Global economic uncertainty is not dampening global travelers' desire to travel. New findings from Klook's Travel Pulse 2026[1] reveal that Millennial and Gen Z travelers are spending more on travel, traveling not just domestically but also internationally, and reshaping how and where they explore.
According to the study, 88% of global travelers plan to increase or maintain their travel budgets in 2026. Asia Pacific (APAC) travelers 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 travelers planning an international trip in 2026. Of these, 61% expect to travel in the first half of the year, up from 50% last year.
Klook Travel Pulse is an annual global consumer research uncovering emerging travel behaviours and sentiment from Millennials and Gen Z which makes up Klook's core user base and the dominant force in the global travel market. In its fourth edition, the survey covers 11,000 consumers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom and USA.
Klook data reveals a clear shift in how travelers prioritize their spending. When faced with rising costs, travelers 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 travelers 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.
