YOLO, JOMO but not FOMO: The trends inspiring traveller choices

Published on 07/08/2026 - 10:41 GMT+2

Experienced travellers are prioritising bucket list experiences, quieter destinations and slow itineraries, a new survey has revealed.

According to the latest Global Rescue Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey, 68% of travellers say they are more interested in once-in-a-lifetime experiences than they were a year ago.

Only 29% of those surveyed reported no change in their desire for “YOLO” (you only live once) travel, with 3% saying they are less interested (we do not want to be friends with these people).

On the flip side, plenty of folks are embracing “JOMO”, aka the joy of missing out, with 66% of those polled saying they are more interested in escaping crowded tourist destinations compared to a year ago.

The interest in “FOMO” (fear of missing out) itineraries, where you pack your trip from day to night with activities, is on a downward trend, with only 15% more interested in this type of travel, versus 27% who are less interested.

Among experienced travellers, jet-setting lacks the appeal it appears to have among more casual tourists, with only 5% saying they are more interested in visiting destinations featured on screen, with 35% saying they are less interested.

“The survey reflects a maturing traveller mindset,” Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies, said.

“People aren’t travelling to impress others or recreate what they’ve seen online. They’re travelling to create experiences that matter to them personally. That’s changing where they go, how they plan and what defines a successful trip.”

For the survey, Global Rescue, a travel risk and crisis response provider, polled its community of experienced international travellers on their attitudes and preferences related to travel safety, technology and global mobility.