Despite the surge of ominous headlines about tariffs and the economy earlier this year, the travel market remains robust.
“We’re having record numbers of people traveling,” said Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, the popular website that helps travelers get the most out of their frequent-flier and other rewards points.
Kelly pointed out the record-breaking numbers for travel this summer, first on the Juneteenth weekend and again over the Fourth of July holiday. Demand for economy-class seats is weak, leading to lower airfares, while demand for premium travel remains strong, he said.
In early 2025, “there were a lot of negative headlines on immigration, that foreigners are no longer coming to the U.S., that Canadians are dropping their visits by 50% — negative, negative, negative,” he said.
“And then in March and April, we had downturns in the stock market,” Kelly said. “People were super concerned, and a lot of people book their summer travel during that March–April timeframe. So I was expecting to see a decrease [in flying]. But it couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Kelly was one of three guests on the July 14 edition of Member Mondays, PRSA’s twice-monthly webinar hosted by 2025 Chair Ray Day, APR, Stagwell vice chair and Allison Worldwide executive chair.
The session explored the current developments in the travel and tourism sector and their implications for PR and communications professionals.
Schedule and price remain priorities for many fliers, but for United, the airline is looking for “ways to make it worth it for people to pay a little more” when they fly, such as better customer service, said panelist Josh Earnest, executive vice president of communications and advertising for United, and White House Press Secretary under President Obama.
Earnest agreed that worst-case scenarios about tariffs on other countries and the resulting impact on the U.S. economy “are unlikely to materialize. There’s still some uncertainty, but not as much concern about the worst of that happening.”
Similarly, “it’s clear that we’re not on the cusp of a spike in inflation,” Earnest said. “It seems that the worst-case scenarios are a little less likely than they seemed a few months ago. And I do think that’s having a positive impact for travel, which was already good.”
Panelist John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, shared some of the latest consumer insights on travel. Despite the doom-and-gloom sentiment in the first part of the year, “that picture is changing. There is this strong American desire to get out of the house, and strong demand for travel.”
In polls, 74% of Americans said they’re considering less-popular, more affordable destinations, Gerzema said.
“Event travel” is another trend the Harris Poll is monitoring. Some Gen Z and millennial consumers are prioritizing trips to sporting events and concerts, such as the Oasis reunion tour this summer. Elsewhere with this demographic, “a large majority said they’re thinking of traveling to see live music,” Gerzema said. Other young travelers feel stressed out and are “looking for calm-first vacations.”
Meanwhile, 61% of Americans primarily rely on recommendations from friends and family when choosing travel destinations. However, in the future, 54% of Americans believe generative AI will be a game-changer for vacation planning, Gerzema noted.
People’s love for travel creates storytelling opportunities
The panelists noted that for communicators, travel is emotional, aspirational and intensely personal. To truly connect with today’s travelers, it’s essential to tap into those motivations, not just focus on the logistics.
“Everybody is interested in travel,” Earnest said. “People take it so personally.”
For communicators, he said, the close connection that people feel to traveling “creates a real storytelling opportunity.” Communicators can “tap into that emotion.”
Watch a replay of the July 14 session below:
Held on the second Monday of every month, the information-sharing Member Mondays are open to both PRSA members and nonmembers, focusing on topics of interest to the communications profession. There is another session on the fourth Monday of every month for PRSA leaders of Chapters, Districts and Sections, focusing on best-practice sharing and progress on PRSA’s Strategic Plan. Find more information here.
Photo credit: sebra
