The Tale of Two Travel Surveys for Older Adults – Herb Weiss

As the winter holidays approach, two reports spotlighting older adult travelers were released in October.  Washington, D.C.-based AARP published its October 2026 Holiday Travel Survey, “Holiday Travel is About Getting Together, Not Getting Away,” which closely examines how older adults balance family traditions and hosting duties against rising costs. The new report’s data builds on AARP’s Travel Trends reports from 2024, 2025, and earlier this year.  These reports track how travel budgets, behaviors, and motivations change for adults aged 50 and older.

The other survey, released by Denver-based Luggage Forward, a global provider of door-to-door luggage and sports equipment delivery, takes a close look at the travel preferences of Americans aged 55 and older.

According to the newly released 4-page AARP travel report, nearly one in four adults aged 50 and older (24%) expect to travel during the upcoming holiday season. For those planning trips, holiday travel is less about taking a vacation and more about spending time with family. With costs rising, these travelers are carefully watching their budgets and making trade-offs to afford family trips.

Researchers collected data through online and telephone interviews conducted September 17–21, 2026, with 1,023 U.S. adults aged 50 and older, using NORC at the University of Chicago’s Foresight 50+ panel. These statistics were weighted to reflect the nation’s population aged 50 and older.

Family remains the driving force behind holiday travel decisions. Two-thirds (67%) of holiday travelers say spending time with family is their main reason for traveling. In comparison, 27% cite getting away from everyday life and 25% say they travel to relax and rejuvenate.

“The holidays are an important time for families to be together, and older adults are finding thoughtful ways to make those trips possible,” said Carey Kyler, Senior Director of Research & Insights at AARP Services, Inc., in an Oct. 21 statement.

“Costs are a real concern, so many are planning carefully and making tradeoffs to spend meaningful time with the people they love,” she said.

The study’s findings show that cost is still a major factor in travel decisions. More than one-third (37%) of holiday travelers aged 50 and over expect to spend more on holiday travel than last year, and 43% anticipate spending at least $2,000 on holiday-related travel.

Kyler says the newly released 2026 AARP Holiday Travel Survey doesn’t distinguish whether inflation, transportation prices, accommodations, trip length, or other factors drive higher spending. However, it does show that travel costs are the leading concern (52%) among holiday travelers. Other concerns cover safety (22%), health (15%), and airport security (13%).

“While we didn’t ask about the source of funding for trips on this particular survey, our annual 2026 AARP Travel Trends survey shows that most 50-plus travelers (86%) identify travel as one of their top three priorities for discretionary income,” she says.

“Despite cost concerns, nearly two-thirds of adults 50-plus say they planned to travel in 2026. Instead of pulling back, travelers are adapting – planning earlier, comparison shopping, and leaning on loyalty programs and digital tools to stretch their travel dollars,” she added.

The AARP report also found that nearly one in five holiday travelers (18%) expect to spend $5,000 or more on holiday travel.

“While it’s not surprising that older adults continue to place a high value on family connection during the holidays, seeing the concern about costs (52%) but that still nearly 1 in 5 (18%) plan to spend more than $5000 on holiday travel shows that the desire to spend time with family, bring loved ones together, and create intergenerational memories continues to be a strong driver of travel decisions,” says Kyler.

According to the findings, more than one-third (36%) are concerned about flight delays. Nearly four in ten holiday travelers (38%) expect to spend more on travel than on holiday gifts.

The report also indicated that three in ten adults 50-plus (29%) say keeping family traditions would make holiday travel worthwhile. Additionally, 34% typically host family or friends at home during the holidays, while 28% either travel to see loved ones every year or alternate between hosting and traveling.

But what about older adults who won’t be traveling during the holidays? Are they staying home because of costs, health concerns, or simply because they prefer to host family gatherings?

“While the survey does not ask non-travelers why they’re staying home, we know that the most often cited travel concern is travel costs (52%), and the top reasons for making holiday travel worthwhile are ‘travel to spend time with family’ (67%), ‘having loved ones together in one place’ (52%), ‘making memories among generations’ (35%), and ‘reconnecting with people I don’t see often’ (32%),” says Kyler.

Since 2015, AARP has conducted travel research to better understand older travelers’ changing needs and choices.

“Our travel research helps us understand what motivates older travelers, what challenges they encounter, and how their needs are changing,” says Kyler. She notes that family connection is an important part of travel, and looking specifically at holiday travel provides another way to understand how travel fits into the lives of people 50-plus.

While AARP’s report focuses on holiday travel and family connections, Luggage Forward’s newly released survey looks at what older Americans want from travel year-round.

According to the company’s findings, older Americans want cultural discovery, bucket-list destinations, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. For some, these experiences matter more than finding the least expensive vacation.

Commissioned by Luggage Forward and conducted by Propeller Insights in May 2026, the survey questioned more than 1,000 U.S. adults aged 55 and older.

According to the company, respondents were representative of the U.S. population by age, gender, region, and ethnicity. The company stated a maximum margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

“Older Americans are anxious to explore, finally visiting the destinations they’ve dreamed about, spending meaningful time with loved ones and enjoying experiences they may not have had time for earlier in life,” said Audrey Kohout, co-CEO of Luggage Forward, in an Oct. 15 statement announcing the survey’s findings. “Making those trips happen means removing unnecessary friction along the way. When logistics aren’t the primary focus, the road ahead becomes that much more rewarding.”

Kohout said the company’s own customers inspired it to look more closely at older travelers. Understanding what drives this group is important, she explained, noting that people aged 55 and older now have more time and money to travel than past generations.

“This survey stresses the actual pain points they face and tests common assumptions about senior travel against real data,” Kohout said.

“The research shows a group that favors bucket-list experiences, travels strictly on its own terms, and still relies heavily on Google and personal recommendations rather than AI tools,” adds Kohout.

The findings show that rest remains important to older travelers. More than half (59%) identified rest as a travel priority, followed closely by visiting family and maintaining relationships (55%). Comfort and ease were important to 40% of respondents.

But that doesn’t mean older Americans aren’t interested in exploring new places. More than one-third cited new cultural and instructional experiences (35%) and visiting bucket-list destinations before it’s too late (35%) as reasons for traveling. Another 31% were motivated by once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

In comparison, 22% of the survey respondents cited value-conscious travel. For some older travelers, the experience itself may matter more than getting the best price.  Road trips remain popular, with 67% of respondents preferring them, followed by beach vacations (58%) and city breaks (48%).

According to the survey findings, solo travel is even more popular than taking trips with friends. Traveling with a spouse remains the most common arrangement, with 75% saying they take trips with their partners. However, 21% report traveling alone, compared with 16% who travel with friends. Organized group tours are much less popular, with only 3% of respondents booking these trips.

The Luggage Forward survey also found that older travelers have mixed feelings about cruising.

Only 11% of respondents say cruising is a top travel priority, while 10% report that their interest in cruises has declined as they’ve gotten older. Nearly one-quarter (24%) say they oppose cruising.

Still, cruising remains in many older adults’ travel plans. According to the researchers, 42% plan to take a cruise at least once or twice a year.

The findings also show that not all older travelers are planning international trips. Italy, Australia, and Canada emerged as top international destinations respondents hope to visit over the next year. However, 42% say they do not plan to book an international vacation during that period. Luggage Forward suggests that overseas costs and international concerns may influence those decisions.

When it comes to planning a trip, older Americans aren’t necessarily turning to the newest technology.

While artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to gather information, 57% of respondents say they use Google to plan vacations. Another 53% rely on recommendations from family and friends, while 46% use online travel sites such as Expedia and TripAdvisor.

Only 11% say they use AI tools to plan their vacations, making it the least-used planning method among those listed.

The survey also asked what would encourage older travelers to try new travel services. Nearly two-thirds (64%) cited recommendations from people they know, followed by an easy, transparent booking process (44%) and online reviews on sites such as Google or Trustpilot (43%).

While AARP and Luggage Forward looked at older travelers from different perspectives, both surveys show that family remains an important reason for traveling. They also found that costs are a concern, although older adults are not necessarily giving up their travel plans.

Whether it’s spending the holidays with your family, taking a road trip, or finally visiting your bucket-list destination they’ve dreamed about for years, older Americans still want to travel. For some, it’s about seeing new places. For others, it’s about spending time with family and friends. Sometimes, it’s a little of both.

Holiday Insights: Download the latest AARP Holiday Travel Survey. Go to:  Family Remains the Driving Force Behind Holiday Travel

2026 Trends: Review the AARP 2026 Travel Trends Survey at

 2026 Travel Trends: A Survey of U.S. Adults Age 50-Plus

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To read more articles by Herb Weiss, go to:  https://2×8.ea2.myftpupload.com/herb-weiss/

Herb Weiss, LRI, 12, is a Pawtucket-based writer who has covered aging, healthcare, and medical issues for more than 45 years. To purchase his books, Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly and its two sequels, visit herbweiss.com.