2026 Portrait of American and Canadian International Travelers™

The 2026 Portrait of American and Canadian International Travelers™ provides an in-depth view of international travel intentions, spending, destination preferences and planning behaviours across the United States and Canada. The study identifies where the two markets are moving together, where they are diverging and what those shifts mean for destinations, travel providers and marketers.

The findings reveal a market focused on maximising the value of each trip rather than simply spending less. American travellers expect to spend $11,808 on international vacations in the next 12 months, down from $13,130 in 2025, while Canadian travellers anticipate spending $8,800, up from $8,179. At the same time, safety, geopolitical instability and political climate have become central influences on destination choice. 

What you will learn

• How international travel spending and trip intentions are evolving in the U.S. and Canada
• Which destinations, activities and accommodation types travellers prefer
• How affordability pressures differ by market, generation and household income
• Why safety, political climate and global instability are redirecting travel demand
• How Gen Z, Millennials, Gen Xers and Boomers differ in their motivations and travel-party preferences
• Where travellers seek inspiration and information, from social platforms and review sites to AI tools and travel advisors
• What is driving demand for luxury travel, multidestination trips, cruising and organised group tours
• How sustainability, airline choice and international business travel influence traveller decisions

The study also explores major shifts in travel planning. AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude have been used for travel planning by 73% of American travellers and 60% of Canadian travellers, although Canadians remain less likely to trust AI-generated recommendations. Human expertise also remains highly relevant, with 58% of Americans and 47% of Canadians expecting to use a traditional travel advisor for an international vacation within the next two years. 

With detailed insights covering the complete international travel journey, this study helps travel organisations identify emerging opportunities, sharpen audience segmentation and build more relevant products, messaging and channel strategies for two of the world’s most important outbound travel markets.

Ideal for: Destination marketing organisations, tourism boards, hotels and resorts, airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, travel advisors, research teams, strategists and marketing professionals.