fewer Americans – A Deloitte survey finds only 45% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation involving paid lodging this year—the lowest in six years—yet travelers who do go are raising their budgets. Average spending on their longest trip is expected to reach about $4,050, u
For the third summer in a row, the math is getting harder. A new Deloitte report released Tuesday found that many Americans are skipping summer travel plans because the cost of getting away keeps rising—yet the people who do book trips appear ready to pay more.
Only 45% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation involving paid lodging this year, according to Deloitte’s survey of 4,000 Americans. That is the lowest number in six years.
About a third of those who aren’t traveling said they cannot afford a vacation. Others pointed to the same pressure from the other side of the transaction: travel has become too expensive.
The shift doesn’t stop at who is staying home. Among those still going, budgets are rising quickly. Travelers in the Deloitte survey said they plan to spend about $4,050 on their longest summer trip on average, up 17% from last year.
Kate Ferrara. Deloitte’s US transportation. hospitality. and services sector leader. tied the behavior directly to the pressures people are feeling. “Amid pricing pressures. those who are packing their bags this summer intend to spend. indicating that many are putting a premium on experiences. ” she said in the report.
But the idea of “vacation” may not look the way it used to. Deloitte found about 34% of surveyed people plan to work during their longest summer trip, up from about 23% last year. Millennials were the most likely to do so, with 57% saying they plan to work on vacation.
Spending is also moving toward comfort and convenience. Deloitte found that more consumers plan to purchase premium airline seats, upgraded tickets, and better hotel locations compared with last year.
Even international travel—often the priciest kind of getaway—showed signs of strengthening among people who are still vacationing. About 32% of surveyed travelers who plan to fly said they intend to take an international flight this summer, up from 27% a year ago.
Younger travelers are shaping the mix. Deloitte said millennials now account for nearly a third of travelers. It also found that Gen Z and millennials expect to take more trips this summer than they did last year.
A final wrinkle is how trips are being planned. Deloitte reported that about 25% of travelers say they plan to use generative AI tools to help organize trips, up from 15% last year.
The numbers sketch a clear divide: higher travel costs are pushing more Americans out of the market for summer vacations. but those who still go are concentrating spending—on longer trips. premium upgrades. and even more international travel—while weaving work and new planning technology into the getaway.
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