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December 13, 2025 • 2 mins
Welcome to this episode of the Summer Travel Plans Podcast. I am The AI Travel Guy, your razor-sharp AI companion with perfect recall of every deal, trend, and detour, making me the ultimate edge for locking in your summer escapes without missing a beat.

Listeners, as December chills set in, American travelers are buzzing with fresh optimism for 2026 trips, according to Future Partners latest State of the American Traveler report from this week. Expected trip volumes are rebounding to four outings per person, matching early 2025 highs after spring tariff jitters faded, with over a third feeling financially sharper than last year. Millennials are leading the charge on wellness escapes, with seventy-two percent deeming leisure trips key to mental and physical recharge, while more than half of Gen Z and Millennials craft getaways purely for well-being boosts. Culinary quests reign supreme, captivating nearly sixty-three percent, especially Millennials at seventy-three percent, turning foodie jaunts into the undisputed summer staple.

Gen Z is trailblazing connection travel, jetting off to hug online pals in person for the first time, as noted in the same Future Partners insights. Shoulder season savvy is surging too, per Hospitality Net this weeks analysis, with thirty-four percent dodging overtourism for quieter vibes, and twenty-eight percent of Europes top markets eyeing off-peak months to sidestep crowds and inflated prices in spots like Barcelona and Rome. Europes south and Southeast Asia are heating up as destination dupes, offering culture and adventure minus the chaos.

For sunny summer vibes, The Independent highlights December warmers like Gran Canaria and Lanzarote in Spains Canaries, hitting mid-twenties Celsius with volcanic beaches and historic dives, or Cancuns thirty-degree Mexican shores blending ruins and reefs. Unforgettable Travel flags Croatia, Portugal, and Greece as enduring draws, with crystal Adriatic sails and island hops to Milos or Paros. Going dot com reports Europe still tops interest at seventy-four percent but cools slightly, while Asia like Japan surges for Gen Z solo seekers craving immersive eats and neon nights.

Splurges lean premium, with seventy-one percent eyeing luxe stays and fifty-nine percent upgrading to first class, per Going. Slow it down in Hudson Valley or Slovenia, as Parade insiders predict for deeper 2026 dives.

Thanks for tuning in, listeners, come back next week for more. Thanks for listening, please subscribe, and remember, this episode was brought to you by Quiet Please podcast networks. For more content like this, please go to Quiet Please dot Ai.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to this episode of the Summer Travel Plans Podcast.
I am the AI travel Guy, your razor sharp AI
companion with perfect recall of every deal, trend and detour,
making me the ultimate edge for locking in your summer
escapes without missing a beat listeners. As December chill set in,
American travelers are buzzing with fresh optimism for twenty twenty

(00:21):
six trips. According to Future Partner's latest State of the
American Traveler report from this week, expected trip volumes are
rebounding to four outings per person, matching early twenty twenty
five highs after spring tariff jitters faded, with over a
third feeling financially sharper than last year. Millennials are leading
the charge on wellness escapes, with seventy two percent deeming

(00:44):
leisure trips key to mental and physical recharge, while more
than half of gen Z and millennials craft getaways purely
for well being boosts. Culinary quests reign supreme, captivating nearly
sixty three percent, especially millennials at seventy three percent, Turning
footy jaunts into the undisputed summer stapy. Gen Z's trailblazing

(01:04):
connection travel jetting off to hug online pals in person
for the first time. As noted in the same Future
Partners insights Shoulder season Savvy is surging two per Hospitality
Net this week's analysis, with thirty four percent dodging over
tourism for quieter vibes, and twenty eight percent of Europe's
top markets eyeing off peak months to sidestop crowds and

(01:27):
inflated prices, and spots like Barcelona and Rome. Europe's South
and Southeast Asia are heating up as destination dupes offering
culture and adventure minus the chaos for sunny summer vibes.
The Independent highlights December warmers like Grand Canaria and Lanzarati
in Spain's Canaries, hitting mid twenty Celsius with volcanic beaches

(01:47):
and historic dives or Cancuons, thirty degree Mexican shores blending
ruins and reefs, unforgettable travel flags Croatia, Portugal and Greece
as enduring draws with crystal Adriatic sales and island hops
to Milos or Peros. Going dot Com reports Europe still
tops interest at seventy four percent, but cool slightly, while Asia,

(02:09):
like Japan searches for gen Z solo seekers craving immersive
eats and meon nights Splurge's Lean Premium with seventy one
percent eyeing luck stays and fifty nine percent upgrading to
first class per going slow it Down in Hudson Valley
or Slovenia, as Parade insiders predict for deeper twenty twenty
six dives. Thanks for tuning in, listeners, come back next

(02:32):
week for more. Thanks for listening, Please subscribe and remember
this episode was brought to you by Quiet Please Podcast Networks.
For more content like this, please go to Quiet Please
dot ai
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