Americans are heading into 2026 with a more cautious approach to international travel, according to a new YouGov report. YouGov’s US International Traveler Outlook 2026 finds that 60 percent of Americans never travel overseas. Among those who do, more than two in five (43 percent) say they traveled abroad less this year. Within this group, three in 10 (28 percent) say economic uncertainty was the reason they cut back, and another 18 percent attribute their reduced travel to rising costs.
The result is a travel landscape where value for money increasingly outweighs wanderlust, shaping where Americans go, how far ahead they book, and what they cut first when budgets tighten.
Domestic Travel Still Dominates
- 60 percent of Americans never travel abroad for leisure.
- Among higher-income Americans, that figure drops to 24 percent, underscoring income-based differences in global mobility.
International Travel Frequency Is Declining
- 40 percent of international travelers say they went abroad less this year.
- The pullback is even sharper for Gen X and Boomers (50 percent).
- Main reasons: personal factors (32 percent), economic uncertainty (28 percent), and rising travel costs (18 percent).
Cost Pressures Reshape Decisions
- 43 percent of international travelers say rising travel costs affected their plans.
- Travelers most often report cost increases in transport (46 percent), dining (46 percent) and accommodations (41 percent).
Americans Increasingly Weigh Value over Volume
- If prices rise in 2026, 41 percent of international travelers say they will take fewer trips or pivot to domestic destinations.
- Higher-income travelers remain more resilient: 25 percent will keep traveling internationally at the same pace (vs. 8 percent for lower-income travelers).
Travelers Are Cutting Costs Strategically
- Off-peak travel is the most common savings tactic.
- Many are booking further in advance to secure better prices.
- Lodging and booking behaviors differ sharply by income.
- 52 percent of international travelers choose hotels for trips of five days or more; others opt for staying with friends/family (26 percent) or short-term rentals (23 percent).
- 65 percent book lodging and flights separately — rising to 78 percent among higher-income travelers.
- Lower-income travelers are more likely to choose package vacations (31 percent).
Value Perceptions Are Declining
Most major international destinations are now viewed as worse value for money than last year. European destinations show the sharpest negative perceptions among U.S. travelers:
- UK: 29 percent say worse value vs. only 5 percent better
- France: 28 percent worse vs. 5 percent better
- Italy: 23 percent worse vs. 6 percent better
- Germany: 23 percent worse vs. 5 percent better
- Spain: 22 percent worse vs. 7 percent better
International Travelers See the U.S. as Worse Value for Money
Travelers from every market perceive the US as worse value for money, with “worse value” ratings far exceeding “better value”:
- Australia: 41 percent worse vs. 21 percent better
- Mexico: 42 percent worse vs. 21 percent better
- Spain: 37 percent worse vs. 12 percent better
- Great Britain: 43 percent worse vs. 6 percent better
- Canada: 62 percent worse vs. 8 percent better
“Americans’ appetite for international travel hasn’t disappeared; it has simply become more selective,” Kenton Barello, VP at YouGov America, said in a statement. “Travelers are scrutinizing value more closely, stretching budgets further, and adjusting plans based on cost, whether that means going off-peak, choosing alternative accommodations, or substituting domestic trips. Brands that clearly communicate value without compromising experience will be best positioned in 2026.”
As economic pressures mount, the next year of global travel will be shaped less by desire and more by affordability. Americans are not giving up on international experiences, but many are recalibrating how often they go, where they stay, and how much they’re willing to spend.
Travel providers, airlines, and destinations should expect a more value-driven traveler in 2026, one who weighs every dollar spent against the experience delivered.