Visa Survey Finds Consumers Favor Physical Gifts Despite Travel Wish Lists

According to CNBC, a Visa survey found that more than half of respondents put travel and live events at the top of their holiday wish lists, but 27% plan to prioritize physical gifts for others, compared with 15% who favor experiences. Visa’s survey included roughly 4,660 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Visa projects holiday sales will grow 4.5% year over year, largely because of inflation; excluding price increases, sales are expected to rise 1.1%, down from a 1.3% increase during the 2025 holiday season. Visa principal U.S. economist Michael Brown said higher travel costs, weaker consumer sentiment and a focus on value are contributing to the gap between shoppers’ travel aspirations and their planned spending.