[Press Release] 63% of US Travelers Cut Everyday Spending to Afford Trips

Inaugural “Modern Traveler” report reveals the rise of the creative traveler, with consumers reshaping budgets, embracing social discovery, and demanding personalized booking experiences

NEW ORLEANS, LA – [September 16, 2025] – iSeatz, a travel technology company powering booking and affinity-building experiences for leading brands, today released its inaugural “Modern Traveler Report,” Decoding the Preferences, Motivations, and Trends in Booking and Travel. The report explores how US consumers are prioritizing travel during a period of economic uncertainty and their shifting expectations around value, personalization, and the travel booking experience. 

While Americans are cutting back on recreational spending, major purchases, and homebuying, travel demand continues to surge, on course to break records in 2025. Against this backdrop, iSeatz’s findings illustrate the impactful role travel continues to play in consumers’ lives, and how they’re rearranging their budgets to prioritize trips. Of note, 63% of Americans are cutting expenses such as dining out, shopping, and leisure activities to afford travel. Amidst financial stress and rising depression rates, the restorative benefits of travel matter more than ever: 32% of travelers are booking trips to feel stress relief and peace of mind.

Other key report takeaways include:

• Travelers are more creative and resourceful than ever. Gen-Z travelers, in particular, leverage a mix of social platforms (49%), search (43%), word of mouth recommendations (35%) to research trips and make the most of their time and money. 
• The travel industry and creator economy are converging. Social platforms are moving from inspiration to transaction, with influencers shaping decisions for 62% of Gen Z. At the same time, more than half (52%) of younger travelers indicated they’d be ready to book trips directly on social media if experiences were seamless, demonstrating the enormous potential to converge travel with the creator economy.
• AI is raising the bar. One in five travelers are already leveraging AI tools like chatbots or generative assistants for trip planning, while a quarter of respondents stating they haven’t used AI yet, but are interested in trying it. This indicates a growing openness among travelers and an opportunity for brands to make booking as simple and intuitive as other digital experiences. 
• Millennials expect personalization. More than half (57%) of all travelers expect brands to anticipate their needs based on past interactions. Millennials are the most hungry for personalization, with nearly three quarters indicating personalized experiences are now a baseline requirement.

“Travel is no longer defined by price or place,” said Kenneth Purcell, CEO of iSeatz. "It is not enough to offer great deals or beautiful destinations. Travel providers must understand the emotional, generational, and digital context that shapes consumer decisions. Brands that recognize these deeper motivations and build experiences around them will earn lasting trust and position themselves to grow in an industry where expectations are only getting higher."

The full Modern Traveler 2025 report is available for download here.

About iSeatz

iSeatz is the technology company that powers travel booking for some of the world’s most influential travel, hospitality, and financial brands, including American Express, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Qantas. For 25 years, iSeatz has provided the infrastructure that connects millions of travelers to trips and experiences, integrating data from airlines, hotels, and activity providers to deliver seamless, reliable booking at scale. The company’s platform supports a wide range of ancillary products, payments, and digital touchpoints, enabling partners to capture more value and deliver more relevant traveler experiences. With expertise in personalization, trip inspiration, and the emerging creator economy, iSeatz helps brands adapt to rising consumer expectations and define the next era of connected travel.