According to a flash study conducted by MMGY, more than 8 in 10 U.S. consumers still intend to travel for leisure over the next 12 months despite recent announcements regarding tariffs and market declines. The integrated travel marketing firm surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults to understand how recent events may impact travel intentions.
The following are key findings from the short survey fielded April 3–5:
- 83% of U.S. consumers still intend to travel over the next 12 months despite the recent executive orders and financial news. That’s down just 4% from MMGY’s last Portrait of American Travelers study, which was fielded in mid-February.
- 74% of U.S. consumers feel somewhat to extremely confident in their household’s financial situation for the next six months. This likely contributes to the fact that 70% of U.S. consumers intend to travel over that same period.
- In the next six to 12 months, 80% of U.S. consumers say their travel behavior will change as a result of the recent financial news. Most notably:
- 33% say they will travel closer to home
- 29% say they will change from an international destination to a domestic destination
- 24% say they will change to a less expensive mode of transportation
- 22% say they will change their length of stay
- Perception may also drive a shift from international travel to domestic travel in the coming year. Over half (53%) of U.S. consumers believe that American travelers will be less welcome in other countries as a result of the recent tariff policy decisions.
“Even in the face of economic uncertainty and polarizing headlines, the American traveler continues to show remarkable resilience,” said MMGY Global CEO Katie Briscoe. “While many are adjusting their plans – opting for shorter trips, closer-to-home destinations or more cost-effective options – their intent to travel remains strong. This data underscores how travelers are making intentional trade-offs to protect the experiences that matter most. As an industry, our role is to meet them with value-driven offerings that reflect their optimism and adaptability.”
For information and other travel industry research, visit MMGY Travel Intelligence online at mmgyintel.com.
