American Express Travel released its 2025 global travel trends, revealing the motivations driving travelers this year and highlighting growing shifts, such as the use of generative AI.
The annual repor, based on a survey of more than 8,000 people, found that travelers are after memorable mementos, planning family trips, maximizing credit card rewards and using technology this year. The survey targeted people from the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico and India that earn at least $50,000 a year and typically travel at least once a year.
The survey found that:
• 77% of respondents plan on going on the same or greater number of international trips this year.
• 75% of millennial and Gen Z respondents said it feels rewarding to use credit card points to book trips, compared to 62% of Gen Xers and boomers.
• 70% of millennial and Gen Z respondents said they enjoy the journey as much as the destination, such as on luxury rail or cruise.
• 60% of respondents plan to book a trip around entertainment or sports.
• 59% of respondents plan to take one to three international trips this year, while 74% said they plan to go on one to three domestic trips.
"Travelers, especially millennial and Gen Z, are motivated to book thoughtful, meaningful trips this year," said company president Audrey Hendley.
Traveling with family emerged as a 2025 theme in the survey, with 81% of respondents saying they prefer locations with activities for all ages and that are family centered. A little over half of millennial and Gen Z parents plan to bring their extended family on vacation, while just under one-third of Gen Xers and boomers plan the same. Of those millennial and Gen Z parents, 89% of cited "quality time" as the reason.
Travelers are increasingly relying on travel-related technology when on the move, for example to make reservations, according to the survey. Eighty-three percent of millennials and Gen Zers reported that they found generative AI useful for booking, compared to 64% of Gen Xers and boomers. Millennials and Gen Zers said that generative AI was most useful for activity recommendations, budgeting and expenses, translation help and personalized trip recommendations.
When traveling, the survey found the majority of travelers search for unique shops to source souvenirs that remind them of their trip. Seventy-three percent of respondents also said it is important for them to support local small businesses when traveling.
The AmEx survey found that 50% of respondents plan to use credit card points to pay for travel this year. The interviews revealed a generational gap: 61% of millennials and Gen Zers use credit cards to maximize reward travel, compared to 36% of Gen Xers and boomers.