Summer 2026 Travel Outlook: Where Americans Are Going, What They're Spending, and How They're Protecting Themselves

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As summer approaches, new trends are emerging among American travelers, according to Squaremouth, the leading travel insurance comparison site.

Where Travelers Are Headed: Among insured travelers, international travel dominates the charts. The top ten most-insured destinations for June and July 2026 are:

1. United States
2. Italy
3. Canada
4. France
5. Spain
6. Mexico
7. Greece
8. Bahamas
9. United Kingdom
10. Japan

Notable Destination Shifts:

• Canada climbed from fourth to third place, passing France.
• The Bahamas has jumped from eleventh to eighth, surpassing both Japan and the United Kingdom.
• Both location shifts may indicate a possible preference for closer-to-home international travel this summer.

What Travelers Are Spending: Americans are spending significantly more on trips compared to last summer. Among Squaremouth customers, the average trip cost rose 24% year-over-year, from $7,794 to $9,668.

Spending Trends:

• According to a recent survey Squaremouth conducted:
  • Only 24% of Americans are spending more due to price increases alone. The rest are spending more to pursue premium or bucket-list experiences, or to take additional trips.
  • 53% of Americans are cutting back on other expenses, like dining out, shopping, home improvements, or investing, to fund travel this year, with shopping and retail being the highest area of cutback at 19%.
• Europe remains a top destination, but at a steep price.
  • Greece averaged $12,730 per trip in 2026, up from $9,737 in 2025.
  • Norway saw one of the sharpest increases among top destinations (+34%), with average trip costs jumping from $11,179 to $14,950.
• Travelers venturing further, including those taking safari trips to places like South and East Africa, are feeling the price increase, too.
  • South Africa averaged $24,221 per trip in 2026, up from $21,908 in 2025, while Tanzania averaged $23,879, up from $19,674.

How Travelers Are Protecting Their Trips: Travelers are becoming more proactive about their travel protection, purchasing insurance earlier to lock in coverage, and flexibility upgrades like CFAR, before disruptions arise.

Insurance Behavior Changes:

• The average number of days between trip deposit and insurance purchase has dropped to 62 days this year from 71 in 2025.
• Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage purchases have nearly doubled, increasing from 6.9% last summer to 13.5% this year.
  • Notably, the top 20 summer destinations are all seeing a CFAR increase, indicating this behavioral shift is not destination-specific.

"We're seeing Americans prioritize travel even as costs rise," said Chrissy Valdez, Senior Director of Operations at Squaremouth. "Many are adjusting spending in other areas to afford higher-value trips rather than scaling back on travel altogether. At the same time, earlier insurance purchasing and growing interest in flexible coverage show that travelers are taking a more proactive approach to protecting their investment."

To find the best policy for your summer travel plans, compare policies on squaremouth.com.

About Squaremouth
For over 20 years, Squaremouth has helped more than 4.4 million travelers quote, compare, and purchase travel insurance online. Renowned for its award-winning customer service, commitment to transparency, and unbiased approach, Squaremouth has been a leader in travel insurance comparison since 2003. As America's largest travel insurance marketplace, Squaremouth.com features more providers and plans than any other platform.

Contact
Steven Benna
Senior Manager, Marketing
[email protected]

SOURCE Squaremouth