How Human Connection Is Quietly Redefining Consumer Spending

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-28

So, we all know travel's having a moment. It's 2026, and honestly? It feels like everyone's got a trip booked. That's not just anecdotal, either. The numbers are staggering. We're talking about an $11 trillion global industry here. And here's the crazy part: demand isn't wavering, even with everything else getting more expensive. I was looking at Skift's latest State of Travel Report. They found that a huge 88% of people still plan to travel this year, even if they're tweaking budgets. Across the board, between 67% and 89% of travelers say getting out there is "extremely" or "very important" to how they live. It's not a want anymore; it's a need. Think about events like the World Cup drawing massive crowds to North America, or the term "Euro summer" becoming part of our everyday language. It's a full-blown travel renaissance. But I don't think it's *just* about travel. It's pointing to something much bigger happening in how we spend our money and live our lives. ### Why Are We Suddenly All About Connection? Let's get real for a second. Why *is* everyone traveling? Sure, the photos are great. But deep down, I think travel has always been one of the most powerful ways we connect. You share a new place, you navigate unfamiliar streets together, maybe get a little lost. Those shared experiences? They bond people. Now, consider our daily reality. Digital screens dominate so much of our day. And a lot of those old community touchpoints—local clubs, neighborhood gatherings—aren't as strong as they used to be. It's no wonder we're craving experiences that lead to real, in-person relationships again. This creates a massive opening for founders and startups. The chance to design products and services that tap into that fundamental human desire to belong. We've spent years optimizing for convenience and efficiency, then layering on personalization. Those things still matter, of course. But they're making room for a new, social layer. People aren't just willing to pay for a product; they'll pay to be brought together. You can start to think of community as your retention engine. It gives customers a reason to come back that has nothing to do with your core offering. Participation builds relationships. Those relationships drive repeat business. And that loyalty turns into advocacy. Frankly, designing the experience is becoming the most important feature you can innovate on. ### The Loneliness Factor We Can't Ignore None of this is happening in a vacuum. The World Health Organization says one in six people worldwide deals with loneliness, with young adults hit particularly hard. At the same time, we're all feeling that digital fatigue, right? The constant pings, the endless scrolling. It's exhausting, and it's often blamed for making us feel more isolated. So what's the takeaway for business? There's a clear gap for companies that can build social infrastructure right into what they sell. It's not just about the thing; it's about the connections the thing facilitates. ### Travel Shows Us How This Works Look at how the travel industry bounced back after the pandemic. Demand proved incredibly resilient, but it also forced the sector to ask a deeper question: What are travelers *really* looking for now? The answer is shifting. The experience itself is becoming as critical as the destination. People are traveling for self-discovery, for connection, for a sense of belonging. That Skift report backs this up: 43% of travelers now say the *experiences* are the most important part of the trip. It's a more introspective kind of travel. Consumers are asking themselves *why* they're going, not just *where*. And increasingly, the answer comes back to connection. McKinsey & Company pegs the global market for travel experiences at over $3 trillion. Of that, domestic and international visitors spend roughly 30%, or between $1.1 and $1.3 trillion, annually. Structured, paid experiences alone make up a slice worth $250 to $310 billion. ### The Social Shift in the Experience Economy All of this builds on an idea from the late '90s called the "experience economy," where the experience you have becomes the product itself. But today, the value of that experience is overwhelmingly social. We're seeing it everywhere: - Run clubs that are as much about community as cardio - Supper clubs that turn a meal into a social event - Hobby groups for everything from pottery to programming Even companies born online are realizing they need an offline presence to foster the real relationships their users crave. It's a fascinating reversal. The bottom line? The next wave of consumer spending isn't just about what you buy. It's about who you connect with through the buying process. For savvy founders and startups, that's not just a trend to watch—it's the foundation for building products and services that people will genuinely love and stick with, because they're building a community, not just checking out with a cart.