Atlas Obscura Travelers Choose the Overlooked Over the Obvious — and Will Pay More to Find It

New Atlas Obscura × Trove survey of U.S. travelers in the Atlas Obscura community finds that discovery, not price, drives where people go, how far they’ll travel, and what they’ll spend — a field guide for destinations competing on distinctiveness rather than scale.

NEW YORK, NY — August 4 — Atlas Obscura, the definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders, is jointly releasing “What Makes U.S. Travelers Explore More, Spend More, and Travel Off-Season,” a joint research report produced with Trove Tourism Development Advisors. Drawn from a July 2026 survey of U.S. travelers on Atlas Obscura’s platforms, the study offers destination marketing organizations a direct read on the discovery-minded, high-intent traveler — and an early signal of where broader travel demand is heading.

The headline finding is about what actually moves these travelers. Across the sample, the lesser-known place has become the default rather than the exception: 95% of respondents say they choose a lesser-known destination over a major hub at least sometimes, and half do so often or always. The decisive factors are authenticity and a sense of discovery — both ranking far above lower cost. For destinations, the implication is clear: this audience is already seeking out the unfamiliar, so the advantage goes to the places that are genuinely distinctive and easy to research.

KEY FINDINGS

1. Discovery is the operating mode, not a niche

95% choose a lesser-known place at least sometimes; just half a percent never do. Authenticity (65%) and the sense of discovery (62%) tower over lower cost (25%) as reasons why. This is an audience trading up for a real sense of place, not trading down to save money.

2. AI helps plan the trip — but it’s not where travelers decide to go

AI’s role in trip planning is rising fast: about one in five travelers now use it to help plan, up from roughly one in ten a year ago. But when it comes to deciding where to go — especially the search for something new and unique — AI barely registers. Just 1.6% name AI tools as the trigger that most often leads them to discover a new place. For this audience, AI is a logistics tool, not a source of inspiration.

3. Editorial is where discovery actually happens

So what does spark discovery? Trusted storytelling. An article or destination guide is the single trigger travelers most often name for finding a new place — cited far more than search engines, social media, and AI combined. Personal recommendations and word-of-mouth follow close behind. For destinations, the takeaway is clear: the way to reach this traveler is to earn a place in the content and conversations they already trust, not to buy the last click before they book.

4. They’ll drive — and add days — to get there

58% will drive two or more hours from a major hub to reach a lesser-known place, and 78% will extend a trip by a day or more to visit one. Proximity to a gateway is an asset, not a prerequisite — and the drive itself, framed as part of the discovery, becomes a reason to go rather than a barrier.

5. Authenticity is a pricing lever, not a soft value

94% will pay a premium for a genuinely local experience, and more than a third will pay 25% or more. When they splurge, they choose the tangible and memorable — standout food, local goods and craft, one-of-a-kind excursions — well ahead of generic upgrades. Destinations can package signature local experiences at a premium instead of discounting to compete.

6. The off-season can be programmed, not just discounted

93% have traveled off-season in the past two years, and experience-led reasons — a guaranteed lack of crowds, a unique seasonal event — convert as many travelers as deep discounts do. Half of would-be off-season visitors can be won with no discount at all. Keeping signature experiences open and giving people a reason to come is the cheaper, higher-margin lever.

7. When the world feels unstable, demand redirects — it doesn’t disappear

58% say world events influence their plans, but the dominant response is to reroute rather than cancel: most avoid a specific region and shift toward destinations that read as stable, with a meaningful share moving from international to domestic travel. A destination that communicates clear, credible, current information stands to capture demand displaced from riskier places.

FROM ATLAS OBSCURA

“The traveler who seeks out the overlooked is the the leading edge of where travel is going,” said Louise Story, CEO and Publisher of Atlas Obscura. “People are choosing places for authenticity and discovery, they’ll go out of their way to find them, and they’ll pay more for something genuinely local. For destinations, that’s an enormous opportunity: you don’t have to be the biggest or the cheapest to win this traveler. You have to be the most distinctive — and be present in the stories and guides where discovery actually happens.”

FROM TROVE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ADVISORS
“Destinations have long suspected that curiosity and authenticity drive high-value visitation. This study puts numbers behind it,” said Danny Cohanpour,  Founder and CEO, Trove Tourism Development Advisors. “The data shows that travelers will go farther, stay longer, and spend more for places that offer a genuine sense of discovery. The destinations that succeed won’t necessarily be the cheapest or the closest. They’ll be the ones that confidently lead with what makes them unique.”

The full report — including detailed data on planning windows, spending behavior, off-season motivators, and safety decision-making, plus nine specific actions for destinations — is available as a joint white paper from Trove Tourism Development Advisors and Atlas Obscura. Read the full white paper here.

Atlas Obscura and Trove will host a Webinar in early September to discuss these findings. Sign up here.

ABOUT THE RESEARCH

The findings are drawn from a July 2026 survey of 689 U.S. residents who are Atlas Obscura readers, past users, or website visitors — a highly engaged, discovery-oriented editorial audience. Percentages are reported on the base that answered each question. Because the audience actively seeks out the unusual and overlooked, the study offers both a portrait of the high-intent traveler and an early indicator of where wider demand is heading. PLEASE NOTE: Atlas Obscura has substantial usage internationally, so its audience is wider than the group profiled in this white paper. Atlas Obscura’s full audience profile can be found here.

ABOUT ATLAS OBSCURA

Atlas Obscura is the definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders and a community of curious travelers drawn to the unexpected. Through its crowd-sourced atlas of extraordinary places, original journalism, immersive experiences, and books, Atlas Obscura inspires millions of people to explore the world’s most wondrous and overlooked destinations.

ABOUT TROVE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ADVISORS

Trove Tourism Development Advisors is a tourism marketing and strategy firm representing 30+ destinations across six continents. Its work spans destination marketing — travel-trade relations, earned media, and digital campaigns — and destination development, including market research, visitor-sentiment studies, and sustainable tourism planning. Trove designed this study, analyzed the data, and translated the results into recommendations for destinations.

MEDIA CONTACT

Erin McKay ·VP Client Success· Atlas Obscura

Erin.McKay@atlasobscura.com

Danny Cohanpour ·CEO· Trove Tourism Development Advisors
Danny@trovetourism.com 

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