments shaping the summer time and past

Mastercard has additionally created a report with the world’s largest pattern platform Trend Hunter, highlighting six key developments that present how the expertise economic system has advanced in 2026:

• Analogue Escapism – Consumers consciously selecting unplugged experiences like vinyl listening bars or occasions centered on nonetheless pictures, not smartphones.
• Common Ground – Communities connecting by shared passions in areas the place they might have beforehand felt unwelcome, starting from teams for queer ladies to bond over soccer, by to swim golf equipment. 
• Communal Coping – People gathering to sort out the challenges of contemporary life collectively, from dad meet-ups to debate easy methods to fashion their daughters’ hair to group screaming workshops to launch interior rage.
• Conscious Connection – The fast catch-up with a buddy is being overtaken by centered high quality time. People are constructing intimacy by a shared expertise to foster connection like in a single day sleeper practice journeys for mates or philosophy-themed supper golf equipment that provoke deeper conversations.
• Halcyon Days – The thirst for nostalgic experiences is accelerating, as shoppers go additional to seize that “good old days” vibe. This applies even when they didn’t expertise them first time round, with pleasure for gigs by former teen idols and social media’s “2016 millennial optimism” pattern.
• Indie Everything – As mainstream tradition turns into ever extra polished, shoppers are more and more celebrating independence as proof of authenticity. Second-hand vogue and DIY gigs are getting a brand new lease of life, whereas in an period of vacation selfies, travellers are wanting greater than ever for untouched locations.

Courtney Scharf, Futurist at Trend Hunter feedback: “Europe is embracing the human contact on the subject of experiences this summer time, however this isn’t a rejection of expertise. Consumers are adopting automation for the effectivity it brings to work and on a regular basis life, whereas more and more balancing this out by spending their leisure time in ways in which really feel distinctly human. The extra pervasive AI turns into and the extra of our lives we spend on-line, the extra invaluable these private experiences are.

“AI can deliver great insights in a split second, but it cannot recreate the chemistry of people sharing a space, or the unpredictability of a live moment. People are filling their social time more intentionally – choosing live music over streaming, communal activities over solo scrolling, and deeper connections over quick catchups. 2026 will be remembered as the year consumers rediscovered what only the real world can offer.”

Among developments like sauna raves and live-action jousting role-plays, the report reveals nostalgia is enjoying an more and more important position within the expertise economic system. Two in 5 Europeans (41%) anticipate to participate in additional nostalgia-based experiences this 12 months, with 72% in search of out experiences that revive previous cultural moments, a pattern supercharged by final 12 months’s record-breaking Oasis reunion tour within the UK and Ireland.

The small enterprise alternative

The pattern in direction of extra intimate and private actions presents a giant alternative for small companies. Over half of respondents (52%) affiliate SMEs with offering larger high quality experiences. whereas 57% are glad to pay extra for actions that may profit their native space or enterprises. More than half of shoppers (51%) say they’ll consciously look to ebook actions by SMEs and 60% say they might use native companies extra typically in the event that they provided experiences as items.

Priceless.com all summer time lengthy

This summer time, Mastercard’s expertise platform, Priceless.com, is providing a complete host of unforgettable experiences completely for cardholders throughout Europe. These vary from portray an genuine Dala horse in Nusnäs, Sweden, to uncovering hidden myths on an Athenian storyteller tour in Greece. Other actions embrace an e-bike journey across the Papuk UNESCO Global Geopark in Croatia and a rowing health session on the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey.

ENDS

Methodology 

Mastercard carried out a survey with its analysis associate 3Gem, to know the shift in shopper preferences in direction of experiences. The fieldwork occurred in February 2026.  

The survey sampled 27,000 respondents throughout 28 nations, gathering knowledge from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, UK, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine.

¹ Aggregated and anonymized transaction knowledge