Are Americans still traveling despite economic turbulence? Here's what brand-new polling shows
Despite what you may have heard, Americans are still traveling ... and plan on spending more on travel. That's the word from the latest round of polling conducted by The Harris Poll for TPG.
After warnings of softening demand from airlines like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines, we wondered if the bullish travel sentiment we found earlier this year would hold up in our most recent polling. It did.
Conventional wisdom would hold that travel is one of the first things to get cut during economic downturns because it's a discretionary expense. But the numbers so far don't bear that out. As my colleague Sean Cudahy reported, in both March and April, the Transportation Security Administration screened almost as many passengers as it did during those months of 2024.
Still, there are some warning signs on the horizon when it comes to travel sentiment, including the fact that most Americans say current economic conditions have them rethinking their travel plans in some form or fashion.
Most Americans are planning to travel the same or more than last year
Our new survey found that more than three in four Americans plan to travel in 2025, which is almost identical to their travel plans captured earlier in the year. We also found that about one-third of Americans intend to travel more and/or increase their spending on travel, suggesting there is still a robust interest in travel despite the current economic and political environment.
The new TPG/Harris Poll survey found:
- More than three in four Americans (77%) plan to travel in 2025 (in line with February's results of 76%).
- Seven in 10 Americans (70%) intend to travel domestically, and 28% plan to travel internationally.
- Roughly one in three Americans (32%) plan to travel more in 2025 than they did last year (similar to February's results of 35%), while 42% plan to travel about the same and just 9% expect to travel less than in 2024.
- About one in three Americans (34%) plan to spend more on travel in 2025 than they did last year, while 37% will spend about the same and just 10% say they will spend less on travel this year.
Overall, the TPG/Harris Poll survey suggests men are more likely than women to plan travel this year (80% versus 73%) and to say they plan to spend more on travel than last year (41% versus 27%).
There are some warning signs on traveler sentiment
But it's not all good news when it comes to traveler sentiment — there are some clouds on the horizon.
About one in 10 Americans say they will travel less (9%) or spend less on travel than they did last year (10%). Why? Among those who are reducing their spending, financial concerns top the list, with 61% citing finances.
Other reasons among those who plan to travel less or spend less on travel this year:
- They traveled more last year than they usually do: 16%
- Safety concerns, such as crime and political unrest: 14%
- Health reasons: 14%
- Personal circumstances: 11%
- Weather concerns: 8%
- Work obligations: 8%
- Other reasons: 15%
According to the survey data compiled by The Harris Poll, "The current economic situation, including tariffs and inflation, has influenced the travel plans of more than half of Americans this year."
Related: Need to know: The 6 top travel trends for 2025
More than half of Americans say they will reduce their travel frequency or shorten their trip durations due to economic concerns. Others have considered, or are considering, postponing or canceling their travel plans altogether or changing their destinations.
- More than half of Americans (52%) say the current economy (e.g., tariffs, inflation/higher prices, etc.) has affected their travel plans this year.
- About one in five Americans have/will travel less than previously planned (20%) or have/will shorten the duration of their trips (19%) due to the current economy.
- About one in seven Americans say they have postponed or canceled travel plans or will do so (14%), and the same percentage have changed their travel destinations due to the current economy.
- Roughly one in four travelers have traveled/will travel less than previously planned (26%) or have shortened/will shorten the duration of their trips (25%) due to the current economy.
US foreign policy is having an impact
A shifting U.S. foreign policy picture is also affecting travel plans for Americans. Nearly one in three Americans report that shifts in U.S. foreign policy have affected their international travel plans, with 16% considering postponing or canceling international travel (or having already done so).
- Three in 10 Americans (30%) indicate that changing U.S. foreign policy has affected their international travel plans this year.
- Nearly one in eight Americans (16%) say they have postponed or canceled/will postpone or cancel international travel plans.
- About 7% say they have changed/will change their international destinations, have shortened/will shorten the duration of international trips or have traveled/will travel internationally less than previously planned.
Among those actually planning to travel abroad, the numbers are steeper: More than half feel impacted by foreign policy changes.
- More than half (58%) of international travelers (i.e., those who plan to travel internationally in 2025) say that changing U.S. foreign policy has affected their international travel plans this year.
- About one in four international travelers say they have changed/will change their international travel destinations (25%), have shortened/will shorten the duration of their international trips (24%) or anticipate doing/will do less international travel than previously planned (24%) due to changing U.S. foreign policy.
- Roughly one in five international travelers (22%) say they have postponed or canceled/will postpone or cancel international travel plans due to the changing U.S. foreign policy.
Why any slowdown in travel bookings could be good news for prices
Despite travel sentiment holding up in our findings, real demand has indeed fallen for flights so far in 2025. But that's not necessarily bad news from a passenger's point of view. In fact, if you're one of the 32% of Americans who plan to travel more this year, this could work to your advantage.
A recent report from travel data company OAG suggests airlines are still adding capacity (more flights) within the U.S. and to places like Europe.
"Despite a backdrop of supply chain problems and some economic uncertainty, total airline capacity (both domestic and international) in North America is up 2% this summer vs summer 2024," the report says.
According to Cirium, another aviation data company, the number of seats to Europe from the U.S. this summer is up 3.9% year over year.
Indeed, we're already seeing plenty of deal alerts for flights to Europe this summer for under $500. Just one example? This 30% off sale from the discount carrier Play has flights from U.S. gateways for as low as $326 round-trip. Or, how about an American Airlines flight in business class from Chicago to London for just 55,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles?
If we truly see a sustained reduction in demand, deals like that could become even more plentiful.
Related reading:
- The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
- Best airline credit cards
- What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
Survey method: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of The Points Guy from May 15 to 19, 2025, among 2,077 adults ages 18-plus. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within plus or minus 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.
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