Retired Travelers Outspend Younger Peers 50% Per Trip as SKI Trend Grows

A travel philosophy known as SKI — shorthand for "Spending the Kids' Inheritance" — is gaining traction among American retirees, who are increasingly choosing to deploy their accumulated wealth on travel experiences rather than preserving assets for the next generation, according to new data released from St. Petersburg, Fla.

Retired couples are spending roughly 50% more per trip than their younger counterparts, a gap that underscores a broader mindset shift taking hold in the retirement community. Rather than viewing savings as a legacy to be passed down, a growing cohort of older Americans is reframing those funds as resources meant to be enjoyed during their own lifetimes.

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The SKI trend reflects a confluence of factors familiar to financial observers: longer life expectancies, improved health outcomes among the 65-and-older population, and a cultural recalibration around what retirement is supposed to look like. Where prior generations may have pinched spending out of obligation to heirs, today's retirees appear more willing to treat travel as a priority expenditure rather than an indulgence.

For financial planners and adult children alike, the phenomenon raises practical questions about estate planning, long-term care reserves, and intergenerational wealth transfer. The trend also carries implications for the broader travel and hospitality industry, which stands to benefit from a demographic with both the time and the financial means to travel extensively.

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