Travel & Tourism
Semi-elites get around.
By Andrew Burmon
79% Have been to Italy or France
70% Take a lot of pictures (not all shared to social)
56% Prioritize history and culture or novelty and adventure (not luxury or comfort)
63% Don't seek out travel advice
Upper Middle ’s "Travel & Tourism" survey looked at the least cringe-y, most desired luxury afforded the semi-elite 1 and found not only patterns of behavior, but a growing consensus far more complex than "authenticity good; Club Med bad 2 ." That's not to say that Club Med is popular among high-income professionals – it’s not – just that when cash is converted into experiences that build (or purport to build) character, decisions are complexified by wealth, politics, and mileage.
Also, the counting never stops.
Well-traveled people's desire to travel is just as acute as it is among their lead-footed friends.
And everyone has been to Italy so… those gelato pics aren’t impressing anyone.
Well-traveled is a high bar.
Think of the phrase as a relative distinction.
The average American doesn't have a passport.
The above average American (economically speaking) is buying extra pages.
Given that the median member of the Oat Milk Elite (median HHI ~$180K, median age ~47) has visited 10 to 19 countries and that more (11%) have been to fifty countries than have been to four or fewer (7%), serious mileage is required to claim "well-traveled" status.
Of course, “well-traveled" isn't just about going lots of places.
It's about going to places other people haven't been 3 .
That means getting past the most visited countries (England, Italy, France, Spain, Mexico), which can be expensive.
Presumably, this is why net worth is a stronger predictor of cou 4 ntries visited than age.
Those with less than $100K in net worth average 18 countries while those with $1M–$3M average 25 and those with $3M+ average north of 28.
There's a reason everyone goes to Europe.
It's not just that the cities are beautiful (though many are); it's that Europe – where the plurality of respondents (43%) would go if "money were no object" 5 – allows travelers to avoid a difficult choice.
The vast majority of survey respondents (77%) reported wanting to experience a place "like a local" (only a tiny minority (4%) dissented).
But, among those who wanted an authentic experience, most (52%) wanted “one extraordinary meal” and more than a third (37%) agreed that a “great hotel matters as much as the destination.” This suggests a reluctance to choose between authenticity and luxury (or semi-luxury/Marriot-ism).
With its high quality of life and cheap macarons, Europe doesn't require that choice in the same way Kenya might.
Japan, the country more respondents (30%) wished to visit than any other, presents the same opportunity to have one’s daifuku and eat it too.
