The latest data from the RV Industry Association (RVIA) identifies that economic uncertainty and unpredictable travel logistics will impact holiday plans nationwide. And for 28 million Americans, RVing is their holiday travel choice, up 33 percent from last year.
The latest data from RVIA’s Holiday Travel Intention Survey confirms the appeal of RVing as a cost-effective, controlled travel option, enabling consumers to avoid the expense of airfare and the congestion at airports. Throw in the added benefits of traveling with pets and a flexible schedule, and RVing gives travelers this holiday season control over their plans.
RVIA spokesperson Monika Geraci stated, “Whether you’re parked at the base of a ski slope in Colorado, visiting family along the coast or chasing sunshine with your pets in tow, RVing delivers the comfort of home and the freedom to roam without the cancellations, delays or stress that often come with other forms of travel. Twenty-eight million Americans know that just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to hang up your keys.”
Key findings from RVIA’s Holiday Survey found:
- This holiday season, 9 million Americans plan to go RVing for Thanksgiving and 7 million for Christmas.
- Nearly 4-in-10 leisure travelers in the U.S. (39 percent) plan to take an RV trip in the coming year, up from last year, while purchase interest remains steady at 26 percent.
- Over half of RV owners plan to stay in their RVs for Thanksgiving (52 percent) and nearly half for Christmas (48 percent) while visiting friends and family, and 4-in-10 plan to use their RV as guest quarters to reduce “holiday crowding” with family and friends.
- Millennials and Gen Z are driving RV travel, with Gen Z (35 percent) and Millennials (32 percent) showing the highest RV purchase consideration for 2026. These demographics view RVing as a tech-friendly, flexible and affordable way to travel.
- Taking a road trip, especially a 4 to 7-hour trip from home, is the top reason 28 million U.S. consumers plan to travel by RV this winter, and 40 percent will use AI to plan a trip and find campgrounds.
- Nationwide, 70 percent of RVers will plan three or more trips in 2026, spending roughly $1,500 per trip and generating millions of dollars for local economies.
- 67 percent of RVers nationwide plan to bring their pets along on winter RV trips, making RVing the most pet-friendly travel mode this season.
Methodology: Commissioned by the RV Industry Association and conducted by Cairn Consulting, 1,200 surveys were completed in October 2025, targeting anticipated travel plans this winter by a statistically balanced cross-section of U.S. leisure travelers. The survey results have an associated margin of error of +/- 2.74 percentage points. Leisure travelers are defined as any U.S. residents who have taken some type of leisure trip in the past 12 months.
Image courtesy KOA
