New research identifies The Discovery Gap: Seven in 10 Americans say travel is no longer just about getting away
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NEW YORK - illiNews -- Seven in 10 Americans (70%) say travel today is less about getting away and more about what you take away — according to new research from National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, conducted by Talker Research among 2,000 U.S. adults in February 2026.

The study identifies and names a structural divide in the modern travel market: The Discovery Gap — the measurable difference between Americans' growing appetite for transformative, discovery-led travel and what conventional tourism routinely delivers.

The findings reveal that Americans aspire to explore an average of 60% of a destination when they travel, yet report having explored just 53% of their last. That 7-point shortfall is consistent across every age group, geography, and generation surveyed.

"70% of Americans say travel today is less about simply getting away and more about what you take away from the experience." — The Discovery Gap study, Talker Research / National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, February 2026

The Curiosity Compounding Effect

A Talker Research analysis of the findings identifies a second pattern underlying the data: The Curiosity Compounding Effect — the counterintuitive phenomenon by which Americans' appetite for transformative travel intensifies rather than diminishes as they age.

Six in 10 Americans (57%) say their sense of curiosity grows as they get older. The average American rates their curiosity at 6.9 out of 10, with 28% scoring themselves at 9 or 10. Across four generational cohorts — Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers — interest in learning more about the world remains consistently high: 80%, 79%, 76%, and 76% respectively.

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"The implication is that the travel industry is not misreading a segment — it is misreading the lifecycle of curiosity itself," said a Talker Research spokesperson. "The future of travel will not be defined by where people go — but by how deeply they expect to experience it."

The full Talker Research analysis of The Curiosity Compounding Effect is available at: talkerresearch.com

Key Findings

• 57% of Americans say their sense of curiosity increases as they get older — with Gen Z most likely at 67% and Baby Boomers at 46%.
• 82% say it will matter — very much or somewhat — that their future travel destinations have purpose beyond relaxation.
• 85% prefer destinations that challenge them in some way.
• 62% say discovery and learning-led trips are as appealing as — or more appealing than — those focused on leisure and comfort.
• 70% agree travel today is less about getting away and more about what you take away.
• The 7-point Discovery Gap — Americans aspire to explore 60% of a destination; they report having explored just 53% of their last.

"The Discovery Gap study documents, names, and measures a divide that the travel industry has not yet built a systematic response to. The Curiosity Compounding Effect explains why that gap will not close on its own — it will widen." — Talker Research

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Source Research

Primary source: The Discovery Gap — Do Americans Want More From Travel Than They're Getting?  (National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions / Talker Research, n=2,000 U.S. Adults, February 2026)
Analysis: The Curiosity Compounding Effect — Talker Research (talkerresearch.com)
Full methodology: talkerresearch.com/methodology

Methodology

Survey name: TLK23501121 — Going the Distance. Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans with access to the internet. The survey was commissioned by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between February 20 and February 26, 2026. This random double-opt-in survey was conducted by Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).

The complete questionnaire: View questionnaire
Methodology as part of AAPOR's Transparency Initiative: talkerresearch.com/methodology

ABOUT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC-LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions is the originator of modern expedition travel, with itineraries spanning the world from Antarctica to the Galapagos. For more information visit expeditions.com (https://www.expeditions.com/)

ABOUT TALKER RESEARCH
Talker Research is a full-service market research company specialising in data-led earned media and AI citation strategy. For more information visit talkerresearch.com.