One in four American adults are planning to stay put rather than make a summer vacation trip, according to new data from Bankrate.
The new survey tracked respondents' plans to travel this summer, whether locally, domestically or internationally. Respondents were able to select multiple answers if they applied, so Bankrate's numbers may show some overlap between groups.
About 4 in 10 Americans planned a stateside trip and about 15% planned international travel.
Costs played a big factor in travel decisions, including those to not travel at all. Of those who didn't plan to take a vacation, 65% said they wouldn't be able to afford a trip.
Unaffordability broke down further: Respondents said daily living was already too expensive (68%,) travel itself was too expensive (64%,) or personal debt was already too high (29%.)
More than half of respondents said they would pay for any vacation with cash. 29% of respondents said they expected to incur some debt to finance vacation plans.
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Travel costs, especially for trips to foreign destinations, are likely to be higher thanks to President Donald Trump's tariff policies.
The U.S. dollar is down close to 10% from where it was at the start of the year — driven in part by economic uncertainty amid the ongoing tariff debate going on around the globe. Restaurants and hotels in Europe and Asia are expected to cost Americans more.
And U.S. businesses that make money from foreign travel could see similar hits, as tariffs affect people who travel to visit the U.S.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, travel across the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel dropped 14% from January to February 2025. February 2025 was down 12% compared to February 2024.
“Canada is the largest international travelers to the United States as well as southwest Michigan, so if there's a significant drop off, then that's going to have an impact on the hospitality and tourism industry for sure,” Claude Molinari, President and CEO of Visit Detroit, told the Scripps News Group. “Regardless of whatever position one takes, the numbers are factual.”
