Only 45% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation that includes a stay in paid lodging this year, the lowest figure in six years, according to Deloitte’s 2026 Summer Travel Survey of 4,003 Americans fielded from April 2 to April 9. The finding captures a stark split in American travel behavior: rising prices are keeping millions at home while the travelers who do go are preparing to spend more than ever.
Cost is the deciding factor
The main reasons cited by non-travelers are the high cost of travel, named by 32%, and an outright inability to afford a trip, cited by 35%. Those numbers reflect a broader squeeze on household budgets that is reshaping which Americans get to pack a bag at all.
A separate American Hotel & Lodging Association survey found that while 57% of Americans say travel costs more than last year, those still planning a trip are stretching their budgets. They are choosing destinations closer to home, reconsidering their mode of transportation, and seeking hotels with amenities like complimentary breakfast and loyalty rewards to help offset costs.
Those who go plan to spend sharply more
Despite the decline in overall travel intent, those who plan to travel expect to spend an average of $4,069 on their longest summer trip, a 17% increase from the previous year. That figure signals that cost pressure is not dampening ambition so much as it is sorting the market into committed spenders and reluctant stay-at-homes.
Budget increases are directed toward enhanced experiences, with a rise in travelers upgrading airfare class, from 20% in 2025 to 23% in 2026, selecting better lodging locations, up from 25% to 29%, and choosing more luxurious accommodations, up from 24% to 26%. Deloitte vice chair Kate Ferrara said that “amid pricing pressures, those who are packing their bags this summer intend to spend, indicating that many are putting a premium on experiences,” and that “providers can capitalize on this opportunity by focusing on enhancing the travel experience through upgrades and partner offerings.”
When and how Americans are traveling is shifting
One notable new trend is the rise of working while away: one-third of travelers surveyed, or 34%, plan to work during their longest summer trip, up from 23% in 2025. The blurring of work and leisure, sometimes called “workcation” behavior, is particularly pronounced among younger generations.
While most travelers surveyed, 77%, say their longest trip will fall before the end of August, the share of all summer trips taking place after Labor Day has climbed from 12% in 2022 to 20% in 2026. That shift suggests Americans are deliberately seeking cheaper travel windows by moving outside peak-season dates, a form of budget flexibility that avoids outright cancellation.
The pattern echoes what researchers have documented in other consumer categories. Just as US homeowners have dialed back renovation budgets in 2026, travelers are recalibrating expectations in the face of persistent price pressure rather than abandoning discretionary spending altogether.
A tale of two travel markets
Despite cost concerns, Americans still plan to stay in paid lodging and are more open to upgrading flights. Slightly fewer travelers plan to stay with friends and family this summer, 37% compared with 39% in 2025.
The Deloitte survey’s portrait of American travel in 2026 closely mirrors behavior seen in consumer spending more broadly: the most committed participants spend more and compress their experiences, while a larger group opts out entirely. Researchers studying what travelers do once they arrive have found that dining and local experience-seeking consistently rank as top priorities regardless of how far people go, suggesting that the appetite for meaningful outings remains even as the decision to book a trip grows harder.
Deloitte’s overall assessment frames 2026 as a summer where rising travel costs are reshaping plans, sidelining some travelers while pushing determined vacationers to spend more to get away. Whether that divergence widens or narrows depends largely on whether airline and lodging prices ease before the season ends.
