Photo: Moment RF
Americans are citing affordability as their main reason for not booking a trip this summer.
According to Bankrate’s 2025 Summer Travel Survey, only 46 percent of U.S. adults are planning to travel this summer. 65 percent said affordability is the biggest the factor keeping them at home.
For those that are planning to hit the road or the skies for a getaway, the survey also found that nearly 3 in 10 (29 percent) of prospective travelers are planning to take on debt to book their trips.
Chris Amenechi, airline pricing guru and founder of SeatCash, said higher costs of some everyday expenses are just one of the things getting in the way of would-be-travelers.
"Prices are going up, inflation is also still in place, plus there's this whole idea of wondering if the economy is going into a recession," Amenechi said.
Money may be tight but the intent for folks to travel is still there. Amenechi said some people still want to experience those prime areas of travel, even if they take on debt to go there.
"People are still looking for great experiences, they're looking to spend the appropriate amount of money for those experiences and if they have the budget to do it, they're going to do it," said Amenechi.
There's still time to book a summer getaway. Keep in mind, the most convenient times to travel to the most popular destinations are going to be more expensive than normal.
"If you're buying travel now it's a bit more expensive if you're traveling to Europe or these usual places," Amenechi added. "If you're a bit price sensitive, you're hesitating a bit, but if you're not price sensitive, you're really just deciding between the most interesting place to go to or someplace less interesting but still more affordable."
The Bankrate survey also found that 1 in 10 Americans are going to be sticking close to home this summer with a staycation.