New travel marketplace responds to a broader shift toward experiences built around connection, adventure and wellbeing, without alcohol at the center
San Francisco, CA — August 13, 2026 Americans are drinking less. Travelers are placing greater value on wellness, adventure and meaningful experiences. Yet alcohol remains deeply embedded in the way many vacations are marketed and experienced, from welcome cocktails and wine tastings to resort happy hours and nightlife-centered itineraries.
Dry Tripping Travel believes the travel industry has an opportunity to catch up.
The new marketplace brings alcohol-free retreats and group trips together in one place, making it easier to discover and book travel experiences designed around what travelers want to do, who they want to meet and how they want to spend their time, rather than what they want to drink.
In 2025, 54% of U.S. adults told Gallup they drink alcohol, down from 67% in 2022 and the lowest level Gallup has recorded in nearly 90 years of tracking.[1] Moderation is also showing up directly in travel. Hilton’s global travel research found that one in four travelers had reduced or stopped their alcohol consumption within the previous year.[2]
At the same time, travelers are looking for more from their time away. Hilton found that seven in 10 global travelers enjoy being active while traveling, while more than one in five planned leisure travel for self-discovery or mental health.[2]
For Dry Tripping Travel founder Isabel van Zuilen, these trends point to something bigger than drinking less. They reflect a change in what people increasingly want travel to give them.
“When I started my sober journey in 2019, I still wanted everything I’d always wanted from travel: fun, letting go, social time and relaxing with people I liked. I just didn’t want alcohol to be part of the equation anymore. That’s what we’re building with Dry Tripping Travel: a place where people can find trips that offer all of that without needing a drink to get there.”
Isabel van Zuilen, Founder of Dry Tripping Travel
The trips exist. Finding them is the hard part.
Alcohol-free retreats, adventure trips and hosted group experiences already exist around the world. But unlike travelers searching for luxury resorts, adventure tours or wine-focused getaways, someone looking specifically for a social, alcohol-free getaway has no obvious place to start. Experiences are scattered across retreat websites, social media and individual tour operators, leaving travelers to determine for themselves how alcohol fits into each trip.
That gap inspired Dry Tripping Travel.
“Through Sobertopia, the alcohol-free community I run, I heard the same thing over and over: women had found an amazing retreat or trip, but only because someone in the community happened to mention it. There was no real way to go looking for these experiences. I didn't set out to build a company. I kept seeing the same gap from inside a community that needed it filled, and eventually I couldn't not build it,” said van Zuilen.
Dry Tripping Travel gives travelers a central place to explore curated alcohol-free retreats and group trips by destination, host and experience. Travelers can review itineraries, accommodations, activities and what is included before choosing an experience that feels right for them.
Alcohol-free travel isn’t about traveling with less
Alcohol-free travel extends well beyond people who identify as sober or are in recovery. Travelers may be sober-curious, drinking less, taking a break, prioritizing their health or simply uninterested in having alcohol at the center of their trip.
Dry Tripping Travel is designed for that spectrum. Travelers don’t need a particular label or reason for choosing an alcohol-free experience, and the company doesn’t view alcohol-free travel as a lesser version of a traditional vacation.
A trip might mean hiking somewhere completely new, learning to surf, exploring a city, sharing a long dinner with new friends, taking a yoga class, spending time outdoors or simply waking up ready for whatever comes next.
The point isn’t what has been removed from the itinerary. It’s what the traveler came to experience in the first place.
“Nobody comes back from a trip talking about the drinks. They talk about the sunrise hike, the friend they made or the conversation that went way too long. That’s what we build around: not what’s missing from the itinerary, but what people actually came for.”
Isabel van Zuilen, Founder of Dry Tripping Travel
Building a home for an emerging travel category
Dry Tripping Travel is beginning to bring together experiences that show just how varied alcohol-free travel can be, from a long weekend retreat in Palm Springs to a weeklong experience in Lisbon.
As the category grows, Dry Tripping Travel wants to make these experiences easier to recognize, find and choose, giving travelers a dedicated place to explore trips designed from the start with alcohol-free travel in mind.
Hospitality has already begun adapting to changing drinking habits through expanded nonalcoholic menus and zero-proof offerings. Travel presents a broader opportunity: entire experiences where connection, adventure, culture and wellbeing provide the social center of the trip.
“I want a future where alcohol-free travel isn't a niche you stumble into. It's a category people know to look for. We're building the place where that search starts,” said van Zuilen.
For travelers, that could eventually mean spending less time figuring out whether a trip fits the way they want to travel and more time deciding where they want to go next.
About Dry Tripping Travel
Dry Tripping Travel is a marketplace for discovering alcohol-free retreats and group trips centered around connection, adventure, wellness and memorable experiences. The platform brings curated trips together in one place, making it easier for travelers to find experiences where alcohol isn’t the main event.
Dry Tripping Travel welcomes alcohol-free, sober-curious and wellness-minded travelers, as well as anyone interested in experiencing travel differently.
Learn more at drytrippingtravel.com, or contact Isabel van Zuilen here for any more information.
References
[1] Gallup, “U.S. Drinking Rate at New Low as Alcohol Concerns Surge” August 13, 2025. Gallup reported that 54% of U.S. adults said they consume alcohol in 2025, its lowest measurement in nearly 90 years of tracking, compared with 67% in 2022.
[2] Hilton, 2025 Trends Report, September 30, 2024. Based on research involving 13,000 travelers across 13 countries. Hilton reported that one in four global travelers had reduced or stopped their alcohol consumption in the previous year; seven in 10 enjoy being active while traveling; and more than one in five planned leisure travel connected to self-discovery or mental health.
