ALTIANT Global Luxury AND ASSET MANAGEMENT (GLAM) MONITOR
Q1 2026 RELEASE
I
Q1 2026 RELEASE I
Quarterly GLAM Monitor: Q1 2026
Release date: March 2026
Lars Long - Founder & CEO, Altiant
Welcome to the newest edition of Altiant’s Global Luxury and Asset Management (GLAM) Monitor. The monitor focuses on the behaviours and sentiments of our panel of validated global affluent/High Net Worth Individuals.
For GLAM, we have now conducted over 14,500 interviews to construct a comprehensive and evolving view of luxury sentiment and behaviour. The seven years of study so far clearly show the significant change and disruption which the world has seen in that period. We hope that the future findings continue to assist your business strategies and decisions in the years ahead.
22025 was a year in a rush, with rapidly developing opportunities and threats for the luxury industry. While some brands found the going tough, others thrived. 2026 has started similarly, with the US/Israel war with Iran having an immediate global impact. Issues such as the energy and climate crises, other international conflicts such as the Ukraine war, tariff uncertainty and inflation continue to impact affluent sentiment. AI has also become firmly established, with many people now using it daily, either consciously or not.
All of the data is available within Tableau so that you can reformulate the results according to your own preferences. Age, gender, region and household income filters will enable you to interact with the data and cut it in different ways to identify key variances and trends.
We welcome the free and fair use of our data to meet your individual and business objectives, only asking that you clearly link your readers to the source of the data whenever applicable. As we publish additional iterations, trends will continue to strengthen, enabling you to further enhance your understanding of global luxury consumers. In the event you have any questions about the data, please contact us at glam@altiant.com
Altiant Founder and CEO, Lars Long
INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCH
All data presented in this GLAM monitor has been sourced from Altiant’s manually validated in-house panel of Affluent and High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs), Luxury Opinions©. This iteration reports on Q1 2026 but will also include trended data from the trackers’ previous quarters. For any additional questions about this research, please contact glam@altiant.com.
METHODOLOGY
We continue to survey different members of our global panel whenever possible, trying to survey all respondents once a year at most. For this quarter, 482 affluent/HNWIs were surveyed between January and March 2026, with 178 in Europe, 163 in North America and 141 in Asia Pacific. 23% of the Q1 sample was aged 18-39, with 77% aged 40+. The sample was split 58:42 M:F in terms of gender. Since starting the tracker in Q3 2018, we have now conducted more than 14,500interviews in total, 34% of which were among aged 18-39s (66% over-40) and with a gender split of 51:49.
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND INVESTIBLE ASSETS
Normalised to $US, the median household income (HHI) in this quarter was $280k, while the median investible assets (IA) stood at just over $925k (exchange rates as per 20th March 2026). This brought the median HHI across all 7+ years’ of study so far to $270k, while the median IA stands at just under $900,000.
wealth acquisition: the new categories
In Q3 2024 we introduced a new question asking for the respondents’ best description about how they had acquired their wealth so far. The five categories are:
· Legacy wealth: Wealthy upbringing/financial support and with an inheritance
· Head start: Wealthy upbringing/financial support with no inheritance
· Upwardly mobile: Middle-class or poor upbringing with financial support and an inheritance
· Inheritor: Middle-class or poor upbringing with an inheritance but no financial support
· Self-made: Middle-class or poor upbringing without an inheritance or financial support
Across the five quarters so far, 10% have defined themselves as coming from Legacy wealth, while 16% fell into the Head start category, the latter rising to a quarter in China. Another 20% said they were Upwardly mobile, while only 7% defined themselves as an Inheritor. By far the largest share fell into the Self-made category (47%), albeit standing at only 13% among the Chinese response. The results for Q4 were broadly in line with the previous quarters for this question.
This question is being updated with new wealth options from the next quarter, so this will be the last time that it is reported in this way.
GLAM 5-YEAR
In July 2025, we released a GLAM Monitor Report, which collects five years of continuous and detailed data collection, marking a sustained contribution to thought leadership in luxury and asset management research. DISCOVER THE REPORT AND MAIN INSIGHT
STUDIED POPULATIOn
KEY QUARTERLY CHANGES
Weekly usage of LinkedIn rose to 56%, a notable increase vs Q4 2025 and the previous highpoint (49% in Q2) since tracking for this question began one year ago.
Meanwhile, both X/Twitter and TikTok saw a notable decrease in weekly usage vs the previous quarter, falling to 21% (-6) and 17% (-9) respectively.
Following the outbreak of the US/Israel war with Iran, 62% are now concerned about the geopolitical stability in the world, up from 56% in Q4.
There was a notable shift in the perceived environmental credentials of AI, with 61% now thinking that these programs are somewhat/very unsustainable, up from 53% in Q4.
36% now say that they do not currently invest in crypto and do not think they will do so in the future, up from 28% in Q4 and the second highest point of the tracker overall.
27% now say that they have reduced the amount of time they spend online vs last year, up from 23% in Q4 and the highest point since introducing this metric one year ago.
LUXURY PURCHASES
LUXURY BEHAVIOUR
“Which of the following words best represents yourself when it comes to luxury and wealth?”
Base: 2,373 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantThis question was introduced for 2025, with respondents using an 11-point slider to indicate which words from the following pairs best sums them up (6 being the mid-point). The numbers below represent a net of the three points closest towards each word (bottom 3/top 3). While most pairs are reasonably balanced between the two extremes, there is a clear preference for established brands (32%) and brand-specific/standalone products (24%) rather than collaborations.
Saving vs Spending: 19% vs 14%
Established brands vs Niche brands: 32% vs 9%
Local/regional brands vs International brands: 18% vs 25%
Fast vs Slow: 19% vs 15%
Modern vs Traditional: 21% vs 13%
Physical vs Digital: 22% vs 18%
Brand collaborations vs Standalone products: 8% vs 24%
PAST LUXURY PURCHASES (Past 12 Months)
“In which of the following categories have you purchased a luxury brand or service within the past year?”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantThe travel industry remains in rude health, as experiences in general come to the fore. The share of wealthy individuals who said that they had taken a luxury holiday reached a new tracker-peak of 90% in Q4 2024 and has stayed around this point since (90% in Q1 2026), with 70% taking multiple trips within the past year. Tourism remains firmly at the top of the list for share of category purchases and a little way ahead of the nearest cluster of other categories.
Various others such as wealth management services, designer fashion, alcohol, electronics and cosmetics/fragrances have also remained popular and purchased by 70-80% within the past year. Purchases of leather goods and cosmetics/fragrances see a clear skew towards women, while men are more likely to buy watches and use wealth management services. Luxury automotive (42%), high-end audio (40%) and art and collectibles (35%)remain the least likely categories to have been purchased within the past year.
“Approximately how much did you spend in total in the following categories last year?”
Base: global affluent/HNWIs who made purchase(s) in the relevant categories | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantAmong the typically lower-priced categories, fragrances again came out the lowest with a median normalised spend of just over $825, a short way behind cosmetics ($1,200). Both leather goods and designer fashion had a median spend in the $2,500-3,000 range. Travel had the highest median annual spend and is the only category to exceed $10,000: spending stood at $12,000, broadly in line with the previous quarter. Watches followed a short way behind ($8,650), with jewellery at $6,750 and high-end audio and electronics around the $4,000 mark.
Luxury Purchase Intent (Next 12 Months)
“Do you expect to spend more or less in the next 12 months, compared to the last 12 months?” - Active buyers, past 12m
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantPurchasing trends remained somewhat consistent across 2024 but saw a clear and significant shift in 2025 with a cautious mentality prevailing. Many brands have reported difficult sales periods recently, with purchasing intentions in several categories suggesting further challenges for 2026.
After spiking in Q3 last year, the share of respondents planning to cut back on spending remained broadly at the same level, or even grew further in several areas, in Q1. Automotive (from 41% to 47%), watches (31% to 40%) and audio(42% to 51%) were the standout categories for seeing an increase in negative sentiment in this quarter vs last. Various other categories such as jewellery (29%), leather goods (28%) and art and collectibles (24%) also saw around a quarter of their current buyers planning to spend less over the next year.
Overall, travel and wealth management are the best performers here, with only around 10% expecting to cut back. Indeed, 41% and 47% respectively expect to increase their spending in these categories in the year ahead. Many affluent/HNWIs appear to want to plan financially for unforeseen events like international conflict, political change or to hedge against inflation.
“You mentioned that you have not purchased luxury items from the following categories within the last year/Do you think you will make purchases in any of these categories within the next year?”
Alcohol, high-end audio, art and collectibles and luxury fragrances/cosmetics remain the least likely categories to entice new customers, all having a high share of non-users not expecting to begin doing so in 2026. Travel is the category which may be able to attract renewed travellers, with half expecting to take at least one trip again in the next 12 months.
PURCHASE CHANNELS
“Within the past 12 months, how have you purchased luxury brands or services?”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantPrior to Covid-19, the share of consumers buying luxury goods/services in a physical store hovered around the 85% mark. This fell as low as 67% in Q2 2021 and while there were some fluctuations across 2022 and early 2023, it stabilised around the 80% mark across 2024/25, standing at 83% in this quarter.
The past two years have also seen a notable uplift in online luxury shopping, although this too saw some fluctuation over the past year. As of Q1 2026, 62% said that they had purchased luxury goods or services via their computer/laptop, flat vs Q4, rising to 83% of Americans. Purchases via mobiles continue to fluctuate and nudged slightly upwards to 47% in Q1 while those via tablets fell slightly to 15%. Men and over-40s comfortably remain the least likely to have shopped via electronic devices.
SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTIONS
“Which of the following social media sites/apps do you use in a typical week for at least 30 minutes in total?
Base: 2,373 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantThis question was introduced from Q1 2025 to provide a greater level of detail about social media usage. The unique nature of Chinese social media means that its specific sites were only shown to respondents in China, with all other markets seeing the same options. Respondents from Hong Kong were shown both the Western/international sites as well as the Chinese ones. Within China, Douyin is highly popular and used by 77% of the Q1 sample. Nearly all Chinese respondents said that they used Weixin (92%), while three quarters (75%) use Xiaohongshu and 27% use Weibo.
Among the non-Chinese markets, Instagram (61%), Facebook and YouTube (both 58%) were the most popular, followed by the professional networking site LinkedIn (56%). Weekly usage of the latter saw a notable rise vs the previous quarter and the previous tracker highpoint (49% in Q2 2025). The direct messaging app, WhatsApp, also remains popular with 61% using it for at least 30 minutes in a typical week. Women are much more likely to use the former two sites, with men more likely to use YouTube, WhatsApp and LinkedIn.
Perhaps as a result of recent controversies, usage of X/Twitter has previously been ebbing away in our tracker. However, it dropped notably in Q1, falling by 6-percentage points to 21%, despite only 2% still using Bluesky. TikTokalso saw a notable decrease in weekly usage vs the previous quarter, falling from 26% to 17% of this affluent cohort.
“Have you participated in any of the following activities in relation to luxury brands and services on social media in the past 3 months?”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantIn line with online retail prospering, social media is now key for most luxury brands. Some 44% of the Q1 sample said that they had followed a brand, while 43% had liked or recommended one to family, friends or colleagues within the past three months, both figures broadly in line with the previous quarters. In both cases, women and under-40s continue to be the most likely to do so. Elsewhere, around one in five made purchases via social media (20%) or sent a private message to a brand (15%), with under-40s again most likely to do so.
Many are dedicating parts of their marketing budgets to social media influencers. With almost one quarter (22%) of wealthy individuals saying that they had followed influencers within the past three months, this can be a lucrative option if well-chosen partners are utilised. Over-40s, men and Europeans are the least likely groups to do so at under one in five. Finally, 34% reported that they made none of these social media interactions within the past three months.
LUXURY & SUSTAINABILITY
Attitudinal Statements
“Which of the following statements about luxury do you agree with?”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantRecent years have led to many affluent/HNWIs reassessing their purchases of luxury goods, often instead preferring to spend their money on luxury experiences: two in five (43%) say that they now prefer luxury experiences over goods/products. As seen in Section 1, tourism is buoyant and sustainable/ethical trips will remain prevalent: 23% plan to prioritise responsible travel in the future. Meanwhile, 11% say that they have reconsidered their recent travel plans due to climate changes such as heatwaves and wildfires.
Similarly, many people are opting to rent items rather than buy them, particularly in categories such as fashion and jewellery. Sustainability and tapping into the circular economy are at the heart of this growth, although that still only 5%are interested in renting clothes indicates that this is likely to be gradual. Meanwhile, 18% are interested in buying second-hand clothes, though this figure continues to lag in Asia where only 11% are receptive.
Wealthy individuals are also gravitating towards brands which have a genuine sustainable ethos and positioning. Two in five (41%) are interested in buying sustainable products such as electric cars or organic clothing. A similar share are also now concerned about the climate crisis (37%) and/or trying to reduce their personal carbon footprint in everyday life (36%), while 22% have reduced or eliminated their consumption of meat.
Notably, 62% are now concerned about the geopolitical stability in the world, up from 56% in Q4. The latter half of this quarter’s fieldwork saw a particularly notable rise in this metric following the outbreak of the US/Israel war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This figure is likely to continue increasing in the coming quarters if the conflict persists.
“How sustainable/environmentally friendly do you think the following are? / And which of these do you currently do?
Base: 8,590 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantThe ongoing climate crisis means that many wealthy individuals are now scrutinising their own actions and how they are contributing to, or alleviating, this issue. Perceived green credentials can be highly influential, and the growth of the rental and second-hand market has been built around the circular economy.
While some studies have questioned the legitimacy of these claims, consumer perception is key. This appears to be broadly positive as over half (55%) think that renting goods is either somewhat or very environmentally-friendly, rising to 68% for buying goods second hand. Some 38% say that they are already doing the latter, though only 5% are currently renting.
Another significant behavioural change is the increasing need to find alternative fuels for driving. The growth of electric and hybrid cars has been broadly positive, albeit with some ongoing concerns about the convenience of charging and battery reliability (‘range anxiety’). Nevertheless, 27% think that these cars are very environmentally-friendly, with another 25% thinking they are somewhat so. Two in five (44%) have already made the switch to electric or hybrid cars, although some countries are reporting flat or waning driver interest and a reversion back to ICE vehicles.
There are also growing energy demands coming from the use of AI programs, a new metric introduced to the tracker from Q3 2024. As of Q1 2026, only 20% think that these are sustainable or environmentally friendly, with 61% believing they are not very/at all green. Over-40s and Europeans are the most likely to have a negative impression of AI from a sustainability perspective. Nevertheless, 60% are already using such programs (slightly down from 62% in Q4), rising to 71% among millennials, American and APAC respondents, though falling back to just 42% of Europeans.
Many wealthy individuals are also making sustainable changes at home, for example by investing in solar panels or heat pumps. Two thirds (66%) believe that these actions are very or somewhat environmentally friendly, with broadly high response across the demographics. Almost two in five (38%) of the Q1 sample have already taken some of these steps, only falling back in Asia (29%).
The Importance of Sustainability
“How important is it to you that luxury brands commit to adopting policies that promote environmental protection, social responsibility and ethical behaviour (sustainable luxury)?”
Base: 8,590 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantThe ongoing climate crisis remains one of the most pressing issues globally. This has led to many becoming increasingly demanding of brands to acknowledge and act alongside them in alleviating climate concerns. Individuals are also becoming more aware of ‘greenwashing’ and discerning about brands which make sustainable claims. Three in five (57%) say that it is very or somewhat important to them for brands to do this. Only 19% now say that it is not very, or not at all important for brands to focus on sustainability, showing the importance of this issue for consumers.
Trading up for Sustainability
“Would you be prepared to pay more for a product which positions itself as sustainable luxury?”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantDespite some muted responses to brands’ sustainability efforts, many affluent consumers are seemingly prepared to back up their views about environmental protection and sustainability with their money. Only 28% of the Q1 sample are entirely unprepared to spend any more for sustainable/ethical luxury products, while 48% are prepared to spend up to 10% more, which could represent a sweet spot for brands to justify a small price premium.
The remaining 24% are prepared to spend more than 10% extra for sustainable/ethical luxury products, with 3% even being prepared to spend more than 25% extra. Trading up for sustainable goods resonates with under-40s more than over-40s overall, especially for the 10-25% extra spending bracket.
Sustainable Luxury Champions
“Are there any luxury brands in any industry which you think are good examples of sustainable luxury? If so, which companies?”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantOver the course of our tracker so far, a handful of luxury brands have consistently stood out to wealthy individuals as sustainable luxury operators. The likes of Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney, Gucci and Tesla garner a high share of the response each quarter, with these brands also being among the most cited in Q1. Meanwhile, many wealthy individuals do not state any specific sustainable brands or, even worse, actively mistrust some green claims, something which brands continue to have to work on resolving.
FOCUS ON FINANCE
Global Financial System Stability
“How stable do you feel the global financial system currently is?”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantA variety of recent events have had a major impact upon consumer confidence in the global financial system. Perceived stability plummeted at the outset of the pandemic before recovering unevenly in the intervening years. Last year, this dropped to 14% in Q2, the lowest point of the tracker so far, recovering slightly to 20% in Q3 but dropping off again to 16% in Q4. Concurrently, the share of those who thought that the system was very or somewhat unstable rose to 70% in Q2, fell to 62% in Q3 before nudging upwards again to 64% in Q4.
The US/Israel war with Iran is a key reason why perceived stability has fallen again in Q1 to just 14%, while the instability score has risen to 68%. The figures are broadly in line with the overall tracker highs/lows and will probably become new records in Q2 if the current conflicts persist. Only 17% now hold a neutral/uncertain position to this question.
Stock Market Knowledge
“How knowledgeable do you think you are about topics related to the stock market?”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantSelf-claimed stock market knowledge has historically shown little quarterly variation, hovering around the 75-80% mark. This remained true in Q1 as 79% said that they are either very or somewhat knowledgeable, and with only 23% falling into the top box. Women and Europeans continue to be the least likely groups to state that they are knowledgeable. 18%feel that they have very little stock market knowledge, while only 3% say they have no knowledge at all. Women remain much more likely to profess having little or no knowledge in this area (31% vs 15%).
Regional Stock Market Confidence
“How do you think the stock markets in your region will perform during the next 12 months when compared to the past 12 months?”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantStock market confidence dropped as low as 30% in Q2 2022, before recovering in an uneven manner since. However, this again dropped dramatically to a new tracker low in Q2 2025, with just 27% expecting an improved performance in the year ahead (-15 vs the previous quarter). While this recovered a little in Q3 and Q4 (28% and 37% respectively), it fell away to just 31% this quarter.
APAC respondents are the most bullish (48%), while only 15% of Europeans feel confident about the year ahead. Overall, one third (32%) think that their stock performance will remain about the same, while 37% anticipate are expectant of a downturn, a rise of 7-percentage points vs Q4 2025.
INVESTMENT PLANS
“Within the next 90 days, do you expect to make significant changes to your investment portfolio?”
Base: 8,590 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantThere has been relatively little movement on this question over the past three years, with only around one quarter planning to make significant imminent changes to their portfolios, while half did not. However, caution now appears to be the priority as just under two thirds (64%) do not anticipate making changes and only 21% do. One in five (15%) remain unsure. The ongoing market turbulence and uncertainty, largely emanating from the US, is likely to be a key reason for the shift in these results over the past year.
“Do you plan to change how much you dedicate towards charitable donations and/or sustainable investments over the next year?”
Base: 4,769 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantOnly 16% say that they will be making more charitable donations in the year ahead. Almost three quarters (73%) expect to donate about the same amount as before, while only 11% anticipate cutting back. A similar pattern emerges for planned sustainable investments, with 21% expecting to increase these, 70% planning to maintain and only 9% cutting back.
Investing in Cryptocurrencies
“Please select one of the following options in relation to your interest in virtual cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantCryptocurrency continues to attract a high level of media interest amid ongoing controversies. Only 8% of the global affluent are now entirely unfamiliar with them. Following a significant drop in 2022, Bitcoin values reached a new all-time high of $124,000 in August 2025 before falling away thereafter and ending the full year around 6% down.
The decline gathered pace in Q1, falling to around $70,000, a -20% decline YTD at the time of writing. In such times of uncertainty, safer assets such as gold and S&P stocks are likely to find greater favour among affluent/HNWIs, as was also seen in our recently published Wealth Management report.
As of Q1 2026, 24% of global affluent/HNWIs were long-term crypto investors (-4 vs last quarter), driven by Americans and men, while 10% invested with a short-term view. Bitcoin remains the most popular digital currency by some distance. While some investors only do so for single coins, typically Bitcoin, many also dabble in others such as Ethereum.
The continued unpredictability and volatility of crypto appears to have hardened the opposition: the share of current non-investors but who might be interested in doing so fell back steadily in 2023 and remained at around a quarter since (22% in Q1). 36% now say that they do not currently invest in crypto and do not think they will do so in the future, up from 28% in Q4 and the second highest point of the tracker overall.
FOCUS ON TRAVEL AND LEISURE TIME
Holiday habits and intention
“With whom did you take holiday within the past year?
Base: 2,373 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantAnother new question introduced in Q1 2025 aimed to understand who travellers were taking their holidays with. As per the results from this quarter, couple trips remain the most popular overall (58%), closely followed by couples plus children (51%). Holidays with friends were also commonplace at 38%, rising to 46% among under-40s. Multi-generational/extended family trips (28%) and solo travel (20%) also provide the industry with significant opportunities to tap into.
“Which of the following have you done while on holiday within the past year?”
[Note: in Q4 2021 this question was from a three-year time period to one-year]
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantLuxury is important right from the start of respondents’ holidays, including at the airport: around half shopped in a duty-free store (56%), used a VIP waiting lounge and travelled by business/first-class within the past year (both 47%).Alcohol, perfume and cosmetic purchases were commonplace among those who shopped in a duty-free store. 5* or more hotels remain highly popular, used by 65%, while 37% stayed in a suite/penthouse room and 25% rented a beachfront villa. Fine dining (62%) and room services/concierges (41%) also continue to attract many of these travellers.
Spas were used by more than half (56%) within the past 12 months, with under-40s remaining the most likely users (62%). Wellness tourism continues to flourish as more luxury hotels acknowledge the appeal of slowing down and relaxation; indeed, 24% say that they had been to a wellness retreat over the past year.
Many wealthy individuals are also extending business trips for a holiday (workations/’bleisure’). Almost one quarter (22%) say that they have done this over the past year, while a similar share had a private transport experience such as a helicopter ride (17%) or used a private chauffeur (24%). Americans are the most likely to have treated themselves on their luxury holidays in most of these listed activities, with very little overall change vs Q4.
Two new codes were introduced in Q3 2024 to account for increasingly visible travel trends: taking a medium/long distance luxury train trip (such as the Orient Express) and attending a sporting event while on holiday. One in ten (5%) said that they had taken one of these train trips within the past year, while 24% had attended sporting events, the latter rising to one third of wealthy Americans.
“Which of the following types of holiday are you likely to take within the next year?”
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantWhile many individuals continue to favour domestic trips, or going to countries closer to home, international holidays had firmly recovered from the post-Covid dip (see Section 1). However, the US/Israel war with Iran has already had a significant impact on the safety of travelling to the Middle East, something which is likely to persist in the coming months.
Different holiday types see wide variance in popularity across the regions, with many wealthy travellers now looking for hidden gems and lesser-known destinations off the beaten track. Overall, city breaks are set to be the most popular type in 2026 (69%), closely followed by sightseeing or tourist breaks (62%), beach holidays (59%) and family trips(57%).
Multi-generational trips remain popular along with rural/countryside holidays such as glamping (28%), reflecting many travellers’ ongoing desire for privacy. Wellness retreats are also likely to retain their popularity as the wealthy look to improve their physical and mental health: 27% plan to visit one of these in the year ahead.
“Thinking about your day-to-day life, are you doing the following activities more, less or about the same as 12 months ago?
Base: 14,544 global affluent/HNWIs | Source: LuxuryOpinions®/AltiantThis last question was introduced at the start of 2025 to provide a better overview of respondents’ leisure time when they are not on holiday. There are signs of a growing return to in-person experiences, and a reduction of screen time. While 60% say that they are spending about the same amount of time online, 27% have reduced this vs 13% who are doing so more often. Europeans and Americans are the most likely to be cutting back on their screen time (33%), vs only 13% in APAC.
Health is becoming an increasingly key component in their lives, with40%focusing on their health and wellbeingabout as much as last year, while57%are giving it greater importance. Specifically tosports and exercise participation,54%are maintaining their levels of activity, while36%are doing so more often.Finally, rising costs have not yet been a significant deterrence fordining out of home,going to sporting and cultural events. Just overtwo thirdsare doing so about the same as a year ago, with around one in five doing so more often
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