Record inflation, gas prices major travel concerns for Americans: Survey

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - Record inflation and soaring gasoline prices are the two major travel concerns for Americans this summer, according to a survey that was released Tuesday.

As the summer traveling season kicks off, 90% of respondents said gasoline prices are a consideration in deciding whether to travel in the next three months.

Similarly, 90% of participants in the survey by Morning Consult and commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) also said inflation is a consideration in their travel decisions.

Due to current gasoline prices, 57% said they are likely to take fewer trips and 54% indicated they are likely to take shorter trips.

While 44% noted they are likely to postpone trips, 33% are likely to cancel with no plans to reschedule.

In general, the survey found 69% of Americans are planning to travel this summer and 60% are likely to take more vacations this year, compared to the coronavirus pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.

The survey was conducted between May 18 and 22, with 2,210 adults responding.

Consumer inflation climbed to its highest level in more than 40 years when it soared 8.5% in March, and rose 8.3% in April year-on-year.

Gasoline prices climbed to their highest in more than a decade, surpassing $4 per gallon in March.

The national average stood at $4.622 a gallon for regular gasoline Tuesday, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).