What
Eight in 10 Americans have travel plans in the next sixth months, with two-thirds reporting that the vaccine rollout has impacted their travel plans, according to the latest tracking study from Longwoods International. Forty-five percent of those surveyed say their top priority is visiting friends and family, followed by going to a waterfront destination or embarking on a road trip.
Why It Matters
There’s no question that recovery is on the horizon. This increase in Americans’ intent to travel — even domestically — is reflective of a significant shift in the consumer’s mindset. This is good news for travel advisors and suppliers, who should be prepared for a spike in requests during the coming months.
Although domestic drive destinations are likely to remain more popular than international excursions, only 40% of U.S. travelers now cite the pandemic as an influence in their trip-planning (compared with two-thirds back in April 2020). This confidence, coupled with optimism about the COVID-19 vaccine, has resulted in travel demand that approaches pre-pandemic levels.
Traveler optimism continues to track with the drop in new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths, as well as the progress in vaccine distribution.
Fast Facts
- This wave of the Longwoods International survey took place Feb. 17, 2021 with a random sample of 1,000 U.S. adults.
- Results remain consistent with findings from the most previous wave, which was conducted two weeks prior.
- Two in five travelers say they will not take a trip until they are vaccinated, while one in five are considering the vaccination of their friends and family; the nation; or the destination to which they will be traveling.
What They Are Saying
“We are encouraged by the high percentage of travelers in trip-planning mode in the two most recent survey waves,” said Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International. “Traveler optimism continues to track with the drop in new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths, as well as the progress in vaccine distribution. As long as these positive trends continue, we would expect to see steady improvement for the U.S. travel industry.”
The Details
Longwoods International
www.longwoods-intl.com
