New data from major travel platforms reveals a powerful shift in what luxury travelers value most. Rather than focusing on amenities, status, or sightseeing, travelers are embracing experiences that offer cultural depth, personal growth, and genuine connection. Brands across the globe are responding with programs that highlight purpose led travel in its most elevated form.
Key Points
• Transformational and purpose driven itineraries are rising, with big budget travel up 26 percent year over year.
• Alila Moments and similar platforms offer immersive cultural and community based experiences across global destinations.
• Preferred Hotels and Resorts is highlighting ultra luxury transformational experiences through its Live Like a Legend collection.
• Expedition companies like Pelorus and Aqua Expeditions are creating expert guided journeys to remote wildernesses and culturally rich regions.
The future of luxury travel is less about opulence and more about meaning, connection, and once in a lifetime discovery. As 2026 approaches, travelers are choosing journeys that shape who they are long after they return home.
By: Angelina Villa Clarke | Forbes | November 23, 2025
Photo: Courtesy of Shutterstock
