ResortPass released the results of a survey conducted on their behalf by The Harris Poll, revealing changes in how Americans view their summer travel habits and leisure behavior. The survey found that 72 percent of Americans say they often wish they had more memorable summer outings once the season is over, likely in part because Americans only took 1.6 vacations, on average, last summer, while 70 percent of employed Americans (defined as those employed full-time) say that unless they're taking a trip, they just stay at home during PTO in the summer.

However, there are several ways Americans may shift their behavior, including taking more vacations—56 percent more, on average, than in 2023—and making time for more frequent, shorter trips; 67 percent of Americans agree that taking more shorter trips is more restful than taking fewer, longer vacations and 85 percent of employed Americans say they feel recharged after taking only one day off of work. By fitting in more local escapes, Americans are nearly three times more likely to travel locally (within 100 miles) than internationally this summer (49 percent vs. 18 percent).

"Consumers are realizing that if they rely only on long vacations for rest and relaxation, they won't make the most of their PTO and will be missing out on both the recharge and memorable experiences they can fit in by taking more regular brief escapes," ResortPass CEO Michael Wolf said in a statement. "Local getaways and daycations are becoming the new norm, and that's why the idea of day-guesting—using the hotel amenities without having to book an overnight stay—fits right into this trend."

Time Off

• On average, Americans took 1.6 vacations last summer, but ideally Americans would like to take an average of 2.5 summer vacations.
• 70 percent of employed Americans typically hang out at home when they have time off during the summer and don't have any trips planned.
• Only 36 percent of employed Americans say they took all their paid time off from work last year.
• 67 percent of Americans say taking more short vacations would be more restful than taking fewer longer vacations.
• 85 percent of employed Americans say they feel recharged after taking a day off of work.
• 83 percent of Americans say you can make better use of hotel amenities when you take vacations on dates when most people are not off work.

Leisure

• Americans are nearly 3 times more likely to travel locally (within 100 miles) this summer than internationally (49 percent vs 18 percent).
• A majority of Americans may look back on the summer with regret, with 72 percent saying they "often wish they had more memorable summer outings once the season is over."
• 51 percent of Americans say food tastes better poolside; 59 percent of Gen Z (ages 18-27) and millennials (ages 28-43) combined say this.
• The food Americans say is their favorite to eat poolside is ice cream (26 percent), followed by burgers (23 percent), pizza (19 percent) and chips & guacamole (18 percent); salad was only 7 percent.
• Americans spent 7 days, on average, poolside last summer; 31 percent spent NO days poolside last summer.

Survey Methodology

The ResortPass Summer Survey was conducted by The Harris Poll from May 10-14, among 2,094 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 895 are employed full-time. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95 percent confidence level.