Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
GSTV, the national on-the-go video network engaging and entertaining targeted audiences at scale across tens of thousands of fuel retailers, unveiled last week their 2025 Summer Travel Insights noting that a large majority of their viewers will be opting for road trips instead of travel by air for their summer vacations.
In a GSTV viewer survey conducted via MFour Mobile Research, 83% said they plan to drive to their summer vacation destination and 54% say they will drive instead of fly due to the increasing cost of airfare. High airfare costs have also led 39% of survey respondents to wait longer to finalize summer travel plans. Longer driving distances also don’t seem to be a deterrent for drivers, with 60% planning to drive 300+ miles on vacation this summer.
With more vacationers choosing to drive to their destinations, brands will have new opportunities to market to consumers during their road trips. Eric Sherman , Executive Vice President, Insights and Analytics, GSTV, said “This summer, more consumers are budget conscious, leading them to choose road trip vacations instead of destinations by air. This is something for marketers to consider as they make plans for the height of the summer season. It also opens up opportunities for brands that service roadtrippers as they drive to their destinations–from QSR to snack and beverage, and more.”
Other GSTV Summer Travel Insights include:
- Although more consumers are budget conscious heading into summer 2025, they still started to plan their summer vacations months in advance: 90% of survey respondents stated they had already started to think about their summer destinations in February.
- The most popular summer holiday for travel is July 4th: 51% plan to travel on July 4th vs. Memorial Day, where 28% have plans to hit the road, and Labor Day, where only 30% have a trip planned.
- Domestic beaches and cities top the list for summer vacation destinations, but the number of consumers planning to visit a national park has also increased by 34% year over year: 58% are planning a vacation at a domestic beach or resort, while 36% are planning a visit to a domestic city. Others plan to get a little R&R this summer with a visit to a mountain/lake (27%) or a more rural area (24%) within the U.S. Meanwhile 23% intend to visit a national park (intent to visit up 34% year over year), while only 17% plan to visit an international beach or resort.
- Vacation is all about family bonding time: According to GSTV’s survey, 48% of summer travelers will be accompanied by family including children.
- More drivers are purchasing vehicles with road trips in mind: 71% say road trip experiences have influenced their auto purchasing preferences.
- Visits to QSR and casual dining establishments increase 4x to 5x within three hours of fueling. Roadtrippers are most likely to sit down for a meal shortly after their refuel their tanks.
With more than 29,000 locations reaching 115 million unique US adults each month, GSTV is the leading consolidated and scaled digital media platform in the convenience and fuel channel, boasting an impressive attention rate with 95% of impressions on GSTV delivering eyes to the screen.
GSTV Viewers were surveyed via MFour Mobile Research between February 21 2025 and March 12, 2025.
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