TravelAge West
Search Sponsored by

Explore TravelAge West

Destinations

Back
  • Africa & Middle East
  • Asia & South Pacific
  • Caribbean
  • Central & South America
  • Europe
  • Hawaii
  • Mexico
  • USA & Canada

Travel Types

Back
  • Family
  • Adventure
  • Cruise
  • River Cruise
  • Tour Operators
  • Luxury
  • Hotels
  • Culinary
  • Romance
  • Wellness
  • Sustainability

Directories

Back
  • Hotels
  • Cruise
  • Job Seeker Center

Interactive

Back
  • Click & Win
  • Geo Quiz
  • Slideshows & Video

Professional Development

Back

Industry Insight

  • Business Features
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Opinion
  • Tech
  • Podcasts
  • Coronavirus and Travel
  • Need to Know Research

Education

  • Certifications
  • Digital Guides
  • Fams
  • Thought Leadership
  • Advertiser Spotlight
  • Webinars
  • Immersive Family Experiences

Events

  • Global Travel Marketplace
  • GTM West
  • WAVE Awards
  • Future Leaders in Travel Retreat

Get Us in Your Inbox

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.

Search TravelAge West

Clear Field
MP_Headshot
Mindy PoderExecutive Editor

Share

  1. Home
  2. Industry Insight
  3. Business Features

The Travel Sectors Predicted to Make the Quickest Comebacks, and When

Apr 10, 2020
TravelRebound_TravelDemand_COVID19_MMGYGlobal

New data from several sources suggest that there is still a very strong desire to travel, says Craig Compagnone, chief operating officer of marketing firm MMGY Global. 

MMGY works with Netbase, a social media analytics platform, to track real-time travel sentiment based on the terminology consumers are using on social platforms. 

“And while February and early March included more negative trends, we started to see an interesting shift at the end of March,” Compagnone said.

Compared to February, social mentions about needing or wanting a vacation increased by nearly 130% in March, while discussion about dreaming of vacation overall increased by 17%.

In addition to social media analysis, MMGY sees positive signs in Google Trends data. This month’s data reveals spikes in volume for specific travel terms such as “family vacation,” which has seen an 11% growth, and “luxury travel,” where the volume has increased by 25%, thus suggesting consumer interest in these types of travel.

Prediction: Expect Shorter Booking Windows 
Based on this data, as well as a recent unpublished TripAdvisor survey shared with MMGY, the firm is predicting a shorter booking window on future travel.

“The travel rebound will not be linear,” Compagnone said. “We need to look at recovery in our industry in at least two aspects: short-term, immediate travel following the lifting of shelter-in-home and travel restrictions, and longer-term strategies as we return to some level of normalcy.”

MMGY believes that long-haul travel will be impacted by longer booking windows, “driven in part by sentiment around safety and current concerns about finances.”

We are in a global lockdown, which is creating a very significant pent-up demand to get out of our local environments and travel.

The TripAdvisor survey suggests that 48% of travelers would be comfortable traveling internationally three to six months following the crisis, compared to two-thirds of travelers being interested in traveling domestically in two months or less. 

“Thus, it's important for brands to be thinking about those long-haul markets now as they look toward end-of-the-year and 2021 bookings,” he said.

Unlike past crises such as 9/11 and the 2008 economic recession, the COVID-19 pandemic largely restricts movement beyond one’s own home (for many).

“We are in a global lockdown, which is creating a very significant pent-up demand to get out of our local environments and travel,” Compagnone said. “This is why we believe there will be an immediate response in the industry for short-term bookings, driven especially by leisure drive markets.”

Prediction: Road Trips Will Be Popular 
Recent MMGY data conducted on behalf of the US Travel Association on traveler sentiment related to COVID-19 reveals that 68% of North Americans feel safe in their personal cars. 

“By comparison, 29% feel safe going to a grocery store and 14% would feel safe taking a domestic flight,” Compagnone said. “This indicates that drive market travel and road trips, which are more easily taken last-minute, are likely to increase when travel first returns.”

RELATED: Americans Are Looking Ahead to Domestic Destinations Within Driving Distance

Prediction: Travel May Return by Mid-Summer 
While there are many factors that make predicting the return of travel difficult to forecast, there are some hopeful signs that travel could return as early as mid-summer, including a recent statement by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who cautiously suggested that summer vacations could be possible.

MMGY’s data from TripAdvisor suggests that there is consumer demand for summer travel if it’s indeed feasible.

“So far in the month of April, TripAdvisor searches for hotel rates and availability during the month of July is up in North America by 4% compared to 2019, up by 5% for the month of August and up by 7% for the month of September,” Compagnone said. 

The Details
MMGY Global
www.mmgyglobal.com

Read more from TravelAge West about the COVID-19 outbreak.

Get Us in Your Inbox

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.

Tell Us What You Think! forum

Related Content

Travel Industry Rebound Is Critical to Economic Recovery

Travel Industry Rebound Is Critical to Economic Recovery

  • Most Read
  • Most Shared
  1. Which Cruise Lines Require COVID-19 Vaccinations?
  2. Dominica Is Not the Dominican Republic: Here's How the Caribbean Destination Plans to Attract Wellness Travelers
  3. 6 Delicious Hawaiian Desserts and Where on the Islands to Find Them
  4. 5 of the Best Swimmable Los Cabos Beaches
  5. I Tested Positive for COVID-19 and Got Stuck Traveling Abroad — Here’s the Problem with Testing for Re-Entry
  1. Dominica Is Not the Dominican Republic: Here's How the Caribbean Destination Plans to Attract Wellness Travelers
  2. Is Insurance Coverage From Travel Credit Cards Enough?
  3. The U.S. Has Lifted its COVID-19 Testing Requirement for Air Travelers
  4. Why Are So Many Flights Being Canceled?
  5. A Guide to the Programs That Help Expedite Travel

From Our Partners

More Stories Like This

Why Are So Many Flights Being Canceled?

Why Are So Many Flights Being Canceled?

ASTA Panel Industry Forecast_HERO

Travel Advisors: How to Increase Your Value During a Busier-Than-Ever Summer Travel Season

astatravelindustryforecastinflation

How Inflation and Air Travel Challenges Are Affecting Travel Demand

travelleadersnetworktrends

The Top Trends in Travel, According to Bookings From Travel Leaders Network

The COVID-19 Challenges Travel Advisors Are Still Facing

The COVID-19 Challenges Travel Advisors Are Still Facing

Travel Advisors Should Be Working With Influencers — Here's How to Start

Travel Advisors Should Be Working With Influencers — Here's How to Start

negativecovidtestflyingforuslifted

The U.S. Has Lifted its COVID-19 Testing Requirement for Air Travelers

How Digital Nomads Are Changing the Travel Industry

How Digital Nomads Are Changing the Travel Industry

7 Top Countries That Offer Digital Nomad Travel Visas

7 Top Countries That Offer Digital Nomad Travel Visas

Is Insurance Coverage From Travel Credit Cards Enough?

Is Insurance Coverage From Travel Credit Cards Enough?

TravelAge West

About TravelAge West

  • About Us
  • Contributors
  • Sales Team
  • Contact Us
  • My Profile

Advertise

  • Advertise With Us
  • Media Kit
  • Upload Ad Material
  • Digital Ad Specifications
  • Reprints
  • Subscribe to Print

Stay Connected to TravelAge West

Get Us in Your Inbox

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.


Northstar Travel Group

Northstar Travel Group

  • Travel Weekly
  • Travel Weekly Asia
  • Travel Weekly China
  • TravelPulse
  • TravelPulse Canada
  • TravelPulse Quebec
  • Meetings & Incentives
  • Travel Technology
  • Corporate Travel
  • Hotel Investment
  • Data Products
  • AGENTatHOME
Copyright © 2022 by Northstar Travel Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. 100 Lighting Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094-3626 USA | Telephone: (201) 902-2000
Load Carousel Here
Load Video Here