The untapped audience who are spending their kids’ inheritance
An Advertising Week Q&A with Cath Waller, MD, Advertising, Immediate
Travel in 2026 isn’t just about escape. It’s about identity, passion and what people are choosing to prioritise with their hard-earned money. New YouGov research, commissioned by Immediate, reveals a confident, high-intent audience of over 55s who are actively choosing to spend their savings on passion-led travel, despite uncertain economic times.
Cath Waller explains what the findings mean for advertisers looking to engage audiences who are planning earlier, spending deliberately, and researching carefully.
Q: What’s the biggest takeaway for marketers from this research?
The key takeaway is that travel has become protected spend. More than half (55%) of UK adults say they would rather spend money on shared experiences than leave a larger inheritance for their kids, pointing to an audience with both the means and the confidence to spend.
Even against a challenging economic backdrop, travel budgets are holding firm. In 2026, 26% of British holidaymakers are planning to spend more on longer trips and 18% are planning to increase spend on shorter breaks, while most expect budgets to remain in line with 2025. This is particularly prevalent in the over 55s, who are planning more holidays in 2026 than any other age group.
For marketers, that translates into high purchase potential. Once people have decided to prioritise spending on travel and experiences, they become far more receptive to brands that help them enhance their overall experience.
Q: Why does passion-led travel represent such a strong opportunity for advertisers?
Because for over 55s, passion led-travel is closely tied to intent and spend. Within this age group, 66% of respondents say they plan holidays around their interests rather than price or convenience alone. That tells us this is considered and research-driven decision-making.
When it comes to passion-led travel in 2026, the strongest interests shaping trip choices for the over 55s are:
- History and heritage: 52%
- Food and drink: 20%
- Gardening or nature-focused trips: 23%
These are audiences actively researching and comparing, which creates a powerful opportunity to engage a high-intent audience at the moment inspiration converts into action.
For marketers, the opportunity to target this group lies in contextually relevant advertising combined with unique first party data targeting. A food-led traveller is already emotionally invested before they choose a destination or provider. Brands that show up in relevant editorial environments, and use publisher-owned data to precision target, can influence decisions early, when itineraries, bookings and additional spend are still being planned.
Q: What role do trusted publishers play in this journey?
Trust really matters when people are spending significant sums on experiences they care deeply about. Consumers want to feel confident they are making the best possible choice. They research carefully and they look for authority and expertise.
While 86% cite recommendations from friends and family as influential, a significant 40% say newspapers, magazines and brand advertising also influence where they choose to travel. This underlines the role premium publishers and trusted media environments continue to play, particularly during early research and planning, when consumers are narrowing choices and deciding where to spend.
Q: What should travel (and non-travel) brands do differently in 2026?
The biggest opportunity for brands sits at the point where passions turn into plans. People begin their travel journey by spending time exploring the interests that matter to them, whether that is history, food, culture or time spent outdoors. This is where inspiration takes shape and where ideas for trips begin to form. Brands that show up at this stage have a real chance to influence where people go and how they choose to spend.
Passion-led planning also opens up opportunities beyond travel brands alone. Food and drink, culture, wellbeing, technology, financial services and luxury retail all naturally intersect with how people prepare for and experience trips. Many holidays involve specialist purchases, upgrades and shared, multi-generational spending, creating multiple points where brands can add value in ways that feel relevant, rather than interruptive.
Finally, the research shows that guilt is low when it comes to spending on meaningful experiences, particularly among older audiences. People feel comfortable prioritising enjoyment, enrichment and quality and the brands that reflect this mindset tend to connect more naturally than those focused purely on price or urgency.
Ultimately, the brands that win will be those that show up early, align with passions, and use trusted environments, combined with smart first-party data targeting, to influence decisions before a booking is made.
