65% of Americans Alter Summer 2026 Travel Plans as Costs and Route Risks Rise

5 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 21

65% of Americans have already changed summer travel plans because of rising prices, and 31% switched destinations or canceled vacations entirely, according to a new US News and World Report survey.
Higher gas and jet-fuel costs, economic unease after layoffs, and disrupted Middle East flight paths are pushing travelers toward cheaper, simpler options rather than abandoning trips outright.
Two-thirds still plan to travel this summer, but an Ibotta survey found one-third expect to take fewer trips, with families swapping Disney for the Smokies and long-haul flights for shorter domestic breaks.
Gasoline topping $4.50 a gallon in early May is also reshaping road trips, prompting travelers to cut driving distances, choose nearby events, or replace multi-state drives with short flights.
Travel advisers say demand now centers on destinations that feel secure and easy to reach, though some travelers are using the disruption to find bargains in places where demand has softened.

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