This latest trend in holiday gift ideas doesn’t take up much space or weigh down checked luggage.

The bag doesn’t need to even be packed.

Rather than giving holidaymakers new gear for travel — electronics organizers, Yeti thermoses, yet another airplane pillow — some are giving travel itself.   

surveyAdobe surveyed more than 1000 Americans and found that 51% plan on buying physical presents this holiday season. However, 17% of them plan to gift “an experience”.

Respondents to the survey indicated that they most frequently cited spa services (25%) or concert tickets (25%), while others stated that they plan on giving plane tickets (21%), and cooking classes (16%).

“Experience gifting” — as it is known — isn’t new. However, it is gaining popularity in the holiday season. push for minimalist packingThis pandemic has made traveling a priority in many people’s lives since 2022.    

Migle Rakauskaite, the chief marketing manager at travel experience website Tinggly.comAccording to the report, the pandemic caused an increase of travel-experience gift sales.

“Gifting traditions have changed,” she stated. People value time spent together doing meaningful things. “Experience gifts are more valued than regular stuff.

These are also very easy to do. With a few strokes of a keyboard, buyers can give experiences that once would have required time and coordination to pull off — a street food tour in Vietnam, a hot air balloon ride outside Chicago, or a private gondola tour for two through the canals of Venice, Italy.

Tinggly.com’s travel experience gift boxes never expire which was a key factor in the increase of pandemic-related purchases, Rakauskaite stated.

Perhaps most important of all, recipients — not the buyers — get to choose their own experiences at a time and date that suit their schedules.

Tinggly addresses a hang-up some have about giving intangible presents — it sends a package for recipients to open. According to company representatives, gift boxes can be shipped worldwide. Last-minute buyers can send e-vouchers, however.

Onefinestay, a home rental website with houses and villas in “bucket list” destinations — such as Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the Cayman Islands and Italy’s Amalfi Coast — lets people book homes as gifts.

According to company representatives, purchasers must confirm the dates, credit card information, and details of their guests before they can book a room.

For those who love the outdoors, travel gifts are available through Campspot.

This website acts as an Airbnb for outdoormen. It connects travelers to campgrounds, RV parks, ranches, and rustic resorts. Many of these are less than $50 per night.

Gift memberships are another choice for owners. Harvest Hosts. The annual membership costs $99 and grants overnight parking at more than 2,700 locations across North America. The website lists spots that are less popular and more unique than others. These include museums, wineries and organic farms.  

A representative from the company said that RV owners could also park their cars at many of Europe’s golf courses for $40 less.

The Nightfall GroupRent houses in Beverly Hills and the French Riviera.

You can add services such as airport transfers, stocked groceries and jet or yacht charters to your trip. The Los Angeles-based firm can book butlers, chefs, and nannies as well as Chauffeurs.