Key takeaways

• Road trips are gaining in popularity and easing gas prices are helping.
• Travelers are getting help with hidden fees thanks to new rules that make hotels, travel sites, and others disclose costs upfront.
• Airbnb, VRBO, and Expedia are bundling accommodations with personal chefs and spa treatments.

Travel smart and live a little. July offers a fresh start for the second half of 2025 and plenty of travel opportunities for all types of budgets and interests.

An uncertain economy hasn’t dampened Americans’ travel aspirations, but they might be mixing in a bit more financial responsibility with an always adventurous spirit.

Americans expect to spend about $10,600 on trips and vacations in 2025, according to Empower research, with 32% anticipating a lower travel tab than last year, while 18% plan to spend more.

In July, The Currency^TM is focusing on aspirational travel and experiences. Keep an eye out for these articles:

Hit the road 

American travelers are planning to take a break for the Fourth of July, with 72.2 million people expected to travel over the period covering June 28 to July 6, according to AAA.¹

Nearly 62 million of them will travel by car, amounting to a 2.2% jump over 2024 and setting a record. Consumers are further shifting toward road trips for travel, helped by falling gas prices and people keeping cars longer. The Currency will dive into this trend.

If you’re getting pumped for a summer road trip, you might be in for a slight surprise at the gas station. Prices have eased 12% in the last year, according to the latest Consumer Price Index data from May. 

More Americans hitting the road might be good news for car rental industry. Tariffs have been favorable for the sector as rental fleets climb in value thanks to increased demand for used cars. The Currency will look at the state of the car rental industry in summer 2025.²

Help on hidden fees 

Help has arrived to figure out hidden travel costs. Hotels, vacation rentals and ticketing sites are being more transparent about fees under a new Federal Trade Commission rule that requires up-front disclosures.³

That means no more clicking through several screens only to find a resort charge or a ticket processing fee at the end. The Currency will explain.

Travel experience upgrade 

Summer travel just got an upgrade. Airbnb, VRBO, and Expedia want to bundle lodging accommodations with experiences like personal chefs and spa treatments.⁴

The Currency will explore what the expanded offerings and all-inclusive packages from the big travel platforms mean for trip planning and spending.

Airport lounges are also getting a glow-up. Credit card companies have been offering them as a perk and expanding luxury options across the country.⁵ Though as their popularity grows, so may the tradeoff in who gets to access the exclusive experiences. The Currency will lay out the airport lounge landscape.

Sports tourism is gold 

Findings from Expedia Group reveal that 10% of global tourism spending is related to sports tourism, and the industry is poised to grow to $1.3 trillion by 2032. Travelers typically spend more than $1,500 on trips, including more than $300 on tickets.⁶

Football, soccer and women’s sports are just some of the growing attractions for sport travelers who favor live events and perhaps more bonding time with family and friends. The Currency will explain why.