U.S. Travel Momentum Building, As Safety Remains Important
According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, nine in ten of them plan to travel in the next six months, the highest level since the beginning of the pandemic in March of last year. And only three in ten say that coronavirus will greatly impact their travel decisions in the next six months, the lowest level in fifteen months. But despite the ongoing easing of restrictions across many parts of the country, safety remains a concern among many travelers, with half of them saying that traveling to destinations with COVID-19 protocols in place is a factor in deciding where they will travel this summer and fall.
“The steady increase in the country’s vaccination rate and the declines in new coronavirus case numbers and deaths continues to build demand for travel,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “We expect a robust recovery for the leisure segment of the U.S. travel and tourism industry this year, after a devastating 2020.”
Regarding discussions that some destinations and travel-related businesses may require proof of vaccination, one third of travelers are more likely to patronize those which require it, while another third say proof of vaccination requirements have no impact on their travel choices. One in five of travelers will only visit destinations which require proof of vaccination, while a similar percentage either will not or are less likely to visit places which require vaccinations.
The cost of travel is also being watched carefully as four in ten American travelers indicate the cost of transportation and accommodations will influence their destination choice for summer travel.
“Gas prices are on the rise and there is surging demand for paid accommodations to traditional summer vacation destinations, especially along coastal areas and resorts,” said Eylon. “This may create opportunities for lesser-known destinations in regional domestic markets to target those travelers keeping an eye on their travel budget.”
The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded May 12, 2021 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over. Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the U. S. population.
