Travelers are increasingly moving away from vacations focused on relaxation toward those that spotlight education, according to a National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions survey of 2,000 Americans.
The survey found "that travelers are increasingly prioritizing trips that challenge them, teach them something new, and push them outside their comfort zones, rather than focusing primarily on relaxation," the company said.
Eighty-five percent of Americans noted that "they prefer destinations that challenge them, reflecting a desire to step outside their comfort zones and experience something transformative."
A National Geographic-Lindblad expedition in Antarctica
At the same time, "82% say it will matter that future travel destinations have a purpose beyond relaxation, making discovery-led travel a mainstream expectation," the survey found.
Meanwhile, 70% of respondents said "travel is now more about what you take away and less about getting away," 62% are interested in "trips focused on discovery and learning are just as (if not more) appealing than traditional leisure vacations" and 57% said "their curiosity has grown over time, highlighting a shift toward lifelong exploration."
"One example of how this idea shows up in practice is through the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, created by Lindblad Expeditions and the National Geographic Society, which brings educators on expedition voyages to turn field-based learning into classroom impact," National Geographic-Lindblad said.
"Sixty years after Lars-Eric Lindblad first introduced non-scientific travelers to Antarctica, the brand continues to position exploration as education in some of the world's most remote regions."
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