By Mia Taylor
TravelPulse
Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and other milestone life events will be major drivers of travel in 2026.
A new study from AAA and Bread Financial found that 61 percent of Americans plan to travel in 2026, and among those travelers, 76 percent are planning their trips around “moments that matter.”
Moreover, it’s Gen Zers and millennials who are leading this shift in travel planning, according to the study, with globetrotters from these two age groups scheduling their getaways with greater intention to align with important milestones.
Among life’s most significant moments, it seems birthdays are the most popular reason to engage in travel, with 32 percent citing this occasion, followed by family reunions at 30 percent, friends’ milestones at 29 percent, anniversaries at 22 percent, and weddings at 19 percent.
Some of the other noteworthy reasons for traveling this year include graduations (12 percent), honeymoons (10 percent), and fitness competitions such as marathons or fun runs (7 percent).
While general plans to travel in 2026 are remarkably consistent across generations (60 percent of Gen Z, 63 percent of millennials, 60 percent of Gen X, and 61 percent of baby boomers), traveling specifically for milestone events is more common among younger generations.
In fact, almost nine in 10 Gen Z (89 percent) and 88 percent of millennial survey respondents who said they will travel in 2026 say they will organize their trips around milestone events, compared to just 57 percent of baby boomers and 71 percent of Gen X travelers.
“As families spread out and friends move, travel has become an essential way to stay connected, especially for younger generations,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement.
“It’s inspiring to see how travelers are thoughtfully planning their trips around life’s most meaningful celebrations,” Barber added.
Here’s a closer look at some of the additional survey takeaways:
- 40 percent say traveling to attend milestone events helps them reconnect with people they haven’t seen in some time
- 33 percent say these trips strengthen friendships and bonds
- 25 percent of Gen Zers prioritize traveling with friends, more than baby boomers at 9 percent
And one more takeaway from the survey: Traveling with friends and family for milestone events can be stressful. On this point, 59 percent of travelers said they’ve faced tension or had an argument with a travel partner. And that reality may impact how far people are willing to travel for special occasions.
Despite the interest in milestone travel, 22 percent of survey respondents say they are only willing to go to a wedding if it’s close to home, and an even smaller 9 percent are willing to undertake a long-haul international trip outside of North America.
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