Wed 12 Aug 2026 • Sara Balaban
Is Group Travel Replacing The Way Dating Apps Have Taught Us to Date?
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Dating apps taught us to swipe first and evaluate later. See how group travel is flipping that script, and what real connection looks like off-screen.
I haven't run a marathon, but after years on dating apps, I imagine swiping might be the mental and emotional equivalent of running 26.2 miles. The cycle of swipe, swipe, match, no chat, delete, repeat, all without much real connection, is draining. It's no wonder we're seeing Gen Z and Millennials alike romanticizing simpler times by ditching phone cameras for point-and-shoot digicams, bringing back wired headphones, and searching for ways to step off their screens to meet people in real life.
People used to (and still do) find offline connections that didn't begin with a limited 6-photo profile but instead developed through shared experiences: at a mutual friend's Halloween party, at work, or even while traveling with a group of like-minded people. Unlike dating apps, which often leave us evaluating someone before learning what's really behind the vague green-flag prompt, these real-life settings give us the chance to interact naturally and discover the little things a carefully curated profile could never fully capture.
With the realities of dating fatigue inspiring Bumble's new AI matchmaker, an interesting concept and yet another tech feature keeping us tethered to our devices, it begs the question: What changes when connection develops through in-person shared experiences instead of behind a screen?
And that's where group travel enters the chat.
Island-hopping through the Philippines
What is group travel?
Group travel is a way to explore the world with a crew of like-minded people who start as strangers and often leave feeling like friends you've known for a lifetime. With an active and social group travel company like SurfYogaBeer, the destination is only part of the story. The real connection happens through shared moments like sweaty group workouts, beach days, family-style dinners, and themed parties that get everyone laughing, letting loose, and fully embracing the fun.
More than just building the itinerary and handling the logistics, the best group travel companies cultivate a high-energy, immersive environment where you can ditch your social armor. They give you a reason to put your phone down, stop and smell the roses (or lavender fields), and build relationships in real time. No swipes or AI required.
Group travel experiences: lavender fields in the South of France
How apps have changed the way we connect
Dating apps and group travel actually share the same mission: breaking us out of our daily bubbles to meet people we'd never otherwise cross paths with. But while dating apps can introduce us to someone new, they give us only surface-level context about who that person actually is. Group travel starts with context.
Without a doubt, dating apps expanded our horizons beyond our local loops. With a single swipe, we can "learn" someone's hobbies, job, and where they think the best espresso martini in town is. (PSA: someone's apartment is not it.) But the same convenience that once made apps so revolutionary has created a whole new set of headaches:
- Choice overload: Endlessly scrolling through options until everyone looks the same.
- The chat graveyard: Promising banter that dies a slow death before a first date is even set.
- The split-second reject: Dismissing a potentially great person because their third picture suspiciously looks like it has a 2012 Instagram filter on it.
It’s not just in your head, either. According to a recent Forbes Health survey, nearly 80% of respondents feel consistently burned out by dating apps. At a certain point, the novelty wears off when the connection we're craving fails to materialize from behind a glass screen.
Limoncello night on The Amalfi Coast
Group travel is the social practice we forgot we needed
Believe it or not, before dating apps, people forged new relationships without endless swipes, ghosting, "heart" reactions on messages, and dead-end DMs. Wild to think, but proof there's hope for us yet.
Yes, making new connections as an adult is hard work when we're busy adulting every day. The automatic communities we once had, like school, in-person jobs, and sports teams, aren't built into our lives the way they once were. Finding connections now often requires intentionally putting ourselves out there, which can feel daunting when our calendars are already full. Yet, it's also a chance to practice something many adults have gotten a little rusty at: socializing and tapping into the fun we used to have as kids.
That's where social group travel shines. The right group experience creates a built-in community around a shared adventure and lets connection happen organically. You're not showing up with the expectation that you need to find love or instantly make best friends. You join a trip to explore a beautiful destination, try something new, and maybe flex those face-to-face social muscles.
Hiking in Iceland
How group travel rewires how we connect
On a group trip, there's no profile to scan and no red flags to hunt for before you even say hi. Just the people in front of you and the moment you're sharing. It takes every cliché dating prompt off the screen and brings the actual person behind it to life right in front of you.
- Instead of rolling your eyes at "I'm overly competitive about everything," you're laughing alongside someone who taps into their childhood gym-class energy to bring home a win during a sunset beach volleyball game or a silly limbo contest.
- Instead of a heavy sigh reading, "I love anything outside," you're watching someone slow their pace during a steep hike through volcanic terrain in Iceland to keep you company.
- Instead of yawning at "Looking for someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously," you're getting to know someone while channeling your inner pirate for a nautical-themed party in Croatia, white-water rafting for the first time in Bali, or dancing under an open sky in the Moroccan desert, smothered in glitter.
If a chat with one person doesn't click, the next conversation during a hike, in between surf lessons, over dinner, or during a beach hang with someone else might. You're not trying to stand out among thousands of other profiles; you're just sharing an experience.
The only expectation? Being the unedited version of yourself and having fun.
Croatia group travel: Pirate theme party
The connections that last beyond the trip
Most people don't book a group trip to travel with strangers, expecting to find their future partner. But when you spend a week sharing experiences with cool people, without having to define every connection right away, there's an opportunity to get to know each other in a real, genuine way. Sometimes, that connection can even become romantic.
Duncan and Beth met on a SurfYogaBeer trip and eventually got married. What started as a connection during a New Year's Eve trip to Nicaragua grew into a friendship that flourished when they returned home to New York City.
Mike and Allison’s story followed a similar path, with a spark that, ironically, started during that same New Year’s Eve trip and ended with an exchange of “I do’s.” Group travel isn’t a guaranteed shortcut to finding love. (I don’t think those exist!). These stories are examples of what can happen when people meet without immediately viewing each other through a romantic lens and have the time to get to know each other beyond a screen. And maybe over a tequila shot or two.
And romance isn't the only connection that can come from group travel. Dara and Courtney became great friends after meeting on SurfYogaBeer's Croatia trip, proving that sometimes the best people you meet appear when our phones are face down instead of glued to our hands.
Nicaragua New Year's Eve 2023: 3 couples born from this group trip!
So, how can we challenge ourselves to break the habits we learned from dating apps?
Apps promised to connect us, but along the way, we got trapped in evaluation mode, scanning profiles like resumes instead of focusing on what actually matters: enjoying the process and approaching connection without feeling like every interaction needs to lead somewhere.
At the end of the day, we're not tired of connection. We're just tired of searching for it behind a screen. Group travel isn't replacing dating apps. It's challenging us to remember how to connect outside of them and stay open to new ways of building relationships, with the same curiosity and excitement we had when dating apps were a shiny new thing.
So book the trip. Dust off your passport. Put your phone down for a little while and see what happens when you let people surprise you.
Because sometimes the best connections are the ones you never would have thought to swipe right on.
Ready to put real-world connection back on the itinerary?
SurfYogaBeer brings people together through active, social adventures around the world, creating the space for new friendships, connections, and unforgettable experiences. Explore upcoming trips.
