The global travel and leisure landscape is evolving faster than ever, not just in how people move, but why they move. With the global leisure travel market projected to grow from $1.43 trillion in 2025 to $2.39 trillion by 2029, and international travel bookings surging by 28% year over year, the industry is booming.
But behind these impressive numbers lies a more profound truth, one that goes beyond destinations, routes, or price tags.
Today, travelers aren’t simply booking trips; they’re seeking meaning. They’re traveling not to escape life, but to experience it differently. And understanding what drives this emotional and behavioral evolution is at the core of modern travel and leisure insights.
The Shift from Miles to Meaning
A decade ago, travel decisions were primarily shaped by budget, deals, and convenience. Today, they’re driven by purpose, emotion, and identity. Consumers no longer see travel as a one-time event; it’s a reflection of their values, aspirations, and self-expression. A destination is now as much about who they are as where they’re going. This shift is redefining how brands in travel, hospitality, and leisure operate. Every booking, every search, every review leaves behind data that tells a story, and reading that story requires more than analytics; it demands empathy, observation, and insight.
That’s where travel and leisure insights become essential, translating complex traveler behavior into actionable intelligence that drives engagement, loyalty, and growth.
The Emotion Economy of Travel
When travelers decide between the mountains and the sea, the choice isn’t just geographical; it’s psychological. It’s about emotions.
Our research across continents shows a clear trend: People are prioritizing connection over convenience, authenticity over allure, and meaning over mileage.
For brands, this means success depends less on where they take travelers and more on how those travelers feel when they arrive. Whether it’s a boutique resort designing immersive local experiences or an airline reimagining digital touchpoints for comfort and trust, emotion has become the new currency of loyalty.
Brands that understand this emotional dimension and embed it into their customer experience are the ones defining the future of travel.
Beyond Destinations: The Hidden Drivers of Choice
Through our travel and leisure insights research, we’ve identified that the traveler’s journey begins long before a ticket is booked. It starts with intent, a desire shaped by curiosity, culture, community, and confidence.
Factors such as:
- The ease of digital discovery (How well do your ads or search listings capture intent?)
- The authenticity of the experience (Do travelers believe your promise?)
- And the emotional payoff (Does your brand story make them feel understood?)
These subtle drivers determine whether attention turns into action.
In this new era of hyper-choice, brands can no longer rely on deals alone. They must decode decision-making moments to understand what truly motivates travelers, and how that intent evolves from search to booking to advocacy.
Turning Wanderlust into Understanding
At Markelytics, we transform curiosity into clarity. Our travel and leisure insights go beyond surface-level analytics to uncover why travelers choose one platform, airline, or experience over another.
By combining qualitative depth with quantitative rigor, our research helps brands:
- Decode traveler sentiment and preferences across regions and age groups
- Measure brand perception and campaign effectiveness in competitive markets
- Track loyalty and repeat behavior to refine retention strategies
- Test digital experiences for usability, conversion, and engagement
- Explore sustainability adoption where awareness meets real action
Whether it’s understanding what makes a family choose a homestay over a hotel, or why millennials value “slow travel” experiences, we help brands see beyond behavior into belief.
Insights in Action
1. Traveler Sentiment Index 2023 | Global Travel Aggregator:
We partnered with a leading global travel aggregator to decode the evolving mindset of post-pandemic travelers across the USA, Canada, and the UK. Conducted over six weeks with 1,500+ respondents, the study revealed how safety, flexibility, and value shape today’s travel choices. Read More
2. Mapping the Modern Indian Traveler | Leading Tourism Board:
In collaboration with a national tourism board, we explored how Indian travelers plan, experience, and evaluate domestic journeys across metros and Tier 2–3 cities. Conducted over eight weeks with 1,200+ respondents, the study uncovered what drives satisfaction, engagement, and repeat visits in India’s dynamic travel landscape. Read More
3. European Airline Loyalty Study | Airline Alliance:
We partnered with a leading European airline alliance, we examined how loyalty is being redefined among frequent flyers across France, Germany, and Spain. Conducted over five weeks with 750+ respondents, the study highlighted how personalization, convenience, and digital experience influence repeat bookings and long-term loyalty. Read More
Each of these projects reflects what travel and leisure insights can truly achieve; they turn observation into strategy and movement into measurable growth.
Why Insight Is the New Itinerary
The travel and leisure industry has always been about exploration. But today, brands must explore travelers themselves, their mindsets, expectations, and emotional landscapes.
What used to be a linear funnel awareness, booking, experience, and review is now an evolving ecosystem where each touchpoint influences perception.
To stay ahead, travel brands must:
- Personalize experiences without losing authenticity
- Balance digital convenience with human connection
- Align sustainability narratives with real traveler values
- Rethink loyalty as an ongoing relationship, not a program
When insights lead strategy, every interaction becomes intentional and every journey, more meaningful.
The Journey Ahead
Every journey begins with intent, and every successful strategy begins with understanding it.
Travel and leisure insights give brands the power to listen deeply, act decisively, and grow sustainably in a market defined by constant change. The future of travel isn’t predicting where people will go next.
It’s about understanding why they want to go there and helping them get there with meaning.
You know where travelers are going. Now, it’s time to understand why.
Uncover the insights that move them and let understanding guide your next strategy.
Contact us today to learn how we can help your brand stay ahead in the world of travel and leisure.