InsureMyTrip’s 2026 Summer Travel Trends Report: Where Americans Are Going and What They’re Spending

Based on InsureMyTrip policy data for trips departing June 1-Sept. 30, 2026

Summer 2026 is shaping up to be an expensive travel season for Americans. Based on policies purchased on InsureMyTrip for trips taking place this summer, we’re seeing a clear picture emerge: Americans are spending more on their vacations this year, even as overall international travel costs trend downward. Where they’re going is shifting too, with some familiar favorites holding strong and at least one new contender breaking into the top tier for the first time.

Here’s what the data tells us.

Summer trip costs are climbing across every generation

The most striking finding in this year’s data is how broadly summer trip costs have increased. Regardless of age, travelers are spending more on summer trips in 2026 than they did in 2025.

Travelers 77 and older saw the largest jump, with average summer trip costs rising 21% year over year. They also reported the highest average trip cost of any age group, with trips now approaching $9,000.

Millennials aren’t far behind in terms of rate of change. Their average summer trip cost rose 16%, and their premiums climbed even faster, up 31% year over year, the largest premium increase of any generation in the data. That suggests Millennials may be placing greater value on protecting their travel investment.

This contrasts with what’s happening in overall international travel

What makes the summer data especially interesting is that it runs counter to overall international travel.

Looking at all international travel across all departure windows, the picture is different. More people are buying travel insurance for international trips overall, with policies sold rising 5.9% year over year. But average trip costs have actually fallen, down 10.2% from $5,899 to $5,298, and average premiums dipped slightly as well, from $319.92 to $311.93.

Summer travel tells a different story. While the overall international travel market is seeing more travelers spending less per trip, summer travelers specifically are spending markedly more. Whether that reflects bucket-list trips, longer itineraries or the premium that peak-season travel commands, the data makes clear that summer remains a different category of travel commitment.

Retirees are taking the biggest trips of the season

Among all age groups in the data, travelers 77 and older are making the largest financial commitments this summer. Their average trip cost of $8,844 is the highest of any generation, and their average premium of $899 reflects the significant nonrefundable investment those trips represent.

For many in this group, these are the kinds of trips that take years to plan: milestone anniversaries, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, extended family gatherings abroad. The data shows they’re investing accordingly and purchasing coverage for increasingly expensive trips.

Where Americans are going this summer

Destination preferences also shifted between 2025 and 2026. Mexico remains the top international destination among InsureMyTrip policyholders, and Italy continues to hold firm in the upper tier. The Bahamas and the United Kingdom swapped positions in the rankings, while France and Japan both moved up.

The most notable newcomer is Greece. For the first time, Greece has broken into the top 10 international destinations for InsureMyTrip policyholders, displacing Portugal in the process.

Top 10 international destinations, InsureMyTrip policyholders, 2026:

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

What this means for travelers

Rising trip costs affect more than your credit card statement. The more you spend on a trip upfront, the more you stand to lose if something goes wrong before or during travel. Many international trips involve: flights booked months in advance, hotel deposits, prepaid tours and cruise fares, many of which cannot be recovered without travel insurance.

A few things worth knowing as you plan:

Higher trip costs mean higher exposure from day one. The moment you make your first nonrefundable deposit, you have something worth protecting. You don’t need to have the full trip paid for to buy coverage; in fact, buying early can make more types of coverage available to you.

What “covered” means matters. Not all travel insurance plans cover the same things. Cancellation coverage typically protects against specific covered reasons; Cancel For Any Reason coverage offers more flexibility for those who want it but must generally be purchased within a set window of your initial deposit.

Standard health insurance usually doesn’t travel with you. Medicare, in particular, provides little to no coverage outside the United States. Emergency medical and evacuation coverage become especially important for international trips, particularly for older travelers.

About this data

The findings in this report are based on travel insurance policies purchased on InsureMyTrip for trips with departure dates between June 1 and Sept. 30, compared year over year between 2025 and 2026. All figures reflect purchased policies and do not include projections or estimates. Generational designations are based on the age of the primary traveler at the time of purchase.

InsureMyTrip is America’s longest-running travel insurance marketplace, helping millions of travelers compare and buy coverage with confidence for more than two decades.

About InsureMyTrip

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