Key findings:
- 71% of UK adults took some form of leisure trip during summer 2026, including 10% who opted for a local trip or staycation.
- Half (50%) say overall cost or budget influenced their summer travel decisions.
- 26% spent more on summer leisure travel than they originally expected.
As summer 2026 comes to an end, how closely did UK adults' travel plans match what they actually did? YouGov Surveys: Serviced data looks at UK adults’ intentions at the start of summer, how those plans played out and the factors that influenced their travel decisions.
The analysis also draws on YouGov Voices, which uses AI to analyse large-scale qualitative conversations, providing additional context on how people approached their summer travel plans.
What were UK adults’ summer travel plans for 2026?
At the start of summer 2026, 51% of UK adults say they had firm plans to take a leisure trip. A further 21% were considering a trip but had not made firm plans.
Around a quarter (26%) say they did not plan or seriously consider taking a leisure trip, while 1% were unsure.
How many UK adults actually travelled in summer 2026?
For many people in the UK, summer travel plans translated into actual trips. Half (50%) say they took roughly the leisure trip they had originally planned.
Another 11% took a leisure trip that was different from what they had initially planned, while 10% opted for a local trip or staycation instead.
Taken together, 71% of UK adults say they took some form of leisure trip during summer 2026. More than a quarter (28%) did not take a leisure trip.
But even when people travelled, plans did not always remain unchanged. One female respondent aged 25-34 who had hoped to visit friends in Europe said: “...the price was too high for flights and accommodation, so I am doing that after summer.” They added: “The flights were almost double the price of what I would want to pay.”
Weather also prompted changes. Another female traveller aged 45-54 said, "The heat made us abandon planned day trips and spend more time in our hotel room, we would consider travelling at different times of year in future.”
Did UK adults spend more than expected on summer travel in 2026?
For 40% of UK adults, actual summer leisure travel spending was about the same as they had expected.
But around a quarter (26%) spent more than anticipated, including 18% who spent somewhat more and 8% who spent much more.
By comparison, 10% spent less than expected, while 21% say they did not spend anything on leisure travel.
One female respondent aged 35-44 summed up the experience of spending more than planned: “We had the exact holiday we wanted but paid more than we expected.” When asked why, they said: “Travel companies put their prices up during school holidays, but this was even higher than I expected.”
What influenced UK adults’ travel decisions in summer 2026?
Finances played a prominent role in how people in the UK approached summer travel. Half (50%) say their overall cost or budget influenced what they decided to do, making it the most commonly selected factor.
More than a quarter (27%) cite family or household, while 25% point to work, school or other schedules. Around a quarter (24%) say transport or accommodation prices influenced their decisions, and 22% cite weather, safety or travel disruption.
Other factors include wanting to rest or avoid travel stress (16%), health or accessibility considerations (11%) and crowds or availability (11%). Smaller shares cite rewards, points or discounts (5%) or information and recommendations from social media or AI tools (4%).
Some travellers responded to higher costs by scaling back their plans. One male respondent aged18-24 who chose shorter trips instead of an additional holiday said: “I decided that having some savings as a safety net felt more important than taking an extra trip, so I chose a few shorter, lower-cost days out instead.” They added: “I also wanted to maintain a small savings buffer rather than spend everything on a holiday.”
Overall, most UK adults followed through with some form of leisure travel in summer 2026. But the quantitative and qualitative data also show how cost, weather and other practical considerations could determine where people went, when they travelled and whether some plans went ahead at all.
Methodology:
YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on 21 August 2026, with a nationally representative sample of 638 adults (aged 16+ years) in the United Kingdom, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, region and social grade to be representative of all adults in the United Kingdom (16 years or older) and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.
YouGov Voices: Quotes and qualitative analysis comes from YouGov Voices interviews. The AI-conducted interviews took place directly following the quantitative study cited in this article, starting with the question prompt, “Thinking about summer this year, how did what you end up doing compare with what you originally hoped?” The AI interviewer then adapted follow-up questions based on respondent answers, with up to 12-turns in each interview. Responses were collected from 638 adults in the UK who completed the YouGov Surveys questionnaire on 21 August 2026.
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