Out of office, on a budget: How consumers are planning vacations in 2025

Consumers are getting smarter – and more selective – about how they spend their money. So when it comes to vacations, what are people prioritizing and how are they spending? When you add in growing concerns over sustainability, wellbeing, work-life balance and everything in between, let’s dig into what vacations look like in 2025.

We surveyed 2,000 US and UK consumers about their vacation plans for 2025. Check out the dashboard for yourself to dig into the data. 

Quick summary

• Holiday intent remains strong: 67% of Americans and 84% of Brits plan to take a vacation in 2025.
• Budgets matter: 44% of Americans and 39% of Brits are planning more budget-friendly trips due to the current economic climate.
• Home or away? Domestic travel dominates in the US, especially among older adults, while Brits are more likely to travel internationally.
• Flight fears linger: Nearly half (46%) of Americans are more hesitant to fly after recent air travel incidents.
• DIY planning rules: Most consumers lead their own holiday research, but younger groups rely more on social media and recommendations.
• Extras aren’t a big sell: A quarter of Brits are unwilling to pay for holiday add-ons—only seat selection, in-flight food, and roaming charges see notable uptake.

US Results

Two thirds of Americans are taking a vacation in 2025

The majority of Americans will be taking a vacation in 2025 – 67.3% are likely or very likely to do so. A fifth (19.4%)  said they’re unlikely, with the remaining 13.3% unsure. 

It seems men are more keen for a getaway this year, with 71.1% saying they’re likely to take a trip, compared to just 63.7% of women. 

We also see the likelihood of a vacation this year decreasing as you make your way up the age groups:

• 18-24 year olds – 72.3% are likely
• 25-34 year olds – 69.4%
• 35-44 year olds – 68.7%
• 45-54 year olds – 68.0%
• 66-64 year olds – 61.8%

Budget-friendly trips are a priority

When asked how the current economic climate has influenced their vacation plans, a sizable 44.2% say it’s making them plan more budget-friendly trips, while 29.0% say it’s had no impact. 

A significant 23.3% say they’re opting for fewer vacations as a result of the economic climate. Meanwhile, there’s an anomalous 3.5% who are planning more luxurious trips.

Domestic trips are top of the list for Americans, with nearly half (48.3%) saying this is what they’re planning. Vacation type is something that differs across generations, with younger people preferring international travel to domestic:

• 18-24 year olds – 34.6% staying in the US; 22.8% traveling internationally
• 55-64 year olds – 61.0% staying in the US; 10.6% traveling internationally

Women are also less likely to travel internationally – 10.2% plan to globetrot, compared to 19.2% of men. 

Recent incidents make half of Americans hesitant to fly

Our research shows that almost half (46.0%) of Americans are more hesitant to fly following several recent air travel incidents. We found that this is fairly consistent across age groups, but that there’s an 11 point difference between men and women – 40.3% of men are more hesitant, compared to 51.7% of women.

But a chunky 43.6% overall say recent incidents haven’t affected their decision to fly, with a further 10.0% being unaware of any incidents at all. 

People prioritize their own research 

Most consumers in the US make their vacation choices based on their own research. Our survey shows that 65.2% do their own research to plan their getaway. We see that this increases as you go through the age ranges – 56.6% of 18-24 year olds do their own research, compared to a chunky 71.6% of 55-64 year olds and 81.0% of over 65s. 

Here’s the full list of what influences Americans’ vacation planning decisions:

• My own research – 65.2%
• Recommendations from friends and family – 44.7%
• Social media – 29.1%
• Online travel agencies – 24.1%
• Travel blogs and websites – 18.6%

Young travellers – those between 18 and 24 – are more likely to plan vacations using inspo from family and friends and social media. More than half (51.0%) turn to people they know for pointers, and 45.7% use social media. 

Where are Americans heading on vacation in 2025? 

Here are the top destinations our US respondents say they’re traveling to this year:

UK results

85% of Brits are taking a holiday in 2025

A whopping 84.1% of Brits are planning to take a holiday in what’s left of 2025 – way up on the 67.3% of Americans we reported earlier.

And it looks like it’s 25-34 year olds whose holidays are most impacted by the current economic climate. More than half (51.0%) in this age group say they’re planning more budget-friendly trips, compared to the UK average of 39.4%. 

International travel tops the list of holiday types for Brits. Just over two fifths (41.1%) are planning a foreign holiday, while 26.2% are staying in the UK for theirs, and 28.2% are planning a combination of both.

Different generations get holiday inspo from different places

The youngest group in our research – 18-24 year olds – are the least likely to do their own research into where they travel. Just 45.0% chose this, compared to the national average of 68.6%. But perhaps predictably, they are considerably more likely than the average to use social media for inspiration – 37.2% chose this, compared to the UK average of 23.8%. 

Working up through the age groups, Gen Zennialls aged between 25 and 34 are significantly more likely than the average to base their holiday choices on online travel agencies (38.5%), social media (41.0%) and travel blogs (30.2%).

Meanwhile people aged between 55 and 64 massively over-index for doing their own holiday research – 84.7% do this (compared to the national average of 68.6%). And this age group is significantly less likely than all other groups to get their holiday inspiration from any of the other resources we suggested.  

Which age groups are most likely to pay for holiday extras?

Brits between the ages of 25 and 34 are most likely to fork out for extras during their holiday. They’re significantly more likely to specifically pay for in-flight meals/snacks, carry-on luggage fees and resort fees. 

The 55-64 age group are least likely to pay extra. They under-index for in-flight food, carry-on luggage fees and resort fees compared with the national average. 

But overall, people don’t particularly love the idea of paying for any holiday extras, perhaps highlighting an opportunity for travel brands to begin repackaging deals as a point of difference. 

Here’s the breakdown of what Brits are willing to pay extra for: 

• Seat selection to sit with companions – 25.8%
• In-flight food – 24.5%
• None – 24.5%
• Mobile roaming charges – 24.4%
• Extra legroom – 23.7%
• Checked baggage – 21.5%
• Carry-on luggage – 20.6%
• Resort fees – 20.0%
• Priority boarding – 14.7%

Where are Brits heading on holiday this year?

Here are the top destinations our UK respondents say they’re traveling to this year: