Survey: Consumers choosing more affordable summer travel options
With the cost of everyday goods remaining high, many Americans are altering their summer vacation plans.
According to a new survey from email & SMS marketing platform Omnisend, nearly half (47%) of respondents say they’ve postponed, shortened, downgraded or entirely canceled a summer trip because of cost. Among those affected, gas prices (46%) were cited most often as the reason, along with groceries and everyday bills (29%) and hotel and vacation rental prices (24%).
Of the 59% of respondents who have travel plans this summer, only 17% are taking a major trip involving flights or paid lodging. Consumers are choosing more affordable alternatives such as taking a shorter or cheaper trip than originally planned (21%) and sticking to day trips or local outings (20%). Fourteen percent are planning to stay home altogether.
“Americans aren’t giving up on summer. They’re giving up on the idea that a memorable vacation has to involve flights, hotels, or a hefty price tag,” said Marty Bauer, e-commerce expert at Omnisend. “A vacation budget no longer exists in isolation – it’s competing with higher fuel costs, grocery bills and other everyday expenses that have become harder to ignore. So, people are becoming much more creative about finding breaks that fit their budget instead of abandoning the idea of a getaway altogether.”
Nearly one-in-three (29%) respondents who are spending less on travel this year admit they need the money for essentials. Nearly half (47%) say they’re spending it on groceries, while 28% are putting it toward rent or mortgage payments. Omnisend noted that another 23% are using would-be travel money to pay down debt.
[READ MORE: Survey: Grocery shoppers remain concerned prices could keep rising]
“There was a time when skipping or downgrading a vacation might have meant spending that money on a home renovation or new furniture,” added Bauer. “Today, that’s increasingly not the case. Before families decide where they want to go, they’re deciding whether that money would be better spent putting food on the table, staying on top of bills or paying down debt. That’s a very different kind of spending than we typically associate with summer.”
Omnisend’s survey was conducted by Cint in June 2026. A total of 1,075 U.S. consumers took part in the survey.
