KPMG: 60% of Americans will travel
- KPMG said last week that 60% of Americans still plan summer travel in 2026, even as households cut back on other discretionary spending. - The telling detail is how selective people have become — 39% are traveling for a specific experience, while 49% say the economy shapes destination choices. - That matters because summer demand looks intact, but it’s shifting toward planned, value-conscious trips rather than carefree, open-wallet vacation spending.
Summer travel is still on. That’s the headline. But the shape of that travel has changed a lot. KPMG’s new summer consumer pulse says 60% of Americans plan to travel this summer. That is basically the same broad level of demand the industry has been hoping for, even with households feeling squeezed. The surprise is not that people still want trips. It’s how much harder they’re thinking about every part of them. (kpmg.com) ### Why is this notable? Because the same consumers who still want vacations are cutting back elsewhere. KPMG’s spring-summer consumer data showed discretionary spending expectations falling across most categories, while groceries and other regular living costs kept eating up more of the budget. In other words, travel is surviving the squeeze better than a lot of everyday nonessential spending. (kpmg.com) ### So what kind of travel are people choosing? More intentional travel. KPMG framed the shift as “memories over materials,” and that gets at the mood pretty well. Nearly four in 10 travelers are anchoring plans around a specific experience, not just taking a generic summer break. The destination, the event, or the reason for the trip matters more when money feels tighter. (kpmg.com) ### What does “intentional” really mean? It means people are not necessarily canceling travel — they’re editing it. They may shorten the trip, choose a cheaper hotel, drive instead of fly, or build the vacation around one must-do moment and save on everything around it. That same pattern shows up in other 2026 travel surveys too: Americans still want to go, but they are planning more careful(kpmg.com). (kpmg.com) ### Are budgets the main pressure point? Yes, and the pressure is broad. In KPMG’s 2025 summer survey, 74% said their cost of living had risen by more than 5%, and 60% said they had started tracking expenses more carefully. Travel plans held up anyway — 58% planned summer 2025 travel versus 55% in 2024 — but 32% also said they felt less comfortable traveling because of higher prices. The 202(kpmg.com)e, but comfort is fragile. (kpmg.com) ### What about airfare? That’s the catch. Travel demand can stay solid even while flying feels more expensive and more annoying. Some recent travel-industry coverage points to higher summer airfares and rising bag fees ahead of the peak season. I’d treat the exact percentages cautiously unless they come from carrier filings or government price data, but the direction of travel is pretty clear — flying is one of the first places consumers feel the pinch. (travelandtourworld.com) ### Does this mean people are still confident? Not exactly confident — more like determined. Another 2026 AAA travel survey found 61% of Americans plan to travel this year, almost the same share KPMG found for summer alone, but those trips are often tied to milestones and specific reasons. That lines up with the idea that travel now has to earn its place in the budget. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### What should businesses take from this? Demand is there, but the easy money is not. Airlines, hotels, and travel brands are selling into a market where people still want the trip but scrutinize the tradeoffs. The winning pitch is not pure luxury. It’s value, flexibility, and a clear reason to book now. (kpmg.com)urned it into a more deliberate purchase — less impulse, more spreadsheet, same desire to go somewhere anyway.
