New findings in Klook’s Travel Pulse 2026 reveal strong international travel intent, rising experience-led spending, and a shift toward multi-destination journeys, with Asia Pacific travelers leading the way
According to new findings from Klook’s Travel Pulse 2026, global economic uncertainty is not dampening global travellers’ desire to travel. The study reveals that Millennial and Gen Z travellers are spending more on travel, travelling not just domestically but also internationally, and reshaping how and where they explore.
The study highlights that 88% of global travellers plan to increase or maintain their travel budgets in 2026. Asia Pacific (APAC) travellers have a 50% higher intention to increase travel spending than those in Europe and the US, cementing the region’s position as the world’s growth engine for travel. Travel intent also remains steadfast, with nine in 10 global travellers planning an international trip in 2026. Of these, 61% expect to travel in the first half of the year, up from 50% last year.
“Travel has remained resilient despite the rising cost of living. What we are witnessing is a fundamental shift in how travellers evaluate value,” said Marcus Yong, Vice President, Global Marketing at Klook. “Instead of cutting back, they are spending smarter, prioritizing richer experiences, flexible itineraries, and deeper discovery. They seek experiential value that goes far beyond simply ticking destinations off a checklist.”
Experiences over everything
Klook data reveals a clear shift in how travellers prioritize their spending. When faced with rising costs, travellers are choosing to cut back on shopping and material purchases rather than on activities and experiences, a trend that is most evident in APAC.
APAC travellers are driving this experience-first mindset, being nearly twice as likely than their counterparts in Europe and the US to increase spending on experiences. They are extremely willing to pay more on experiences across every category, positioning APAC as a leading driver of experience-led travel.
“Travel has remained resilient despite the rising cost of living. What we are witnessing is a fundamental shift in how travellers evaluate value,” says Marcus Yong, Vice President, Global Marketing at Klook.
Travel re-routes: Familiar anchors and broader horizons
Rather than choosing between familiar destinations and new ones, travellers are increasingly doing both in the same trip. Two-thirds of travellers plan to visit multiple destinations per trip, marking a clear shift away from single-stop itineraries. Major cities are no longer the end goal; they are gateways that allow travellers to extend their journeys beyond familiar destinations.
APAC Gen Z travellers are leading this shift. They favor faster-paced, densely packed itineraries, actively venture beyond mainstream hotspots, and show stronger intent to discover lesser-known locales.
Japan remains one of the most considered destinations globally, but demand is increasingly spreading beyond major cities into secondary locations such as Yokohama, Hiroshima, and Nagoya. This reflects a growing preference for destinations that offer breathing room, cultural depth, and more distinctive local experiences.
Across markets, travellers cite authentic local experiences (42%), the opportunity to discover hidden gems (39%), and affordability (37%) as the top drivers for exploring lesser-known spots. Discovery is no longer driven by novelty alone, but by values, access, and depth.
This travel pattern extends beyond Asia, with emerging destinations across Australia (Cairns, Hobart), Europe (Baix Llobregat, Tromsø) and the Middle East (Sharjah, Hurghada) gaining traction among travellers seeking differentiation over repetition.
Social influence meets Artificial Intelligence: A dual engine powering discovery and action
Travel discovery and planning are now being powered by the inspiration from social media, and the practicality of artificial intelligence (AI).
Social media remains the primary engine for influence, with 80% of global travellers saying it actively influences the destinations or experiences they book. Critically, social content is now a trust-builder, giving travellers the confidence to explore new destinations and pursue experiences.
AI has rapidly emerged as a travel planning tool, now widely used by 91% of global travellers. However, its role remains largely functional. Most common use cases for AI are trip-related tasks such as research, translation, organizing itineraries, and budget management.
Together, this combination creates a powerful loop. Social content sparks the initial travel desire, and AI helps travellers apply practical filters such as affordability, ease of getting around, and time required, before committing. Klook says this signals a definitive shift from viral inspiration to validated discovery.
