With interest in summer travel heating up, new data from the latest Enterprise Mobility summer travel survey reveals U.S. consumers* prefer road trips amid growing economic concerns, and they are prioritizing cultural experiences including local cuisine and sightseeing.

A majority (66%) of Americans surveyed intend to take at least one overnight leisure trip this summer more than 50 miles away from home. Most (90%) will travel within the U.S. for their next trip, with Florida (10%) and California (9%) topping the list of popular domestic destinations. Next on the list includes Pennsylvania (6%), New York (5%) and Ohio (5%).

Road Trips Reign Supreme

Of those surveyed, 60% plan on traveling via personal or rental vehicle to their next destination.

• 23% plan to rent a vehicle either as their primary mode of transport or upon arrival to their vacation destination.
• Baby Boomers (63%) and Gen X (65%) are the most likely to travel by road for their next summer trip.
• Millennials (25%) and Gen X (23%) are more likely than Baby Boomers (16%) to rent a vehicle to either drive to their destination or to use on arrival.

“People are continuing to prioritize travel, and our research shows an increased interest in road trips this summer,” said Bridget Long, senior vice president, North American operations, Enterprise Mobility. “The road trip is a quintessential summer experience, and our extensive network of neighborhood and airport locations makes it easy for travelers to explore and experience all this great country has to offer.”

Enterprise Mobility is currently seeing a year-over-year increase in expected travel from its U.S.-based neighborhood locations (non-airport locations) in both June and July, a signal of customers leaning into road trips. The business features an extensive neighborhood network with locations within 15 miles of 90% of the U.S. population.

Travelers Turn to Culinary & Cultural Escapes

The data also reveals that experiencing culture, food and sightseeing are top of mind for travelers this summer.

• 50% of those surveyed said that their dream holiday includes a combination of relaxing and sightseeing activities, and 46% said they are looking to enjoy local food and cuisine.
• 40% responded their dream holiday includes relaxing by the beach or pool while 39% indicated they’d prefer the lake, mountains or countryside; 21% of travelers said they’d prefer to visit a city.
• Experiencing culture and history (33%) edged out visiting friends and family (30%) for a dream holiday.
• Of those renting cars, 69% say that the reason they rent is to have the flexibility to explore the area while almost half say it allows them to drive to restaurants (47%) and enjoy day trips (46%).
• 23% of travelers say the reason they are choosing their destination is because it’s a bucket list item.

Prioritizing Travel Amid Economic Concerns

The top reasons a third of Americans (34%) don’t currently have travel plans include personal financial reasons (39%), the economy/inflation (35%) and the cost of hotel/accommodations (16%).

• Nearly two-thirds (62%) of U.S. summer travelers surveyed are cutting expenses to budget for their next trip.
• The most common expenses they are reducing are dining out, buying new clothes, or ordering takeout.
• Of those cutting back on expenses to afford their summer trip, Millennials (75%) are more cost conscious than Gen X (60%) or Baby Boomers (48%).
• 41% of Millennials are worried about the cost of their summer trip vs Gen X (31%) and Baby Boomers (23%).

*U.S. residents ages 18-70 (n=1,071); use minimum of 2+ qualifying non-personal modes of transportation in past 12 months: e.g., car rental, ride hailing, car sharing, train, airplane, etc.