The Hidden Force Driving Europe's Next Startup Boom

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-28

You know, travel feels like it's everywhere right now. In 2026, it’s not just a vacation—it’s an $11 trillion global industry that just won't quit, even when budgets get tight. People are making it work. According to Skift’s latest report, a whopping 88% of travelers still plan to get out there this year. Think about that. Between 67% and 89% of people say travel is "extremely" or "very important" to their lifestyle. It's not a nice-to-have anymore; it's core to how we live. We’ve all seen it. The World Cup flooded North America with visitors, and "Euro summer" isn't just a phrase—it's a full-blown cultural moment. This isn't just a rebound; it's a genuine renaissance. And honestly, it’s pointing to something much bigger happening with how we spend our money. ### Why We're All Chasing Connection So, why is everyone so desperate to go somewhere? Let's be real for a second. Travel has always been one of the most powerful ways to actually connect with people. New places, shared adventures, little challenges—they naturally pull us closer. Here’s the thing: our screens are taking over. Real community feels harder to find. And people are getting tired of it. They're actively hunting for experiences that lead to real, in-person relationships. For European startups, that’s a massive signal. It's a green light to build products and services around our basic human need to belong. For years, the consumer economy was all about convenience first, then personalization. Don't get me wrong, those things still matter. But now there's a new layer on top: a social one. People want to be brought together. And they’ll open their wallets for it. The real opportunity? Think of community as your retention engine. It’s what keeps customers coming back long after they’ve bought your product. It creates a flywheel: - Participation builds relationships. - Those relationships lead to more participation. - More participation turns into advocacy and loyalty. Suddenly, designing the experience isn't just nice—it's your core innovation. ### The Loneliness Factor This shouldn't be a surprise. We're in the middle of a global loneliness crisis. The World Health Organization says one in six people worldwide feels lonely, with young adults hit particularly hard. At the same time, we're all burned out from being online 24/7. That digital fatigue is pushing people to look for alternatives to a life lived through a screen. For founders, especially in Europe's diverse startup scene, this creates a clear opening. There's space for businesses that don't just sell a thing, but build the social infrastructure around it. ### Travel Shows Us How It's Done Travel gives us the perfect blueprint. Its crazy-fast comeback after the pandemic proved the demand was unshakable. But it also forced the industry to ask: what do travelers *really* want now? The destination matters, but the *experience* matters just as much. People are traveling for self-discovery, for connection, for a sense of belonging. Backing that up, 43% of travelers now say experiences are the most important part of the trip. Consumers aren't just asking "where should I go?" anymore. They're asking, "*Why* am I going?" And more often than not, the answer is about connection. Let's talk numbers. McKinsey pegs the global market for travel experiences at over $3 trillion. Of that, domestic and international visitors account for about 30%, or roughly $1.1 to $1.3 trillion in spending every single year. Structured, paid experiences make up a huge chunk of that—somewhere between $250 and $310 billion. ### The Experience Economy Goes Offline This whole shift sits on the shoulders of the "experience economy," an idea that's been around since the late 90s. The core concept was that experiences themselves become valuable products. Today, the value of those experiences is overwhelmingly *social*. We're seeing run clubs, supper clubs, and niche hobby groups pop up as the new town squares. Even companies born digital, like Tinder with its 100 billion matches, are experimenting with real-world events. The line between online and offline is blurring, and the winners will be those who master the blend. For European entrepreneurs watching the EU Inc proposal take shape, this is the landscape. The next wave of successful companies won't just solve a problem efficiently. They'll weave people together, creating communities that customers don't want to leave. That's the quiet force reshaping everything.