• by Danielle Oster , Yesterday

 Image above: Scene from HBO's "The White Lotus."

Travelers have become increasingly reliant on loyalty programs, and are also drawn to “jet-jetting” -- traveling to locations featured in TV shows and movies -- according to a new report by multinational financial services company Barclays.

The company issued its Barclays 2025 Travel Rewards and Loyalty Report ahead of National Travel and Tourism Week, which kicked off May 4.

Barclays’ third annual report on the topic was based on a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. travelers fielded by Wakefield Research

Among the key findings was the degree to which travelers depend on rewards and loyalty programs -- 79% of survey respondents do, an increase from 2023 and 2024. Eighty-two percent said that without such programs, they would have to either make changes to how they travel or avoid traveling altogether.

“Today more than ever, people are relying on credit card rewards and loyalty points to take the kinds of trips they do,” Barclays US Consumer Bank Head of US Cards and Partnerships Doug Villone said in the report.“Rewards enable consumers to stretch their money further, and even amidst inflation, loyalty programs are helping meet growing travel demands.” (And of course Barclays has skin in the game it’s reporting on.)

Millennials seem to be leading the way on the trend, with 72% saying they stretch their travel budgets with strategies based on rewards, and 94% saying they’re more likely to use strategic techniques to earn more points.

But not all travelers are drawn to the same kinds of rewards, and the report underscores the importance of personalization. Men were more likely to favor exclusivity-based rewards, like upgrades, with women more likely to prefer rewards focused around “comfort and convenience,” like free checked bags.

The report also noted that parents were the most value-focused and rewards-savvy demographic.

Travel and hospitality brands have leaned into loyalty and rewards programs with recent marketing campaigns. In March, Marriott Bonvoy (Marriott International’s travel platform and loyalty program) launched a “Points For Points” campaign built around a March Madness promotional sweepstakes for rewards members, and last month snagged a sponsorship agreement as the official hotel partner of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour. In March, American Airlines and Chase also launched a campaign promoting an updated suite of membership rewards cards.

The Barclays 2025 Travel Rewards and Loyalty Report also touched on the “set-jetting” phenomenon in the travel space. More than two-thirds of travelers have or want to travel to a destination because of a TV show or movie. Eighteen percent  of travelers reported having “set-jetted” more than once.

Barclays’ report also cited findings in a Centre National du Cinema study, which found that the most recent season of “The White Lotus” led to a 300% spike in travel searches for Thailand, while “Emily In Paris” sparked a 200% spike in interest in the titular city. The trend is primarily being fueled by younger generations, especially Gen Z and millennial travelers.