How Connection Became the Next Consumer Economy's Secret Engine

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-28

Let's be real—people have always loved to travel. But in 2026, that love has turned into something else entirely. It's a full-blown obsession, and it's reshaping everything we thought we knew about how people spend their money. Travel is now an $11 trillion global industry. That's a staggering number, especially when you consider the pressure on household budgets. Yet demand isn't just holding steady; it's remarkably resilient. According to Skift's 2026 State of Travel Report, 88% of travelers still expect to travel this year. Sure, rising prices are making people adjust their plans, but they're not canceling them. Across major markets, between 67% and 89% of travelers say travel is "extremely" or "very important" to their lifestyle. That's not a trend—it's a lifestyle shift. We saw it with the World Cup driving massive numbers to North America. We hear it in phrases like "Euro summer" entering the everyday vocabulary. This is a genuine travel renaissance, and it's pointing to a much broader consumer movement. ### The Real Reason Everyone's Traveling So why is this happening? It's worth asking. Travel has always been one of the most powerful ways to create meaningful connections. Exploring new places, sharing unfamiliar experiences, overcoming challenges together—these things naturally bring people closer. Here's the thing: as digital interactions take over more of our daily lives, and traditional community sources fade, people are desperately seeking experiences that lead to real-world relationships. They're craving authenticity. For startups and founders, this creates a massive opportunity to design products and services around that fundamental human desire to belong. Think about it. For years, the consumer economy has been built on convenience and efficiency first, with personalization layered on top. Those things still matter, of course. But they're now making room for a new, social dimension. People don't just want things delivered to their door; they want to be brought together. And crucially, they're willing to pay for it. The smart play here is to think about community as your retention infrastructure. It's what gives customers a reason to come back that has nothing to do with your product's features. Participation leads to relationships. Those relationships lead to repeat participation. And that cycle builds advocacy and creates a self-sustaining community. Suddenly, experience design isn't just nice to have—it's the new feature innovation. ### The Loneliness Factor and the Business Opportunity This shift shouldn't surprise anyone. We're in the middle of a global loneliness crisis. The World Health Organization estimates one in six people worldwide experiences loneliness, with young people hit particularly hard. At the same time, digital fatigue is pushing people to search for alternatives to constant screen time, which is often blamed for the loneliness epidemic in the first place. This creates a unique opening for founders. There's space for businesses that provide social infrastructure right alongside their traditional products and services. It's about adding a layer of human connection. ### Travel Shows Us How It's Done Travel gives us the perfect blueprint for how this works. Its rapid post-pandemic recovery showed just how resilient demand really is. But it also forced the industry to rethink what travelers actually want. The destination is no longer the sole focus; the experience is becoming just as important. Travelers are increasingly looking for self-discovery, connection, and a sense of belonging. The Skift report backs this up: 43% of travelers now consider experiences the most important part of their trip. Consumers are asking a deeper question. They're moving beyond "where should I go?" and asking "why am I going at all?" The answer, more and more, is a desire for connection. Let's look at the numbers. McKinsey estimates the global market for travel experiences is worth more than $3 trillion. Of that, domestic and international visitors account for roughly 30%, which translates to between $1.1 trillion and $1.3 trillion in annual spending. Paid, structured experiences alone represent a slice between $250 billion and $310 billion. ### The Experience Economy Goes Offline This whole movement builds on the "experience economy," a concept from B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore back in 1998. They argued that experiences themselves become a source of value. Today, the value of an experience is increasingly social. We're seeing run clubs, supper clubs, and hobby groups emerge as new social spaces. Even businesses born from digital connection, like Tinder with its over 100 billion matches, are starting to experiment with real-world, in-person events. The line between online and offline is blurring, and the winners will be those who master the blend. The takeaway for European founders and professionals watching the EU Inc landscape? The next wave of consumer spending isn't just about what you sell. It's about the connections you facilitate. In a world that's digitally saturated yet socially hungry, building community might just be your most powerful competitive advantage.