How the Search for Connection is Quietly Redesigning Consumer Markets

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-28

Okay, let's talk about travel for a second. It's not exactly a new idea in 2026, right? But here's the thing—it feels like people are craving it more than ever. We're looking at an $11 trillion global industry that just won't quit, even when budgets are tight. Demand is shockingly resilient. According to Skift’s 2026 State of Travel Report, 88% of people still plan to travel this year. Prices might make them tweak their plans, but they're not cancelling. Across the board, between 67% and 89% of travelers say getting out there is "extremely" or "very important" to how they live. That's a huge chunk of people prioritizing experience over almost everything else. Think about the World Cup flooding North America with visitors, or how "Euro summer" became a thing everyone says. It's a full-blown travel renaissance. But it's pointing to something much bigger happening beneath the surface. ### The Real Reason Everyone Is Traveling So, why is everyone so desperate to go somewhere? It's worth asking. Travel has always been one of the most powerful ways we make real connections. Exploring a new place, sharing a weird meal, getting lost and figuring it out together—that stuff bonds people. It's human nature. Now, as digital life takes over and old-school communities fade, people are hunting harder for experiences that lead to actual, in-person relationships. For startups and founders, especially those navigating European incorporation, that's not just a trend—it's a massive opportunity. It's a chance to build products and services around our deep-down desire to belong. For years, the consumer economy was all about convenience first, then efficiency, then maybe personalization. Those things still matter, of course. But they're making room for a new layer: a social one. People want to be brought together. And guess what? They're willing to pay for it. The smart move is to start thinking of community as your retention engine. It's the thing that gives customers a reason to come back that has nothing to do with your product's specs. Participation leads to relationships. Those relationships lead to people coming back. And that repeat participation turns into genuine advocacy. Suddenly, designing the experience *around* the product is the real innovation. ### The Loneliness Factor and the Founder's Opportunity This shift makes perfect sense when you look at the numbers. The World Health Organization says one in six people worldwide experiences significant loneliness, with young adults hit especially hard. At the same time, we're all burned out on screens. Digital fatigue is pushing people to seek alternatives to the online grind, which many blame for the loneliness epidemic in the first place. This creates a wide-open space for founders. The next wave of successful businesses won't just sell a thing; they'll provide the social infrastructure that makes using that thing meaningful. It's about solving for connection, not just consumption. ### Travel Shows Us How This Works Travel is the perfect case study. Its crazy-fast comeback after the pandemic proved how strong the demand is, but it also forced the industry to listen harder. Now, the journey and the people you meet are becoming as important as the pin on the map. Travelers are looking for self-discovery, connection, and a sense of belonging. Backing that up, 43% of travelers in the Skift report said experiences are the most important part of the trip. Consumers aren't just asking *where* to go anymore. They're asking *why* they're going. And the answer is increasingly about forging connections. Let's look at the money. McKinsey estimates the global market for travel experiences is worth over $3 trillion. Of that, domestic and international visitors account for roughly 30%, or between $1.1 trillion and $1.3 trillion in annual spending. Structured, paid experiences make up a solid chunk of that—about $250 billion to $310 billion. ### The Offline Shift of the Experience Economy All of this builds on the "experience economy" idea from the late '90s, where the experience itself became the valuable product. Today, the value of that experience is overwhelmingly social. We're seeing it everywhere: - Run clubs that are more about the coffee after than the miles - Supper clubs that feel like dinner parties with strangers who become friends - Hobby groups for everything from pottery to coding Even businesses born online, like major dating apps with billions of digital matches, are now investing heavily in creating real-world, in-person events. They're building the offline spaces to make their digital connections stick. The lesson is clear: the future isn't just digital or physical. It's the seamless blend of both, designed to make us feel less alone. For professionals advising on European startup incorporation and EU business structures, this isn't a fluffy side note. It's a core strategic insight. The next generation of durable companies will be those that understand how to build community into their very foundation, turning casual users into connected members. That's the real shift reshaping our economy.