Courtesy: Janeen Christoff | News Source: travelpulse.com

American Express Travel’s latest survey revealed surprising trends about the preferences of younger travelers and unconventional destinations that are rising to the forefront.

The research showed that older Gen Z’ers want to pay for premium, especially when it comes to hotels, and more consumers are searching for a trusted advisor to help streamline the travel process, from planning to booking to on-the-ground experiences.

American Express also found the top trending destinations to take advantage of during the last days of the summer. Results showed that places such as Vietnam, Slovenia, Argentina and Portugal are growing by leaps and bounds.

Da Nang, Vietnam, saw 97 percent year-over-year growth, according to American Express. New modern hotels, apartments and restaurants continue to pop up in the city and the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property, features private gondolas, a world-class spa, an on-site nightclub, a Michelin-starred restaurant and beautiful scenery.

Ljubljana, Slovenia, is also one the rise. The city saw 91 percent year-over-year growth. It’s one of Europe’s greenest cities with lavish hotels like the InterContinental Ljubljana.

Argentina’s Iguazu Falls is drawing more visitors than ever with 79 percent year-over-year growth. Travelers can visit both the Argentina and Brazil side of the falls and stay at the Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, the only hotel inside the National Park in Brazil.

Iguazu Falls, Brazil (Photo courtesy of Emily Krause)

Ponta Delgada, Portugal, is also attracting more visitors these days. Just a six-hour flight from New York City, the Azores are even easier to reach with new Delta flights. It’s easy to see why the destination is growing by leaps and bounds—79 percent year-over-year.

The survey also revealed other trends in the industry, including that travelers really value their early check-ins and late checkouts. Half of the consumers surveyed would be willing to spend up to $50 more on a $500 hotel bill for early check-in or late check-out.

Travelers are also more likely to be creatures of habit. More than 50 percent of consumers like to use the same brands of hotels every time they travel because they like knowing what they will get no matter where they are traveling and are willing to pay more for this.

Older Gen Z’ers are two times more likely than boomers to spend more on luxury experiences this year, and 74 percent of older Gen Z’ers believe a premium hotel is worth the cost.