Boomers Still Travel More and Spend More Than Other Generations
Boomers Still Travel More and Spend More Than Other Generations
Vidar Nordli Mathisen/Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/news/news/boomers-still-travel-more-and-spend-more-than-other-generations
There are key differences in how generations travel.
Baby boomers are still at the top of the travel pyramid. New generations, millennials and Gen Z, have flipped travel trends, but boomers continue to play a crucial role in the travel sector. A new analysis by YouGov reveals that boomers still travel more than other generations and spend more on their trips.
According to the report, 37% of boomers say they are likely to take multiple trips a year, compared to 33% of non-boomers. The older generation also has a bigger appetite for travel, with 27% saying they spent at least $1,000 per person on a trip, compared to 21% of non-boomers.
So, what do boomers want from their trips? The report says that for 50%, beach vacations top the list. They are also happy to visit the mountains, lakes, or countryside and go sightseeing. Boomers do not prefer city breaks, amusement parks, events, or sports-led trips as much as non-boomers. They are slightly more inclined toward cruises (24% compared to 17% of non-boomers), and 12% of boomers prefer escorted or group tours, compared to 8% of non-boomers.
As for destinations, boomer favorites in the U.S. are Hawaii and Florida. Internationally, they have a strong positive impression of Canada, Ireland, and Italy. The report notes that older generations prefer cultural and geological familiarity and seek comfort and ease. Conversely, they have a relatively less positive impression of Asian destinations compared to non-boomers, including South Korea, China, Thailand, and the Maldives.
Generational Travel Gap
In recent years, the travel industry has seen significant shifts in planning and bookings. From social media-driven trends to the rise of AI chatbots, companies have adapted to meet the needs of their youngest and most enterprising customers. Deloitte noted that Gen Z and millennials accounted for half of all travelers in the 2025 holiday season in the U.S. Although Gen Z has lower earning power, these travelers are quickly gaining traction.
A McKinsey 2024 travel report revealed that younger generations have shown more interest in travel since COVID-19 and seek new experiences when they travel. Baby boomers, on the other hand, take trips to spend time with friends and family. The new generation is also shaping trends by pursuing experiences and exclusive activities. They are more likely to splurge on meaningful experiences and choose destinations based on specific attractions. Gen Z travelers are more willing to fly at odd hours or take stopovers, while boomers want convenience and would rather trim their experience budgets.
Planning also highlights how differently the generations travel. Compared to boomers, millennials and Gen Z are more likely to embrace technology and use AI to help plan their trips. They use social media for recommendations and download travel apps to support their travels. The older generation prefers more comfort and likes the human touch of a travel agent.
Multiple studies show that for the younger generation, experiences are paramount, and they would rather cut other expenses—including flights, transportation, food, or shopping—than compromise on experiences. Gen Z and millennials also lead demand for sustainable products and are generally more price-conscious.
Even as these trends emerge, boomers will continue to have a significant hold on the travel market, thanks to their frequent and higher spending.
Essential LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Tips for Queer Nightlife Abroad
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https://www.fodors.com/news/trip-ideas/essential-lgbtq-travel-safety-tips-for-queer-nightlife-abroad
Planning a queer trip abroad? These LGBTQ+ travel tips cover safety, nightlife, local connections, and research to help you explore confidently and responsibly
While some destinations are lauded for their natural beauty or rich history, others draw visitors in droves each year thanks to their propensity for non-stop partying—yet as with all other facets of life, things can get a little more complicated if you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community. Queer spaces offer an opportunity to connect with like-minded peers and experience travel from a unique perspective, but they also require a level of preparedness and situational awareness that isn’t always necessary at home. As you plan your next trip abroad, be sure to keep the following tips in mind to ensure that your vacation is hassle-free, insightful, and—above all—fun.
Pre-Trip Planning and Research
Any seasoned queer traveler is already well aware that not all destinations can guarantee the same level of safety and comfort. With close to 200 countries across the globe, each one comes equipped with its own unique set of laws, some of which can turn a typical vacation into a headache. Before setting off on your trip, Equaldex serves as a particularly valuable asset for LGBTQ+ community members, with a built-in Equality Index that’s designed to assess how queer-friendly a destination is. Given its broad scope of categories, the website is ideal for gaining a general understanding of local regulations and social attitudes before your trip begins.
If you’re opting to explore solo, Google searches might point you in the direction of popular gay bars, but the best way to find advice is to ask a local—and thanks to social media, scores of queer residents are just a text post away. I’ve often used Reddit or Facebook to seek out pre-trip advice, whether it’s on a city-wide subreddit or a Facebook group curated towards queer residents. Through these avenues, you’re near-guaranteed to receive authentic, up-to-date information that’s free from any paid promotional bias.
For any travel novices who are apprehensive about going it alone, a group trip offers like-minded peers and seasoned travel guides who are well-versed in the intricacies of the local queer scene. LGBTQ+-focused tour companies abound, with high-profile options including Brand g and Olivia Travel—and I myself have found great success with OUT in Colombia, a tour company curated towards one of Latin America’s most vibrant destinations. Ultimately, a group experience can offer peace of mind as well as built-in community, providing participants with a more accessible window into local queer nightlife.
Navigating Queer Spaces (Safely)
Once you’ve touched down in your destination, it’s time for the festivities to begin—but just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you can let your guard down. Before heading out, be sure to make a rough plan for your night. Will you stick to one venue, or do you plan to go bar-hopping? If it’s late, are there rideshare services available to get you back home? Though the night may not pan out the way you planned for, it’s important to have a good grasp on how the destination operates and what options are available to you.
As you set off for the night, many queer nightlife tips overlap with nightlife tips in general. Travel light—phone, wallet, keycard, and not much else—and be sure to tuck some cash away in a concealed spot in case of emergencies. If you consume alcohol, avoid accepting any drinks from strangers if you didn’t watch it being made. For an added layer of security, you may want to share your location with a trusted friend or family member back home. And of course, if you’re exploring a country that uses a language that you’re not comfortable with, be sure to copy a set of useful phrases and addresses and paste them in your phone’s notebook, lest you’re stuck pleading for a taxi at 2:00 AM with a phone on airplane mode and no way to translate.
In addition to the tips above, queer travelers should also keep visibility in mind as they navigate their nights out. While LGBTQ+ bars are—ideally—meant to be bastions of acceptance for all members of the community, the city or neighborhood that they operate in may be a different story entirely. That being said, it’s imperative that explorers keep in mind the beginning and end of their night and not just the destination itself. This could mean dressing more discreetly en route to the bar as well as on the way home, or even forgoing certain areas entirely if you’re concerned about drawing negative attention. Though not ideal, being mindful of visibility can be helpful for avoiding potentially harmful situations and keeping yourself safe during your night out.
Making Friends in New Places
Human connection is one of the primary reasons that people travel, and exploring a destination with a local can open you up to entirely new perspectives and cultural concepts that you may not have encountered otherwise. However, it can be difficult to make a connection in an entirely new country without any prior contacts—but personally, I’ve found dating apps to be a huge asset in this territory.
In the past, I’ve often used Grindr or Tinder to scope out the local scene—and on many occasions, it was in an entirely platonic way. Though the apps are designed with romance (or lust) in mind, I’ve found that many users are perfectly content to just hang out with a fascinating stranger for a few days and show off their city. I’ve had some truly incredible experiences by making friends on the apps, but of course, you’ll have to navigate them carefully, as some countries have (unfortunately) subverted these apps in an effort to punish users.
Before meeting, I ask that we connect via Instagram or Facebook so I have their full name. Any person who balks at providing information is no person worth meeting. Once we’re connected, I plan for us to meet in a public space to get acquainted, with an exit plan in place in case the vibe feels off. While I’ve definitely had a few awkward encounters, this strategy has also led to experiences that I otherwise never would have found. From a morning coffee date on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast to a night market dinner in Medan, Indonesia, dating apps have served as a bridge to a more wholesome form of the queer connection for me, imbuing my past solo trips with a deeper affinity for my community and all those who have fought for the right to live and love freely.
There’s a new standard in luxury hospitality—and it’s not what you think
https://hotelsmag.com/news/theres-a-new-standard-in-luxury-hospitality-and-its-not-what-you-think/
Story contributed by Patrick Dooley, independent consultant to boutique hotels and private members’ clubs around the world.
Hospitality is in the middle of a shift, and not the subtle kind you only notice if you’re paying very close attention. The old framework, beautiful spaces, polished service and a hint of exclusivity do still exist, but it’s no longer enough to carry a place all on its own. You can have perfect lighting, flawless linens and a staff that anticipates your every move and still somehow miss the point entirely. The real question isn’t “How well are we serving our guests?” It’s “What’s actually happening because they’re here together?” And if the answer is “not much,” then no amount of marble is going to save you.
The role of hospitality has evolved. Whether we like it or not, we’re no longer just hosts, we’re orchestrators, social engineers, cultural translators… occasionally therapists, depending on the night. The job is less about creating a perfect environment and more about creating the right conditions. The kind where something interesting, and ideally a little unexpected, can happen.
The Power of Intention
When done correctly, a hotel becomes a kind of ecosystem. Not a scene in the performative sense, but a living network. A place where people don’t just come to stay and/or hang out, but to plug in. Where conversations start easily and introductions feel natural and you leave knowing something or someone that you didn’t when you arrived. That doesn’t happen by accident.
From a leadership perspective, it starts with intention, and not just in the design sense. Yes, space matters, but design is just the backdrop. The real work is in shaping the energy of a room and thinking about who is in it, how they interact and what kind of momentum they create together.
It is not about filling a room with only “impressive” people. In fact, that can often mean things just fall flat. It’s more about chemistry. Who brings curiosity? Who shifts the tone? Who knows how to include others without trying or performing? You’re looking for a mix that feels slightly unpredictable, but somehow exactly right.
There’s a fine line here. Over-curate, and the space feels stiff, like everyone is aware they’re meant to be interesting; under-curate, and it lacks direction completely. The sweet spot is when it feels effortless, even though it has been considered down to the smallest detail. When the room has a kind of quiet electricity to it, as if something could happen, but no one’s forcing it.
This is where the traditional idea of exclusivity starts to feel a bit tired. For a long time, being hard to access was enough. Velvet ropes and a general sense of “you can’t sit with us” energy. And yes, it did work. Until it didn’t.
People are sharper now. They can tell the difference between something that’s genuinely special and something that’s just positioned that way. If the only story you’re telling is who can’t get in, you’ve already lost the plot. Because once people are inside, it still has to deliver.
What people want now is alignment. They want to feel like they’re in the right room, not just a difficult one to enter. That the people around them make sense, challenge them, inspire them, or at the very least, make the evening more interesting. That requires a more nuanced understanding of your audience. Knowing your guest in hospitality today goes far beyond remembering their drink order or preferred table. It’s about understanding how they move or want to move socially. What kind of energy they bring, whether they’re connectors, observers, instigators, or the person who somehow ends up knowing everyone by the end of the night.
When you understand that, you can start to design experiences that feel intuitive and connect people in ways that don’t feel forced, which is the real luxury. No one wants to feel like they’re being “networked,” even if that is what’s happening. A
Expect the Unexpected
The best moments are often the least expected or planned ones. The conversation that runs longer than expected, the introduction that shifts a perspective, the slightly chaotic dinner that somehow becomes the highlight of the week. Programming becomes less about scheduling and more about setting a tone. Creating just enough structure to bring people together, while leaving enough space for things to unfold naturally. You have to resist the urge to over-direct because culture doesn’t respond well to being micromanaged.
And on that note, cultural relevance is something the industry loves to talk about, usually a bit too loudly. But the reality is, you can’t fake it. You can’t bolt it on with a few well-placed collaborations and a DJ set. People can feel when something is truly connected versus when it’s just trying to look the part. The most compelling spaces are the ones that are actually in the mix, that don’t observe culture but create and participate in it and have people who know culture operating on the front lines of the space.
That openness is where the magic is. When all these different people from different industries start to blur into one conversation. When the room isn’t defined by one thing, person or conversation. Design still matters, of course. But its role isn’t just about how it photographs, but also how it functions socially, how it encourages movement, interaction and a sense of discovery.
At the end of the day, we’re not really just building hotels or clubs. We’re building rooms where people want to be and, more importantly, where something actually happens. And if we’re lucky, something they’ll talk about long after they’ve left.
COTERIE Collection to open first hotel in Porto, Portugal
https://hotelsmag.com/news/coterie-collection-to-open-first-hotel-in-porto-portugal/?
The COTERIE Collection, a new boutique hotel brand, is set to debut with the opening of LENSCAPE Coterie in the first half of 2026. Located in Largo Actor Dias, next to the Fernandina Wall in Porto, the hotel is the first property under the COTERIE Collection brand, founded by João Pedro Tavares and Ingrid Koeck, who are also partners in the Torel Boutiques group.
The property will open with 41 rooms, suites and studios, with 11 additional units to be added at a later stage. Interior design was conceived by German designer Christian Haas. The hotel will also feature a garden with a heated outdoor pool, a spa and Cucina di Toscani, an Italian restaurant with culinary consultancy by chef Vitor Matos, currently the most Michelin-starred chef in Portugal. Resident chef Carlos Marques will handle execution at the restaurant, which was designed by interior designer Isabel Sá Nogueira.
The hotel’s design incorporates photography as a narrative element. Rooms, suites and studios feature the work of photographers Luís Espinheira and Inês Silva Sá, while hallways showcase the work of Luís Ferraz and Carlos Vieira.
“The name of this new brand, COTERIE, evokes the idea of belonging to an intimate community and that is precisely our purpose: to offer every guest the feeling of being part of something greater, inspiring and exclusive,” said Ingrid Koeck, cofounder and communications director of COTERIE Collection. “People who enjoy places that make them feel special, surrounded by art, thoughtful design and distinctive comfort—spaces that inspire them to do better and create more every day.”
The restaurant, Cucina di Toscani, draws inspiration from photographer Oliviero Toscani and offers an all-day dining concept. It also features a gourmet corner where guests can purchase ingredients available on the menu.
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