Although Americans are still planning trips for next year and maintain a stable view of their personal financial situation, increased concern about the economy is creating a pervasive wariness that may affect their future travel spending.
The new report The State of the American Traveler compiled by Future Partners on travel intentions in November, maps a market that has not lost its enthusiasm for getaways, but has learned to move more carefully.
For 2026, more than 9 in 10 (91.8%) continue to plan at least one leisure trip, averaging 3.8 trips, the highest level since late 2024.
Higher-income travelers anticipate the highest frequency of trips: 4.9 for incomes of at least $200,000 and 4.3 for incomes of $100,000-$199,000.
Younger generations continue to travel less, with Gen Z averaging 3.1 trips, compared to 3.7–3.9 for older generations.
Travel remains a high priority for 2026, with strong budgets and significant interest in 2026 mega-events such as the America 250 (interested by 51% of travelers) and the FIFA World Cup (interested by 30% with a peak among Gen Z, Millennials and parents), demonstrating that despite short-term restraint, future travel demand remains strong and ready to be activated once a sense of stability is felt.
Leisure travel declined slightly in October. 48.2% of Americans took an overnight leisure trip, down slightly from September and nearly six points below the July peak.
Day trips remain strong (52.2%), indicating that even amid spending restraint, Americans continue to look for ways to travel, even in smaller increments.
Regarding demand in November, many remain undecided. 54% have not yet planned their vacations, while of those who have, 31.5% plan to travel for Christmas, 24.6% for Thanksgiving and 14.1% for New Year’s.
Personal optimism amid national uncertainty
American travelers continue to show remarkable stability in their economic outlook, even amid economic uncertainty exacerbated by the government shutdown, which now appears to be coming to an end after 43 days.
About one in three (32.3%) this month say they are in a better financial situation than they were a year ago, a figure that has remained steady compared to last year.
Nearly half (46.9%), down 2.2 percentage points from last year, expect their financial situation to improve in the next 12 months.
Millennials (63.1%) and Gen Z (61.3%) lead the wave of optimism about their finances, while Gen X (46.2%) and Boomers (30.3%) are more cautious.
At the same time, however, the shadow of a possible recession remains heavy: 48.5% of travelers consider it likely within the next six months. This “double message”—personal stability, national uncertainty—is at the heart of today’s U.S. travel psychology.
Travel sentiment remains strong but timing and value for money remain a concern
As a result, confidence in travel spending appears subdued, with only 32.8% considering November as a good time to spend. This follows a four-month decline since June’s rebound to 37.1%. This mid-year surge followed a spring slump in travel spending confidence that reflected rising recession concerns. The last time Future Partners observed such a prolonged downward trend was in early 2022, when high inflation first began to affect travel decisions.
However, other key spending indicators remain resilient. 56.4% consider travel a high-spending priority, with the average annual travel budget remaining stable at $5,973.
