Why 4 in 10 Americans Have Already Given Up on Summer Travel This Year
Summer travel is still a major part of the U.S. economy in 2025, but higher prices are changing who gets to take a trip. That shift came into sharper focus on June 16, when Bankrate released a survey showing 41% of U.S. adults have already decided not to travel this summer.
Bankrate says cost is the biggest reason people are staying home
Bankrate said in its June 16, 2025 survey that 41% of U.S. adults are not planning a summer vacation this year. The personal finance company also found that 65% of those skipping travel said they simply cannot afford it, making cost the top reason by a wide margin.
The same survey found another 23% said they do not have time to travel, while 16% said travel is too much of a hassle. Bankrate reported that 13% are staying home because they prefer saving money, a sign that even some households that could travel are choosing not to spend.
Among people who are taking a trip, Bankrate found many are making cutbacks. Its survey said 29% plan to spend less than they did in summer 2024, while 25% said they are adjusting destinations, lengths of stay, or transportation to make a trip fit their budget.
The impact is national, but families in high-cost states may feel it more
The Bankrate survey reflects a nationwide pattern, not a single city or state, and it points to pressure that many households in places like California, Florida, New York, and Texas already know well. In high-cost states, summer travel competes with rent, groceries, insurance, and child care, all of which have remained elevated in 2025.
What is confirmed is the national share: 41% of adults are skipping summer travel, according to Bankrate. What is not yet known is a full state-by-state breakdown, because Bankrate did not release a comprehensive list showing which states had the highest rates of canceled or delayed vacation plans.
AAA has projected strong overall summer travel volumes in recent years, which shows that national travel demand can stay high even while a large share of individuals opt out. That split helps explain why airports and highways may still be crowded in July 2025 even as millions of Americans decide a vacation is out of reach.
Inflation, debt, and travel prices are shaping 2025 vacation decisions
Bankrate Senior Industry Analyst Ted Rossman said in the survey release that summer travel remains expensive, especially for airfare and lodging. His comments tied the 2025 pullback to broader household budget strain, with many Americans still dealing with high prices and elevated borrowing costs compared with pre-2020 levels.
Federal data has shown that consumer prices rose sharply between 2021 and 2024, and many travel-related categories stayed above earlier norms heading into summer 2025. Even when inflation has cooled from its 2022 peak, the price level for hotels, restaurant meals, and transportation remains higher than it was a few years ago.
For travelers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: summer 2025 demand has not disappeared, but affordability is a bigger filter than before. Bankrate’s findings suggest that many Americans who do travel this year will keep looking for shorter stays, cheaper destinations, and lower daily spending rather than abandoning summer trips altogether.
