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America’s favorite luxury indulgence revealed — and it’s not Michelin dining

The U.S. state is most fascinated with luxury yacht experiences

By Emily Caldwell Nov 19, 2025 5:29 AM

white yacht on body of water during daytime — Luke Moss / Unsplash

According to Assembly Global, experience-focused luxury spending is projected to reach $391 billion by 2028, up from $239 billion today. To uncover how Americans are indulging in this growing trend, Navigare Yachting analyzed search data across the United States to reveal each state’s most popular luxury experience – from yacht charters to Michelin-star dining and serene wellness retreats.

As it turns out, Americans are most interested in yacht charters as a top-searched luxury experience across 36 U.S. states, dominating much of the South and Midwest. The analyzed data found that Michelin-star restaurants were a top-searched luxury in 13 U.S. states, including California, New York, and Illinois.

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In two states, Montana and Vermont, luxury travelers were most interested in wellness retreats, while Mississippi expressed the nation’s strongest single preference — with yacht charters accounting for nearly 50% of luxury-related travel searches. Overall, research suggests that luxury villas and luxury train rides rank low in interest across the board, with not a single state choosing them as a top-searched luxury experience.

Top states interested in luxury yacht charters

The fascination with high-end experiences reflects a change in the market, showcasing that younger affluent consumers will soon make up 75% of the luxury market. These consumers are increasingly interested in selecting experiences like yacht charters, wellness retreats, and nd Michelin-star dining over traditional luxury goods, redefining what it means to live luxuriously.

Mississippi led the nation with a 50% search share for yacht charters, followed closely by Kansas (48%), Florida (46%), and West Virginia (44%).
Even states like Oklahoma (42%) and Maine (42%) showed a clear fascination with luxury yacht charters.

Emily is a Features Writer at The Manual, where she specializes in food, beverage, and travel content. She focuses on weaving… Read Full Bio

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