While overall spring break travel bookings for 2021 are still down, many advisors are seeing signs of a recovery, according to a new survey of more than 300 advisors by TravelAge West, part of its Need to Know series.
More than half of respondents (55%) have clients who are traveling this spring, and 37% say that they have seen a greater than expected increase in spring trip inquires. However, 62% report that this year’s bookings are still lower than last year.
Credit: 2021 TravelAge West
Justin Smith, president of The Evolved Traveler, a travel agency in Beverly Hills, Calif., says that he has not seen an increase in spring bookings, but that could be because his business is mostly international.
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“I have received a significant increase in interest in international travel for late 2021 and into 2022, and I have received more bookings in just the last month,” Smith said. “This is being driven by clients who have already received the vaccination, or know they will be receiving it shortly, and are looking to start planning something.”
Survey results seem to support Smith’s view — 63% of advisors say that at least half of their spring travel bookings are domestic, while almost the same number (65%) report that international travel accounts for less than 10% of their current business. Nearly three-quarters (71%) say this is lower than in previous years.
The real story for us is that people are seriously beginning to consider traveling again.
Those advisors who are booking international vacations report that Mexico (47%) and the Caribbean (25%) are far and away the most popular destinations. These locations make sense considering that 62% of advisors say a beach vacation is the most sought-after type of trip this spring.
Credit: 2021 TravelAge West
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“The challenge right now is the planning window and the choice of destinations,” Smith said. “Internationally, how comfortable are clients going to be with planning a trip and how long will restrictions be in place in that destination? These are still the unknowns and will be for a while longer. But people are willing to take all this into account right now. The real story for us is that people are seriously beginning to consider traveling again.”
Most advisors (52%) report that their spring family travel business is down from previous years, with 77% saying it makes up less than half of their current bookings. Forty-three percent of respondents believe that clients are just not interested in traveling in small groups right now.
One bright spot in family travel are vacations to celebrate milestone events. Three-quarters of advisors (75%) have clients interested in booking such a trip, with some booking this year (23%), most booking next year (47%) and 5% looking at 2023.
Credit: 2021 TravelAge WestAccording to Smith, this is just part of an overall positive trend.
“The pent-up demand is starting to reveal itself,” he said. “I believe we are beginning to see some optimism in the marketplace for the first time since the pandemic began.”
Need to Know Research Series
“Need to Know” is a research series from TravelAge West that tracks the responses of advisors as they relate to various travel trends and topics. This survey recorded the responses of 339 advisors across the U.S. Click here to see more Need to Know stories.
