New Research Reveals Americans Covet Experiences Over Physical Gifts This Holiday Season

The vast majority of Americans (92 percent) would prefer to be gifted experiences over physical presents this holiday season, according to new data from leading travel booking platform GetYourGuide.

The figure is up significantly from 77 percent last year and 62 percent in 2021. The online survey was conducted among 1,000 nationally representative Americans ages 16-56 between September 5 and September 10, 2023.

In 2023, more than half of both men (51 percent) and women (61 percent) covet experiences over physical gifts.

The majority of Americans are in agreement that uniqueness makes for the most welcome gifted experience (79 percent), followed by exclusivity (70 percent). When it comes to receiving an experience this holiday season, Americans would prefer travel or a trip (51 percent), tickets to a concert or show (40 percent), an outdoor activity such as skiing or hiking (30 percent) or a museum visit (27 percent).

Americans are also willing to spend more on holiday travel in 2023. The majority (57 percent) spent or plan to spend less than $1,000 on their holiday travel this year. However, the remainder (43 percent) who have spent or plan to spend over $1,000 marks an 8-point increase from last year (35 percent).

Swift Eras Concert Goers in Minneapolis (Photo Credit: Courtesy Meet Minneapolis)

Price (56 percent) remains the top concern when gift shopping, but saw a 7-point drop from last year. Meanwhile, concern over inflation fell 9 points, from 41 percent in 2022 to just 32 percent in 2023.

Outside of price and inflation, Americans are most in fear of shipping delays (37 percent), out-of-stock items (32 percent) and return policies (24 percent).

"With the holiday season upon us, along with the familiar rush to shop for gifts, our data is showing more and more people are choosing to share an unforgettable experience and create meaningful memories with their loved ones, instead of giving a physical gift," Madison Pietrowski, Director of Brand US at GetYourGuide, said in a statement.

"To capitalize on the increasing interest in unique travel experiences, we launched Originals by GetYourGuide earlier this spring. This collection offers travelers a curated collection of unique experiences, some of which are exclusive to the brand, guaranteeing that their trips are the most memorable yet."

Travelers can browse experiences, including the latest Originals by GetYourGuide experiences ahead of the holiday season getyourguide.com.

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