Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 6
Fewer Than Half of Americans Scrap Summer Vacations as Airfares and Gas Prices Soar
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 6

Fewer Than Half of Americans Scrap Summer Vacations as Airfares and Gas Prices Soar

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 6

Summary

  • Less than half of Americans say they plan a summer vacation, with readers describing trips as increasingly out of reach because airfare, gas, lodging and food costs remain high.
  • Many said they are replacing longer getaways with short drives, one-night stays or trips within 200 miles of home, while avoiding flights and rental cars altogether.
  • Households also reported cutting other spending to cope — dropping cable, limiting dining out, using coupons and shopping sales — as they see little near-term relief from inflation or interest rates.
  • The pullback builds on a broader shift toward closer-to-home travel this summer, even as AAA previously projected 72.2 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles over the holiday period.

Insights

Are America's 'underrated' towns prepared for the sudden influx of tourists fleeing high airfares?
As American travel budgets hit record highs, why are families choosing budget road trips over flights?
Can a boom in domestic tourism offset the multi-billion dollar loss from fewer international visitors?