U.S. Travel Demand Reaches Four-Year High

Eight in 10 U.S. adults plan to take a vacation in the next 12 months, a 7% increase over the same time last year, according to the winter edition of MMGY’s “Portrait of American Travelers.”

Not only are more U.S. travelers eager to explore in 2025, they’re also planning to spend more and take more trips. The average vacation budget in 2025 is $5,051, while travel frequency rises to 4.1 trips per person.

Additionally, interest in international travel over the next six months is at its highest level since 2020. For more travelers are planning off-peak trips (between November and April) than in previous years.

“Americans’ intent to travel is reaching its highest level in almost four years, eclipsing even the spikes we saw in the immediate post-pandemic surge,” said Simon Moriarty, MMGY Travel Intelligence’s vice president of research and analytics. “Our survey found that Americans are increasingly devoting larger portions of their disposable incomes to vacations, signaling a conscious choice to prioritize experiences and a robust commitment to travel in 2025.”

As for how folks from the U.S. are making their travel decisions, the report found that more than half (51%) of respondents said they have been “somewhat” or “a great deal” influenced by social media content creators and influencers.

The winter edition of MMGY’s “Portrait of American Travelers” report is based on interview with 4,500 U.S. adults (from 18 to 77+ years of age) between October and November 2024.