Half of Americans return home more drained than relaxed after a vacation, new survey says

Everyday life has two-thirds of Americans stuck in host mode, and “quiet questing” is their solution in 2027.That’s according to a recent survey of 2,000 Americans with travel plans in the next year, evenly split by generation, which found that half (51%) always or often return from a leisure trip completely drained.For many people, vacations aren’t exactly the break they’re hoping for.Sometimes, vacations can be even busier.One reason may be that so many never really get to clock out.

This is especially true for the 67% of Americans who consider themselves everyday “hosts” — meaning they’re the person organizing the plans and making sure everyone is having a good time.This responsibility doesn’t disappear while on vacation.The majority of respondents (67%) also agreed that being in “host mode” and in charge of things while traveling feels more like working a job, instead of being on vacation.Travelers are ready to leave “host mode” at home When survey respondents were asked which responsibilities they’d most like to leave behind on vacation so they can truly relax, cleaning topped the list, with 30% of travelers saying they don’t want to do it while away.Cooking (28%) and making sure everyone else is happy (27%) also ranked high, followed by resolving problems (24%) and adjusting plans around other people’s preferences (22%).The study was commissioned by IHG Hotels & Resorts and conducted by Talker Research to explore the experiences people are craving and the ways they actually want to spend their time on vacation, as well as the top travel trends poised to shape 2027.According to the findings, one trend stood above the rest: silence is the new souvenir.

“Quiet questing,” or vacations built around peace and escaping notifications, crowds and obligations, emerged as the travel trend Americans are most interested in in the coming year (31%).This desire to switch off and leave responsibilities at home might explain why “...