How the Hunger for Connection Is Quietly Reshaping the Market

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-28

We all know travel is big. But honestly, I don't think we've ever seen anything quite like this. By 2026, travel has ballooned into an $11 trillion global industry. And get this—demand is holding strong, even with everyone watching their budgets. According to Skift's latest report, a whopping 88% of people still plan to travel in 2026. Sure, they might tweak their plans because of prices, but they're not giving it up. For most, travel isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a core part of who they are. Think about that. It's more than just a rebound. Events like the World Cup and the whole 'Euro summer' craze show something deeper is happening. We're in a full-blown travel renaissance, and it's pointing to a massive shift in what consumers really want. ### So, Why Is Everyone Suddenly So Obsessed with Travel? Let's get real for a second. It's not just about seeing the Eiffel Tower or lying on a beach. It's about connection. Travel has always been one of the best ways to create real, meaningful bonds with people. You share new experiences, face unfamiliar challenges together, and suddenly you're closer. Here's the thing: as our lives get more digital and traditional communities fade, people are craving real-world relationships more than ever. They're actively hunting for experiences that lead to genuine connection. For founders and startups, that's a huge signal. It's an open invitation to build products and services around our fundamental human need to belong. For years, the playbook was convenience first, then personalization. Don't get me wrong, those still matter. But now there's a new layer on top: the social layer. People want to be brought together. And crucially, they're willing to pay for it. ### The New Retention Strategy: Community as Infrastructure This is where it gets interesting for business. Think of community not as a nice add-on, but as your core retention infrastructure. It's what gives customers a reason to come back that has nothing to do with your actual product. - **Participation leads to relationships.** - **Those relationships lead to repeat participation.** - **That repeat participation builds advocacy and loyalty.** Suddenly, experience design isn't just marketing—it's the most important feature you can innovate on. Is any of this surprising? Not really, when you consider the global loneliness crisis. The World Health Organization says one in six people worldwide experiences loneliness, with young adults hit especially hard. We're all feeling that digital fatigue, searching for a way out of our screen-centric lives. That creates a massive opening. There's space for businesses that offer social infrastructure right alongside their main product or service. ### Travel Shows Us the Blueprint Look at how travel bounced back after the pandemic. It wasn't just about getting on a plane again. The industry had to rethink everything. Now, the *experience* is often as important as the destination itself. People are traveling for self-discovery, for connection, for a sense of belonging. Skift's data backs this up: 43% of travelers say experiences are the most important part of their trip. Consumers aren't just asking 'where should I go?' anymore. They're asking 'why am I going?' And the answer is increasingly about forging connections. McKinsey puts the global market for travel experiences at over $3 trillion. A huge chunk of that—between $250 and $310 billion annually—is spent on paid, structured experiences. That's not a niche; that's a fundamental redirection of spending. ### The Offline Shift of the Experience Economy This whole trend builds on the 'experience economy' idea from the late '90s, where the experience itself becomes the product. But today, the value of that experience is overwhelmingly social. We're seeing it everywhere. Run clubs, supper clubs, niche hobby groups—they're becoming the new town squares. Even companies born digital, like Tinder with its 100+ billion matches, are experimenting with real-world events. The frontier is moving offline. So, what's the takeaway for European startups and founders eyeing the U.S. market? The next wave of consumer spending isn't just about what you sell. It's about the connections you facilitate. It's about building the social fabric around your product. That's the quiet shift reshaping the economy, and it's just getting started.