What Immediate’s 2026 Travel Analysis Means for Entrepreneurs – Advertising Week

An Advertising Week Q&A with Cath Waller, MD, Advertising, Immediate

Travel in 2026 isn’t nearly escape. It’s about identification, ardour and what individuals are selecting to prioritise with their hard-earned cash. New YouGov analysis, commissioned by Immediate, reveals a assured, high-intent viewers of over 55s who’re actively selecting to spend their financial savings on passion-led journey, regardless of unsure financial occasions.

Cath Waller explains what the findings imply for advertisers seeking to interact audiences who’re planning earlier, spending intentionally, and researching fastidiously.

Q: What’s the largest takeaway for entrepreneurs from this analysis?

The key takeaway is that journey has develop into protected spend. More than half (55%) of UK adults say they might slightly spend cash on shared experiences than go away a bigger inheritance for his or her children, pointing to an viewers with each the means and the arrogance to spend.

Even in opposition to a difficult financial backdrop, journey budgets are holding agency. In 2026, 26% of British holidaymakers are planning to spend extra on longer journeys and 18% are planning to extend spend on shorter breaks, whereas most count on budgets to stay in step with 2025. This is especially prevalent within the over 55s, who’re planning extra holidays in 2026 than every other age group.

For entrepreneurs, that interprets into excessive buy potential. Once individuals have determined to prioritise spending on journey and experiences, they develop into much more receptive to manufacturers that assist them improve their total expertise.

Q: Why does passion-led journey signify such a powerful alternative for advertisers?

Because for over 55s, ardour led-travel is carefully tied to intent and spend. Within this age group, 66% of respondents say they plan holidays round their pursuits slightly than value or comfort alone. That tells us that is thought of and research-driven decision-making.

When it involves passion-led journey in 2026, the strongest pursuits shaping journey selections for the over 55s are:

• History and heritage: 52%
• Food and drink: 20%
• Gardening or nature-focused journeys: 23%

These are audiences actively researching and evaluating, which creates a strong alternative to have interaction a high-intent viewers in the mean time inspiration converts into motion.

For entrepreneurs, the chance to focus on this group lies in contextually related promoting mixed with distinctive first social gathering information concentrating on. A food-led traveller is already emotionally invested earlier than they select a vacation spot or supplier. Brands that present up in related editorial environments, and use publisher-owned information to precision goal, can affect selections early, when itineraries, bookings and extra spend are nonetheless being deliberate.

Q: What position do trusted publishers play on this journey?

Trust actually issues when individuals are spending important sums on experiences they care deeply about. Consumers need to really feel assured they’re making the absolute best alternative. They analysis fastidiously they usually search for authority and experience.

While 86% cite suggestions from family and friends as influential, a big 40% say newspapers, magazines and model promoting additionally affect the place they select to journey. This underlines the position premium publishers and trusted media environments proceed to play, significantly throughout early analysis and planning, when customers are narrowing selections and deciding the place to spend.

Q: What ought to journey (and non-travel) manufacturers do in another way in 2026?

The greatest alternative for manufacturers sits on the level the place passions flip into plans. People start their journey journey by spending time exploring the pursuits that matter to them, whether or not that’s historical past, meals, tradition or time spent outside. This is the place inspiration takes form and the place concepts for journeys start to type. Brands that present up at this stage have an actual probability to affect the place individuals go and the way they select to spend.

Passion-led planning additionally opens up alternatives past journey manufacturers alone. Food and drink, tradition, wellbeing, expertise, monetary providers and luxurious retail all naturally intersect with how individuals put together for and expertise journeys. Many holidays contain specialist purchases, upgrades and shared, multi-generational spending, creating a number of factors the place manufacturers can add worth in ways in which really feel related, slightly than interruptive.

Finally, the analysis reveals that guilt is low with regards to spending on significant experiences, significantly amongst older audiences. People really feel comfy prioritising enjoyment, enrichment and high quality and the manufacturers that mirror this mindset have a tendency to attach extra naturally than these centered purely on value or urgency.

Ultimately, the manufacturers that win shall be people who present up early, align with passions, and use trusted environments, mixed with good first-party information concentrating on, to affect selections earlier than a reserving is made.