• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, June 1, 2010

After two years of staycations and stalled plans, America is in the mood to hit the road again, reports a new survey from American Express Spending & Saving Tracker. Some 51% are planning to travel in the months ahead, up from 49% last year, with the average family of four planning to spend $4,000 on their getaway.

"We're pleased that the majority of people are going to be traveling this summer," Mona Hamouly, an American Express spokesperson, tells Marketing Daily. "They're definitely making trade-offs to do so -- many are driving instead of flying, taking shorter trips, using their points more aggressively. But people are passionate about travel again, and they want to fit it into their life, no matter what."

That's good news for the tourism industry, which was hit hard by recession-related cutbacks last summer as well as by $4-per-gallon gas prices the year before.

Affluent families (with a household income of $100,000 or more) and young professionals are the most committed to taking a break. Some 73% of affluents say they will travel -- up from 72% last year -- while 83% of Gen Y professionals will do so, compared with 79% last year.

"It was also a little surprising to see the increase in those planning domestic trips," she says, with 47% of those who are planning trips staying within the U.S., up from 42% of last summer.

Family trips, naturally, continue to be the most popular at 52% -- but 26% of respondents say they are planning couples trips, and 10% are taking trips with friends.

To keep costs down, the survey -- which polled 2,000 adults around the U.S. and was conducted by research firm Echo -- the leading methods of cost control are driving rather than flying, cited by 33% of those surveyed; shorter trips (30%), and holding the line on activities and excursions (27%.)

Part of the cost-cutting is that parents are balancing travel spending versus outlays for kids' activities: 58% of those parents surveyed plan to spend an average of $600 on the camps, swimming lessons and other at-home summer enrichment activities.

Among the stay-at-homes, money is definitely the main reason. Of the 49% who will not travel, 44% say it is because they had not saved for a vacation, and 23% are using the money on home improvements or local activities; 18% say they plan to spend that money on family necessities.