⚽Marquee sporting events, concerts, IRL meetups will drive Gen Z to hit the road this summer🎤🚗
If ever there was a summer to hit the road for a much-needed break from everyday life, it’s the summer of 2026.
Yes, gas prices are up - by a lot- because of the ongoing US-Israeli war in Iran layered on top of car owners heading into the warmer weather period when prices at the pump typically trend higher.
Meanwhile, households across America are also repeatedly digging deeper to afford groceries and other day-to-day necessities at a pace that isn’t keeping up with increases in their paychecks.
Against this stressful economic backdrop, vacationers this year are still hoping to get away, recharge, indulge in new and meaningful experiences and do it in a cost-efficient way. Many will choose to avoid costlier air travel (which can add up and exceed the price tag for road trips based on a few factors) in favor of driving.
“Even amid economic uncertainty, consumers are still finding ways to prioritize travel and spending on the experiences that matter most to them,” said Lauren Lazarus, senior vice president of insights and analytics with GSTV.
GSTV, a digital content and advertising media platform which operates a national network of video screens at more than 29,000 fuel retailers and convenience locations across the country, is able to get a read on Americans’ travel intentions.
The company’s network reaches about 40% of American adults, or about 115 million monthly unique viewers. GSTV recently tapped into this audience to assess their upcoming travel plans, popular destinations and ways to make trips more affordable this year.
“People stop at convenience stores a lot when they are traveling, and you see that tick up over the summer,” Lazarus said in an interview with Bagable.com. “Every year, we want to better understand how our consumers are traveling - are they looking to travel the same way, is the summer road trip alive and well, or even better than before.”
According to the survey findings, 38% of people polled in the 2026 GSTV summer travel insights survey said gas prices have not derailed their travel plans, while 72% said they planed to travel by car in the coming months.
At the same time, people are being very intentional with their summer trips, especially younger vacationers, who are planning their road trips around specific IRL experiences such as ultimate sporting events that include the FIFA World Cup (which kicks off on June 11 with the United States hosting 78 of the matches), popular music concerts or creating new memories with family and friends.
Of those polled in the survey who said they would be attending a World Cup match, 53% indicated they would drive one hour to five hours or more.
Also, 45% of respondents said they are driving but choosing destinations closer to home and seeking city adventures, while 57% said they will travel more this summer than last year. The survey polled 500 respondents from January 2026 to March 2026 and was conducted by MFour Mobile Research for GSTV.
In money-saving moves, 27% of road trippers, who are parents, are expected to pack snacks or meals to take on the go instead of loading up on food and drinks along the way at gas station convenience stores.
“More than one in three travelers are planning to drive over 500 miles on vacation this year,” Lazarus told Bagable.com. “These are pretty hefty road trips. The other finding that stood out is this theme of leaning into IRL experiences, especially among Gen Z. They really want to be among other people and make connections in person. It was an interesting insight into this [digital-native]generation.”
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