Booking Beyond the Headlines

Count me among those consumers who, earlier this year, paused planning a trip because of all the uncertainty swirling around the economy. With gloomy headlines about tariffs, stock market swings and rising costs affecting nearly every part of life, travel seemed like a luxury best postponed until later. As it turns out, I wasn’t reading the room or the runway.

Despite ominous signals early on, the travel market is not just holding steady; it’s booming. “We’re having record numbers of people traveling,” said Brian Kelly, also known as The Points Guy, during PRSA’s July 14 edition of Member Mondays hosted by PRSA Chair Ray Day, APR, Stagwell vice chair and Allison Worldwide executive chair. (Watch the entire session here.)

In fact, travel over the Juneteenth weekend and the Fourth of July holiday shattered records. Kelly noted that while demand for economy-class seats is weak — resulting in lower airfares — demand for premium cabins is sky-high. Two travel economies are clearly emerging: People are still traveling, but their spending patterns are shifting, with some springing for premium experiences while others chase bargains.

In early 2025, news headlines fueled expectations of a slowdown. “So, I was expecting to see a decrease [in flying],” Kelly said. “But it couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Josh Earnest, executive vice president of communications and advertising at United Airlines — and former White House press secretary for President Obama — echoed that sentiment. 

“It seems that the worst-case scenarios are a little less likely than they seemed a few months ago,” he said. “And I do think that’s having a positive impact for travel, which was already good.”

Still, people are more selective. According to John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, Americans are eyeing “vacation dupes” — swapping Southern Europe for South America or choosing smaller cities over crowded tourist hubs. Polls show 74% are considering less-popular, more affordable destinations.

Experiences are driving much of this momentum. Nearly one in five Americans booked trips this summer for sporting events, such as the FIFA Club World Cup, and concerts, like the Oasis reunion shows. In addition, 66% of Gen Z and Millennials said they’ve planned travel around visiting a particular store or brand. 

Meanwhile, 84% of Millennials said that the more stressful work becomes, the stronger their urge to take a vacation — even if 37% admit they’ve done it without telling their boss. Yes, “quiet vacationing” is real, the research shows.

For communicators, this landscape holds big opportunities. As Earnest put it, “Everybody is interested in travel. People take it so personally.” Travel isn’t just about logistics — it’s deeply emotional, aspirational and intensely personal. That connection creates powerful storytelling openings for brands.

Even as the economy continues to weigh on people’s major goals for 2025 — with 61% saying it’s affected at least one of them — travel remains a priority. In fact, 32% of Americans say they plan to travel more in 2025 than they did in 2024, according to the Harris Poll.

The lesson? Never underestimate our need to explore, unwind and chase those unforgettable moments. 

As for me, I’m still figuring out where else I might wander, but I do know one stop for sure: I’ll be heading to ICON 2025 in Washington, D.C., this Oct. 28-30. Hope to see you there.