THE RISE OF THE ‘SKILLIDAY’: HALF OF EUROPEANS NOW PLAN TO LEARN A NEW SKILL ON HOLIDAY

• Half of Europeans (48%) plan to learn a new skill on their summer holiday, with Gen-Z leading the trend
• Most travellers (51%) say skill-based trips feel more meaningful than traditional holidays, especially when created or curated by locals
• One in three (37%) have already booked a trip this year specifically to learn a new skill 

The era of the ‘fly and flop’ summer break is giving way to the ‘skilliday’, as half of Europeans (48%) now plan to master a new skill during their trip.¹ That’s according to a major new survey of more than 27,000 holidaymakers across 28 European countries by Mastercard, which explored the motivations of one of the continent’s biggest economic powerhouses: tourists.

Over a third of Europeans (37%) have already booked a skill-based holiday this year, whether to learn a language, master a sport or even pick up survival skills. Younger people are leading the trend, with 57% of 18–24-year-olds and 52% of 24–34-year-olds having already planned a dedicated skill-based trip this year.

Most holidaymakers (51%) say travel feels more meaningful when they learn something new, while a similar number (48%) believe new skills are now a more valued memento than souvenirs. This is all part of a wider spending trend which sees consumers increasingly value experiences over things.

Crucially, this ‘skilliday’ trend is opening a new revenue opportunity for SMEs in tourism, an industry which employs one in nine people on the continent, and accounts for 10.5% of EU GDP.² Two in five tourists (42%) are happy to pay more for a trip that teaches them a skill, and will gravitate towards local providers that can offer authentic experiences. 

Natalia Lechmanova, Chief Economist, Europe, Mastercard Economics Institute, comments: “Today’s tourists are looking for travel experiences that leave a lasting impression, helping them to create memories, and increasingly, muscle memories. From winemaking and woodworking, to pottery, painting and even permaculture, consumers are opening their wallets for local businesses that can give them a taste of the culture, and a lesson that lasts long after they’ve arrived home.

“This also reflects a broader shift in how people value their money. Spending on experiences has proven more resilient than spending on goods, and skill-based trips sit right at the high-value end of that. Skill-based travel tends to draw people beyond the crowded hotspots and into smaller towns, rural areas and quieter seasons, helping to spread tourism's benefits more evenly.” 

The skills wish list

Language tops the list of skills Europeans want to learn while abroad, with 30% hoping to learn enough to hold a conversation with the locals. Food-related learning follows closely behind with 28% interested in culinary workshops and cooking classes, while the same proportion want to go behind the scenes and see how local products like wine or cheese are made.

One in five (18%) travellers are eager to branch off from the beaten path to learn survival skills like foraging, navigation, bushcraft; followed by a desire to keep alive heritage crafts and traditional techniques (14%).

Top 10 skills Europeans are most interested in learning while travelling in 2026  

1. Basic phrases and conversation in a new language – 30%
2. Culinary skills and cooking workshops with local chefs – 28%
3. Food and drink production (winemaking, cheesemaking, brewing) – 28%
4. Wellness and movement (yoga, meditation, dance, martial arts) – 25%
5. Traditional crafts (pottery, weaving, woodworking, textiles) – 24%
6. Creative arts (photography, painting, writing) – 23%
7. Sports (e.g. skiing, surfing, climbing, hiking) – 19%
8. Outdoor and survival skills (foraging, navigation, bushcraft) – 18%
9. Heritage crafts and traditional techniques – 14%
10. Sustainable living skills (permaculture, conservation) – 13%

Diverse tastes

Across Europe, travellers' interest in skills differs depending on where they are from. Serbians are the most eager to learn languages (45%), while Romanians have the most passion for food, with two in five (41%) wanting to take cooking classes. For Swedes, most (37%) want to get to grips with how all the food and drink is really made.

Elsewhere, a third of Slovenians (35%) are drawn to wellness and movement-based experiences such as yoga, meditation, and dance. While a third of Italians (31%) want to learn traditional crafts like pottery, weaving and woodworking. Creativity is a shared passion; about 31% of Croatians and Serbians are keen to develop artistic skills while away. Ukrainians are the most fitness-minded travellers, with more than a quarter (28%) looking to pick up a new athletic skill. 

Mastercard's latest travel report reveals which European nationalities are spending the most on life experiences when abroad in Europe. Amsterdam cardholders are the biggest spenders on experiences in France, accounting for 9.7% of total spend, while Netherlands-based cardholders make up 4.9% of experience spending in the UK, and Italians account for 3.1% in Spain.

END 

About the Mastercard Economics Institute 

The Mastercard Economics Institute provides insights into global and local economic trends using advanced analytics and Mastercard's proprietary data assets. Established in 2020, MEI supports businesses, governments, and policymakers with economic monitoring services and timely analysis on economic themes including consumer spending, retail and travel trends, and other local and global barometers of economic performance. MEI offers valuable perspectives to inform decision-making and promote sustainable growth worldwide through our thought leadership series, and through Mastercard's specialized product offerings.