Americans want to travel this year, but gas and groceries have climbed faster than paychecks have, and that squeeze is where the frustration lives. Somehow, planning a vacation still feels harder than it should, even in an economy people keep calling strong on paper. That gap between the numbers and the way people actually feel has a name now: “boomcession,” and it explains a lot about how 2026 travel plans are shaping up.
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