This summer, 83% of people said they plan to drive to their summer vacation destination, and 54% said they will drive instead of fly due to the increasing cost of airfare, according to a survey conducted by GSTV.
The survey also found that high airfare costs have caused 39% of survey respondents to wait longer to finalize summer travel plans. Longer driving distances also don’t seem to be a deterrent for drivers, with 60% planning to drive over 300 miles on vacation this summer.
“This summer, more consumers are budget conscious, leading them to choose road trip vacations instead of destinations by air. This is something for marketers to consider as they make plans for the height of the summer season,” said Eric Sherman, executive vice president, insights and analytics, GSTV. “It also opens up opportunities for brands that service roadtrippers as they drive to their destination—from QSR to snack and beverage, and more.”
Other GSTV Summer Travel Insights include:
- Although more consumers are budget conscious heading into summer 2025, they still started to plan their summer vacations months in advance: 90% of survey respondents stated they had already started to think about their summer destinations in February.
- The most popular summer holiday for travel is July 4th: 51% plan to travel on July 4th versus Memorial Day, where 28% have plans to hit the road, and Labor Day, where only 30% have a trip planned.
- Vacation is all about family bonding time: 48% of summer travelers will be accompanied by family, including children.
- More drivers are purchasing vehicles with road trips in mind: 71% say road trip experiences have influenced their auto purchasing preferences.
- Visits to QSR and casual dining establishments increase four-to-five times within three hours of fueling: Roadtrippers are most likely to sit down for a meal shortly after they refuel their tanks.
According to data from AAA, a record 39.4 million people are expected to travel by car over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. That’s an additional one million travelers compared to last year. Driving is the preferred mode of transportation during holiday travel periods, AAA said, with 87% of Memorial Day travelers choosing to take road trips.
Retailers along key travel routes are building unique experiences to make their stores a memorable piece of customers’ journeys. Read more about how c-stores can be road trip destinations in “Worth the Road Trip!” in the May issue of NACS Magazine.