A beautiful hotel, a candlelit dinner and a few days away can do wonders for a relationship and help you unplug. But for couples looking to truly reconnect on a deeper level, a change of scenery alone may not change the habits they bring from home. A newer trend, dubbed “relationship tourism,” puts shared experiences at the center of the vacation and aims to move beyond the epidemic of surface-level trips that make a pretty IG carousel but don’t necessarily strengthen the relationship.
The term describes travel chosen for what partners want to explore together, as much as for the destination itself. That could mean learning something new, trying an unfamiliar activity, having time for deeper, more vulnerable conversations or meeting people with a different perspective. It doesn’t have to involve sex or a major relationship overhaul. The intention can be as simple as making space to be curious about each other again.
“There’s a growing interest in trips that offer more than passive relaxation,” says Dr. Valerie “Dr. Val” Poppel, PhD, clinical sexologist and director of education, health and wellness at Bliss Cruise. Couples often become efficient at managing work, caregiving and household responsibilities, she says, but those roles can crowd out their identities as lovers. A new setting can disrupt the routine and make room for a different kind of attention.
There is some research behind the appeal of shared novelty, though it doesn’t prove that a particular trip will improve a relationship. A 2024 study involving 238 partners found that “self-expanding” vacation activities (experiences that introduced novelty or a new perspective) were associated with greater romantic passion and relationship satisfaction after the trip.
An American Express Travel’s 2026 Global Travel Trends report also indicates a spike in experience-led holidays, finding that 83% of surveyed Millennial and Gen Z travelers prioritized unique, authentic experiences over popular attractions. These findings show that people are hungry for more memorable experiences, with relationship tourism on the bolder edge of the spectrum.
Bliss Cruise uses the term to describe its adults-only lifestyle cruises, which combine entertainment and social events with workshops and sexual wellness programming. CEO Russell Stephens says the goal is to give couples “something completely new and different to share,” whether that’s a workshop, a themed evening or live entertainment (the brand’s 2027 cruises have Smash Mouth and Flo Rida as headliners). Stephens says that the number of options is meant to let couples decide what feels right for them, only venturing out of their comfort zones if they feel like it.
That flexibility may matter to people who are curious about a lifestyle cruise but worry it means they have to open their relationship or participate in sexual activities. Poppel says that a major misconception about lifestyle cruises is that it means you have to engage in non-monogamy; in reality, couples can attend workshops on topics like tantra, BDSM, sensual touch, or women’s erotic empowerment and dominance. They can also opt to simply enjoy the nightlife, or just spend time together away from everyday responsibilities and routines back home.
“Clear expectations around consent, boundaries, and privacy are essential and our number one priority,” Stephens says. Guests can move at their own pace, he adds, and are not expected to follow a checklist of experiences. That choice includes the ability to observe, decline an invitation or change one’s mind at any point. Attendance, clothing or flirtation should never be treated as consent to sexual contact.
For couples considering any experience-led getaway, the useful first step may be a conversation before booking: What would each person enjoy? What feels outside their comfort zone? Is the goal rest, adventure, intimacy, or just some uninterrupted time together? Setting expectations in advance can help make the trip feel shared rather than like one partner’s plan for the other.
Poppel also cautions against treating novelty as a shortcut to desire. Travel can create an opportunity to reconnect, but it cannot guarantee a change in intimacy or resolve deeper relationship concerns. The value may lie less in the destination than in the chance to step outside familiar roles and make a memory together. Instead, she sees travel experiences like Bliss Cruise as an opportunity to normalize conversations about sex and intimacy that many couples have been putting off or avoiding.
Relationship tourism is still a new category of travel, and the definition can vary greatly based on what you’re seeking out of the experience. For some couples, it may mean a workshop or an adults-only cruise. For others, it may be a hiking trip, a cooking class, or a no-screens weekend spent reconnecting face-to-face. At the heart of it is intentionality: choosing a shared experience, together, that reflects each partner’s curiosity and boundaries.