Update on American Travel Trends & Sentiment—Week of July 26th

Optimism about the coronavirus situation in the U.S. has plummeted and regression in safety perceptions has caused Americans to feel we’ve lost ground on the progress made towards a return to normalcy. The Delta variant is also disrupting Americans’ trip plans with 25.4% having postponed an upcoming trip and 18.9% cancelling a trip specifically due to the Delta variant.

IMPORTANT: These findings are brought to you from our independent research, which is not sponsored, conducted or influenced by any advertising or marketing agency. Every week since March 15, 2020, Destination Analysts has surveyed 1,200+ American travelers about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel—specifically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic—and explored a variety of topics. The key findings presented below represent data collected July 21st-23rd.

Key Findings to Know:

  • Optimism about the coronavirus situation in the U.S. has plummeted. American travelers’ expectation that the coronavirus situation will get worse in the next month has made a significant jump from 19.6% the week of July 12th to 43.0% this week—surpassing expectations that the situation will get better (32.0%) for the first time since the week of February 1st. This worsening expectation has impacted Americans’ excitement to travel right now (68.2%, down from 72.6%), personal health concerns (56.6%, up from 49.5%) and their confidence in the ability to travel safely right now (49.3%, down from 52.9%).

  • Negative associations with travel are on the rise again. When asked to give ONE WORD that best describes how they feel about travel right now, Americans’ top response was “exciting” the week of July 12th. Now, they mostly feel “good” about travel; however, the number of people citing “unsafe,” “nervous,” “worried,” or “anxious” is growing.

  • Regression in safety perceptions has caused Americans to feel we’ve lost ground on the progress made towards a return to normalcy. Due to recent media coverage of the COVID-19 situation, 44.8% are now doubting that it is safe to go out and about and 45.0% doubt that it is safe to travel now. These decreased feelings of safety have led to a drop in perceptions of normalcy. This week, less than one-in-three (32.3%) American travelers feel that the U.S. is close to “normal” in terms of resuming leisure activities—down 10 percentage points from 42.7% the week of July 12th.

  • The Delta variant is disrupting Americans’ travel plans. Recent news about increasing Delta variant cases have made half of American travelers less interested in traveling right now (53.6%, up from 51.0% the week of July 12th). In fact, a quarter (25.4%) have postponed an upcoming trip and 18.9% have cancelled a trip specifically due to the Delta variant. In addition, overnight trips appear to be in decline—this week 43.8% of Americans said they took at least one such trip in the past month which is down from 49.6% who said the same the week of July 12th.

  • On a brighter note, big cities and metropolitan areas continue to make gains in recovery. Among those who took an overnight trip in the past month, cities/metro areas were the top destination type visited (39.3%), followed by small towns (30.9%) and beach destinations (26.9%). Due to recent COVID outbreaks, some cities have reinstated indoor mask requirements and while 15.7% of American travelers are opposed, 68.2% support this requirement.

    • Follow us on social for infographics of these and other key findings. You can also download recent infographics here. Need assets for a presentation or something else? Find all the presentation decks from our ongoing traveler research here—new decks posted each Tuesday afternoon. And please join us every Tuesday at 11:00am EST for a live presentation of the latest insights into traveler perceptions and behaviors.

    We appreciate your support of this research from our small but mighty team of devoted tourism researchers.

    To make sure you receive notifications of our latest findings, you can sign up here.

    Have a question idea or topic you would like to suggest we study? Let us know!

    We can help you with the insights your tourism strategy needs, from audience analysis to brand health to economic impact. Please check out our services here.
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    Update on American Travel Trends & Sentiment—Week of July 12th

    With increased savings and greater financial wellness, 44.6% of Americans feel that now is a good time to spend money on leisure travel. However, travelers are still feeling price conscious, with 59.2% agreeing that travel prices are generally too high right now—particularly hotel rates, gas, airfare and car rentals. In fact, these high travel prices have deterred 36.9% of Americans from traveling in the past month.

    IMPORTANT: These findings are brought to you from our independent research, which is not sponsored, conducted or influenced by any advertising or marketing agency. Every week since March 15, 2020, Destination Analysts has surveyed 1,200+ American travelers about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel—specifically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic—and explored a variety of topics. The key findings presented below represent data collected July 7th-9th.

    Key Findings to Know:

  • Overnight trips are on the rise. Over half of American travelers took an overnight trip in the past three months (52.2%, up from 44.6% the week of June 28th). These overnight travelers were overwhelmingly satisfied with their trips, despite some reporting less satisfactory experiences with restaurants not being fully open (22.1%) and travel prices being high (20.5%). Still though, one-in-three of these recent overnight travelers report that their recent travel experiences have made them more enthusiastic to travel (32.2%).

  • However, the spreading Delta variant is giving American travelers pause. In fact, 51.0% say they are less interested in traveling right now because of the variant and more expect the coronavirus situation to get worse in the U.S. in the next month (19.6%, up from 16.2% the week of June 28th). Additionally, after dipping to a pandemic-record low of 31.6% the week of May 31st, more American travelers now agree that they do not want travelers visiting their community right now (39.6%).

  • There is hope for increased vaccinations amongst travelers. Of those who remain unvaccinated, 34.2% say they will get inoculated soon or at some point this year, while 23.8% are open to the vaccine but need more time or information. Unfortunately, 36.7% of this group say they will not take the COVID-19 vaccine.

  • Americans feel that now is a good time to spend money on leisure travel. With over two-thirds (67.9%) of American travelers reporting having been able to save at least some money this month and 42.1% saying their household is “better off” financially compared to one year ago, 44.6% of travelers feel that now is a good time to spend their money on leisure travel—a sentiment that is much more strongly held amongst younger travelers (57.8% for Millennials or younger, 45.7% for Gen X vs. 30.9% for Boomers or older).

  • Despite increased savings, travelers are still feeling price conscious. 50.6% of Americans say that travel rewards programs will continue to be important to how they generally plan their leisure travels and 69.8% agree that getting the lowest possible prices while traveling is important to them. Still though, travelers are feeling the sting of increased travel costs, with 59.2% agreeing that travel prices are generally too high right now, particularly hotel rates, gasoline, airline tickets and car rental fees. When asked if high travel prices have kept them from traveling in the past month, 36.9% agree that it has.

  • Travelers’ increasing environmental conscientiousness should not be discounted. 52.3% feel that the environmental impact of travel is “important” or “very important” when planning their trips and 38.1% “usually” or “always” make their travel plans specifically thinking about the impact of travel on the environment.

    • Follow us on social for infographics of these and other key findings. You can also download recent infographics here. Need assets for a presentation or something else? Find all the presentation decks from our ongoing traveler research here—new decks posted each Tuesday afternoon. And please join us every Tuesday at 11:00am EST for a live presentation of the latest insights into traveler perceptions and behaviors.

    We appreciate your support of this research from our small but mighty team of devoted tourism researchers.

    To make sure you receive notifications of our latest findings, you can sign up here.

    Have a question idea or topic you would like to suggest we study? Let us know!

    We can help you with the insights your tourism strategy needs, from audience analysis to brand health to economic impact. Please check out our services here.
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    Update on American Travel Trends & Sentiment—Week of June 28th

    Americans are feeling the pangs of the travel industry’s labor shortages with 43.4% of recent overnight travelers agreeing that it seemed as though travel industry businesses were having trouble providing adequate service to travelers. But despite unsatisfactory travel experiences, some Americans are still feeling more enthusiastic about travel.

    IMPORTANT: These findings are brought to you from our independent research, which is not sponsored, conducted or influenced by any advertising or marketing agency. Every week since March 15, 2020, Destination Analysts has surveyed 1,200+ American travelers about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel—specifically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic—and explored a variety of topics. The key findings presented below represent data collected June 23rd-25th.

    Key Findings to Know:

    • Optimism about the virus’ course in America declines: Now, 16.2% expect the coronavirus situation to get worse or much worse in this country in the next month (up from 10.9%). This may also be causing a downturn in their openness to travel inspiration (now 70.9% from 73.1% last week) and confidence in their ability to travel safely in this environment (47.8% from 52.2%).
    • Concerns about the safety of others and ourselves as well as worries about COVID-19 variants are the most important considerations that keep Americans from traveling more right now: In fact, over 40% of travelers say these three aspects are important or extremely important considerations that keep them from taking more trips.
    • Nevertheless, summer travel plans hold strong: Over 77% of Americans plan to travel for leisure in the next 3 months—averaging 1.9 trips in this timeframe. 90% of these summer travelers expect to take at least one overnight trip. For these overnight trips, the most likely accommodation types will be the private home of a friend/relative (34.6%), 3-4 star hotels (32.7%) and budget hotels/motels (18.5%).
    • Despite unsatisfactory travel experiences in recent months, some Americans are feeling more enthusiastic about travel: A look back at the past 3 months shows that 44.6% of Americans have taken a overnight trip. Nearly 70% of these travelers participated in at least one leisure activity with the most “close to normal” experience being dining in restaurants (53.2% rating it as very normal or mostly normal and 60.3% were satisfied or very satisfied with their restaurant experience). In contrast, well below half of these travelers felt their experience in hotels, at events, in attractions, onboard commercial airlines and in airport businesses were normal or satisfactory. Still, though 28.2% of travelers said their most recent travel experience has made them more enthusiastic to travel and 22.9% say their experiences have made them sympathetic to the travel industry.
    • Americans are feeling the pangs of the travel industry’s labor shortages: 43.4% of recent overnight travelers agree that on their most recent trip it seemed as though travel industry businesses were having trouble providing adequate service to travelers. This has impacted future travel for some Americans, with 17.3% saying their recent travel experiences have led them to do more research, 14.9% will not plan as much travel and 11.8% say they have changed the destination or attraction for an upcoming trip.
    • Travel, tourism and recreation are among the top industries Americans are most interested in working in: Presented with a list of 15 different industries and asked to assume a job opportunity matched their skills and experience, 12.9% of all Americans surveyed said they would be interested in working in the travel, tourism and recreation industry. The same percentage selected arts and entertainment (12.9%), while 11.7% selected information technology.
    Follow us on social for infographics of these and other key findings. You can also download recent infographics here. Need assets for a presentation or something else? Find all the presentation decks from our ongoing traveler research here—new decks posted each Tuesday afternoon. And please join us every Tuesday at 11:00am EST for a live presentation of the latest insights into traveler perceptions and behaviors.

    We appreciate your support of this research from our small but mighty team of devoted tourism researchers.
    To make sure you receive notifications of our latest findings, you can sign up here.

    Have a question idea or topic you would like to suggest we study? Let us know!

    We can help you with the insights your tourism strategy needs, from audience analysis to brand health to economic impact. Please check out our services here.
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    Update on American Travel Trends & Sentiment—Week of June 21st

    Americans are feeling the normalizing effects of the grand reopening, with more summer trips planned and minds opened for travel inspiration. However, the renewed travel activity across the country may be causing attitudes towards local tourism to backslide.

    IMPORTANT: These findings are brought to you from our independent research, which is not sponsored, conducted or influenced by any advertising or marketing agency. Every week since March 15, 2020, Destination Analysts has surveyed 1,200+ American travelers about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel—specifically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic—and explored a variety of topics. The key findings presented below represent data collected June 16th-18th.

    Key Findings to Know:

  • Americans are feeling the grand reopening: More than four-in-ten Americans now say that the U.S. is more than 70% back to normal for leisure activities—up from only 26.8% feeling this way in April. While there was little difference by age in this sentiment, those in the Northeast are likeliest to feel the country is closer to normal while those in the West are less likely.
  • Travel is the thing-to-do this summer: Three-quarters of American travelers will take at least one vacation or getaway over the next 3 months. In this same time frame, 15.3% will take a business trip and 7.5% will travel for a conference or convention.
  • Americans want more travel inspiration: The proportion of American travelers highly open to travel content is up to 73.1% this week. In the last week alone, eight-in-ten American travelers did some travel dreaming or planning towards their next trip. Online content/search engine marketing, social media, emails and travel & lifestyle magazines continue to be where Americans say they are most receptive to travel messaging.
  • The increase in travel may be causing attitudes towards local tourism to backslide: This week saw a 7-percentage point increase in the proportion of Americans who say they don’t want tourists in town (to 40.6% from 33.6%). Some of our latest research found that 40% of recent travelers had found other people irritating while out-and-about—could this annoyance be a reason for not wanting tourists in town? In any case, those who don’t want travelers visiting their local community right now demographically skew male, employed, urban-dwelling, Millennial-aged, parent of children under 18. On a positive note, 57.7% of American travelers said they would be happy to see an ad promoting tourism to their own community.
  • Beach destinations look poised for another year of stellar tourism performance: When asked about the destinations they will visit for the remainder of 2021, Americans reported the greatest certainty to visit beach destinations and resorts, and beaches were likeliest to be a primary trip destination, rather than a secondary or pass-through destination (in comparison, cities are similarly likely to be a secondary destination as a primary destination for travelers this year). Boding even better for beach destinations is that Americans demonstrate the greatest excitement for visiting these destinations—56.2% are highly excited to travel to beaches this year, 12 percentage points above National Parks, and 15 percentage points above cities.
  • American travelers’ top passions include Foodie-ism, International Travel, Concerts, Theme Parks, Health & Wellness and Theater Performances: As the pandemic recovery continues, more than 40% of American travelers report having high interest in each of these passions and hobbies.
  • Concerns about side-effects are preventing further vaccination-rate gains: This week, 19.2% of American travelers surveyed said they would not be getting themselves inoculated against COVID-19. When asked their reasons why, concerns about the vaccines’ side effects topped the list (40.1%), closely followed by feeling that the vaccines were not adequately tested (38.8%). On the flip side, about 90% of COVID-19-vaccinated travelers said being vaccinated makes them more comfortable traveling.

    • Follow us on social for infographics of these and other key findings. You can also download recent infographics here. Need assets for a presentation or something else? Find all the presentation decks from our ongoing traveler research here—new decks posted each Tuesday afternoon. And please join us every Tuesday at 11:00am EST for a live presentation of the latest insights into traveler perceptions and behaviors.

    We appreciate your support of this research from our small but mighty team of devoted tourism researchers.

    To make sure you receive notifications of our latest findings, you can sign up here.

    Have a question idea or topic you would like to suggest we study? Let us know!

    We can help you with the insights your tourism strategy needs, from audience analysis to brand health to economic impact. Please check out our services here.
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    Update on American Travel Trends & Sentiment—Week of June 14th

    While some Americans plan to leave their current romantic partner, the more common lifestyle changes they anticipate post-pandemic include finding a healthier work/life balance, traveling more and also being more mindful of travel sustainability. 43% of travelers are now saying they are ready to move on from the pandemic and it appears that this health crisis has also opened Americans’ minds up to the idea of traveling more domestically.

    IMPORTANT: These findings are brought to you from our independent research, which is not sponsored, conducted or influenced by any advertising or marketing agency. Every week since March 15, 2020, Destination Analysts has surveyed 1,200+ American travelers about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel—specifically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic—and explored a variety of topics. The key findings presented below represent data collected June 9th-11th.

    Key Findings to Know:

  • Many Americans are ready to move on from the pandemic: This week, 43.5% of travelers agree that they personally feel the pandemic is effectively over and they are ready to move on (up from 40.6%). This rising feeling also coincides with an increase in both openness to travel inspiration (69.4% up from 67.4%) and excitement to travel in the near term (73.7% up from 71.9%). Additionally, those who do not feel confident they can travel safely in the current environment is at a record low (15.7%).
  • American lifestyle changes are coming: Nearly three-in-ten Americans expect to change their lifestyles post-pandemic. Most commonly, those expecting to make changes feel it is most important for them to find a healthier work/life balance, spend more time with family, be more mindful of their self-care and spend more time with friends. Although less common, some are also looking to get rid of their current romantic partner. In addition, nearly a quarter plan to make changes to the way they travel. Most notably, those anticipating travel habit changes plan to travel more, focus more on outdoor experiences and also be more mindful of travel sustainability.
  • Expectations for vaccinations inch up: Expectations for adult American travelers to take a vaccine (or have already taken a vaccine) inched closer to the 75% mark. This week 73.9% say they will or have been vaccinated (up from 72.9%). Similarly, parents of school-aged children are increasingly expecting to have their children (or already had their children) take a vaccine—a pandemic-record high of 61.7% up from 59.7% last week.
  • Interest in domestic trips increases: In fact, 70.9% of travelers who were more internationally oriented (e.g. were more interested in traveling outside the U.S. than traveling domestically pre-pandemic) said the pandemic has opened their minds to traveling more within the U.S.
  • Bookings for lodging accommodations are on the rise: 18.2% of Americans made travel reservations in the last week. Of these travel bookers, the most common reservation made was for a hotel room (52.7% up from 47.4%). In addition, nearly one-in-five also booked a home-sharing service such as Airbnb or VRBO this week (17.7% up from 13.3%).
  • Relaxation, scenic beauty and new experiences are what Americans most want to get out of their travels in the upcoming year: Secondarily, Americans will also seek out escapism, food experiences and adventure. Affordability will also be of high importance. In fact, it was among the top three destination attributes they consider very important or essential in regard to the destinations they plan to visit in the next year—after fun and relaxing.

    • Follow us on social for infographics of these and other key findings. You can also download recent infographics here. Need assets for a presentation or something else? Find all the presentation decks from our ongoing traveler research here—new decks posted each Tuesday afternoon. And please join us every Tuesday at 11:00am EST for a live presentation of the latest insights into traveler perceptions and behaviors.

    We appreciate your support of this research from our small but mighty team of devoted tourism researchers.

    To make sure you receive notifications of our latest findings, you can sign up here.

    Have a question idea or topic you would like to suggest we study? Let us know!

    We can help you with the insights your tourism strategy needs, from audience analysis to brand health to economic impact. Please check out our services here.
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    Now is the Time to Shine for Vacation Rentals

     

     

    As coronavirus cases in the United States continue to wane, the lasting effects of the pandemic can be good news for certain sectors of the travel industry. Over the past 15 months, American travel behaviors have clearly changed—including where travelers stay during their overnight trips. In fact, at the beginning of May 2021, 15% of American travelers reported having stayed overnight in a vacation home rental within the past two years, while nearly a quarter of those who intend to travel in the next three months anticipate staying in a vacation home rental on an upcoming trip. To learn more about the remarkable rise in vacation rental usage, Senior Research Director Myha Gallagher interviewed a panel of executives from vacation rental companies during our May 25th industry update webinar.

    Jason Sprenkle, CEO of Key Data, Michelle Hodges, President of SH Enterprises and Tim Cafferty, President of Outer Banks Blue, shared a look into the current landscape of vacation rentals.

    You can watch the panel discussion in this video and read our key takeaways below.

     

     

    Business for vacation rental companies has skyrocketed over the course of the pandemic. Michelle of SH Enterprises shared that they are “Having [their] best year in 10 years in terms of occupancy and ADR.” According to Jason of Key Data, RevPAR for property management companies is up 58% and occupancy rate is up 13% compared to pre-pandemic times in 2019. With these record-breaking metrics, Tim from Outer Banks Blue declared that “Right now it is our moment to shine. Now is our moment in the sun!”

    The current success of vacation rental companies is attributed to safety and accessibility. With restrictions on certain types of travel, such as cruising and international travel, the preferred option was nearby regional leisure trips in which travelers stayed overnight in vacation rentals. The perception amongst many vacation rental clients was that certain types of travel introduce environments that can’t be controlled, such as at the airport or at a hotel. Vacation rentals, however, provide a safe environment where guests have control and peace-of-mind.

    DMOs can best support vacation rental companies by providing one common message, such as “It’s Worth the Wait,” so that they can echo that same message. The panel suggested DMOs could help vacation rental companies most by communicating a common message that they and other travel-related businesses can use to attract visitors when they’re ready to travel. Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism’s “Worth the Wait” summer marketing campaign is an excellent example, in which the DMO sets expectations and asks travelers to pack extra patience along with their swimsuits and sunscreens. Additionally, DMOs can also provide vacation rental companies with real-time data about visitors. Amidst the constantly evolving coronavirus situation, up to date information about visitors will help vacation rental companies anticipate the best ways to serve their valued clients.

    As the travel industry continues to embark on the road to recovery and summer travel abounds, vacation rental companies are clearly having their moment in the sun.

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    Update on American Travel Trends & Sentiment—Week of June 7th

    Despite many finding their fellow travelers irritating, Memorial Day trips boosted travel comfort & confidence, and now a pandemic record-breaking 80% of Americans say they are in a travel ready state-of-mind. To capitalize on this heightened readiness, marketers would be wise to reach travelers with advertising that is honest, friendly and big on fun.

    IMPORTANT: These findings are brought to you from our independent research, which is not sponsored, conducted or influenced by any advertising or marketing agency. Every week since March 15, 2020, Destination Analysts has surveyed 1,200+ American travelers about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel—specifically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic—and explored a variety of topics. The key findings presented below represent data collected June 2nd-4th.

    Key Findings to Know:

    • Memorial Day trips increase American’s comfort with traveling: Over the Memorial Day holiday, nearly a quarter (22.4%) of American travelers took a trip. Of which, 64.6% said they had a negative-leaning experience—most commonly restaurants not being fully open (19.1%), crowding (19.0%) and poor COVID-19 safety standards (17.9%). In addition, about 40% said they found other travelers they encountered on these trips to be irritating. Still though, these trips are building traveler confidence. In fact, well over half (53.6%) said their Memorial Day trip helped them feel more comfortable with being out and traveling again.
    • Cruising appears to be on the rebound: With decreasing concerns around COVID and Americans’ confidence in travel’s safety continuing to grow, this week the percent of travel bookers who made cruise reservations for an upcoming trip more than doubled in the last week (from 7.0% to 16.1%). In addition, perceptions of traveling by cruise line being unsafe has hit a pandemic-era low (46.0%–down from 60.4% at the beginning of April).
    • Vaccines for children are on the rise: More American parents than ever during the pandemic now say they will have their children vaccinated against COVID (59.7% up from 44.5% last week). However, expectations for adult American travelers has stalled. This week 72.9% say they will or have been vaccinated, a figure that has been stagnant over the last 5 weeks and has yet to surpass the 75% mark.
    • A pandemic record breaking 8-in-10 Americans now say they are ready to travel: This growing readiness is certainly fueled by feelings that the worst of the virus is behind us. In fact, another record breaking 67.8% expect the coronavirus situation in the U.S. will get better in the next month. Meanwhile, a historic low 6.7% expect things to get worse.
    • The demand for summer travel continues its positive trend: With increasingly more Americans in a travel ready state-of-mind, the outlook for summer leisure travel continues to be healthy. While small towns and rural destinations are the likeliest types of destinations that travelers will visit, as has been seen over the past month, urban destinations are returning, with approximately 40% saying they anticipate visiting a city in the next 3 months. Average leisure trip spending during this time period is anticipated to be $1,810, higher than $1,691 reported last week.
    • More Americans than ever during the pandemic recall seeing travel-related advertising: In total, 45.5% reported seeing advertisements for travel destinations in the past month. Broadcast television (42.7%) and online advertisements (41.5%) were the top mediums in which Americans recall travel ads, while ads for hotels (44.1%) and theme parks (42.2%) were the types of ads most widely recalled. Travel ads are also bringing joy to Americans as well as influencing destination decisions. When asked to consider the most recent travel ad they saw, over half said these ads made them feel happy (53.3%). Importantly though, a third of American travelers say that they have indeed decided to visit a destination as a result of having seen an advertisement (32.2%).
    • American travelers want ads that are honest, friendly and fun: Websites found via search engine, broadcast television, Facebook, streaming video, print magazines and email campaigns are the best ways to reach Americans with travel messaging. Younger travelers in particular (Millennials or younger and Gen X) are especially likely to turn to Facebook to learn about new destinations to visit. The most appealing tones in travel messaging right now are ones that are honest, friendly and fun. A significant rise compared to one year ago, the desire for a fun/entertaining tone in travel ads has increased 30 percentage points, from 21.7% to now 47.1%.

    Follow us on social for infographics of these and other key findings. You can also download recent infographics here. Need assets for a presentation or something else? Find all the presentation decks from our ongoing traveler research here—new decks posted each Tuesday afternoon. And please join us every Tuesday at 11:00am EST for a live presentation of the latest insights into traveler perceptions and behaviors.

    We appreciate your support of this research from our small but mighty team of devoted tourism researchers.

    To make sure you receive notifications of our latest findings, you can sign up here.

    Have a question idea or topic you would like to suggest we study? Let us know!

    We can help you with the insights your tourism strategy needs, from audience analysis to brand health to economic impact. Please check out our services here.
    /by

    Changing the Narrative for LGBTQIA Travelers

     

    A personal reflection in response to Destination Analysts’ June 1st, 2021 panel discussion with LGBTQIA travelers, by David Reichbach, Senior Director of Analytics & Data Security at Destination Analysts.

    Note: Views expressed here belong to David Reichbach and do not necessarily represent those of other Destination Analysts staff or the company itself.

     

     

    As a proud member of the queer community, it was an honor to interview our panel of LGBTQIA travelers to kick-off Pride Month and discuss their current feelings about travel, safety and inclusivity. Craig, Gayle, Savio and Sierra, who represent a range of ages, backgrounds and traveler personas, dialed in from all across the country to share their unique perspectives on how they travel, what motivates them to travel and their important considerations in selecting leisure destinations.

    Similar to what we’ve seen in focus groups with other travel segments, LGBTQIA travelers want to see themselves in advertisements and marketing. Their advice to travel marketers is to “Show us instead of keeping us invisible.” Not only are they significantly more interested in visiting destinations that portray our community in travel advertising, but they strongly prioritize going to places that actively promote diversity and inclusion.

    As Americans emerge from the pandemic and leisure travel begins to fully recover, the LGBTQIA traveler community is excited to travel more than ever and will be looking for destinations that will accept and welcome them with open arms. Simply put, “Now is the right time to change the narrative and normalize the LGBTQIA experience.”

    Watch the full panel discussion below.

     

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    Welcome Summer! Update on American Travel Trends & Sentiment—Week of May 31st

    With COVID-19’s impact on American travel sentiment plummeting and summer travel demand healthy, the majority say they are ready for large events like concerts and festivals—especially if they are outdoors: Yet expectations for destinations to take pandemic precautions remain, both across the U.S. and among younger travelers.

    IMPORTANT: These findings are brought to you from our independent research, which is not sponsored, conducted or influenced by any advertising or marketing agency. Every week since March 15, 2020, Destination Analysts has surveyed 1,200+ American travelers about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel—specifically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic—and explored a variety of topics. The key findings presented below represent data collected May 26th-28th.

    Key Findings to Know:

  • Historic lows reached in COVID-19’s impact on travel sentiment: Americans concerned about contracting the coronavirus dropped another 10 percentage points in the last week and is now well below 50% (43.3%). Worries about the pandemic’s impact on personal finances (44.3%) as well as the national economy (69.3%) also hit historic lows. Now the average perception of travel & leisure activities as unsafe is just 25.9%—less than half of what it was at the start of the year. Lack of confidence in travel’s safety is now at only 16.1%, and just 24.0% would feel guilty traveling now (meanwhile, 54.1% said they absolutely wouldn’t). Avoidance of international (56.4%) as well as convention related travel (45.3%) hit record lows again this week, as well.
  • Travel-related bookings expand: With increased openings and capacity at major venues across the United States, the percent of travel bookers who purchased sporting event tickets for a trip doubled in the last week (to 16.4% from 7.8%).
  • Summer travel demand is healthy: Approximately 77% of American travelers report that they are taking leisure trips in the next 3 months. These travelers will take an average of 2.1 overnight trips this summer. Average leisure trip spending during this period is anticipated to be $1,691. Visitation to cities continues to return, with 42.1% reporting they will visit an urban destination during their summer travels, up from 37.8% last week.
  • Expectations for pandemic precautions remain: Over 70% of Americans who are traveling in this summer still want to see their trip destinations instituting at least one pandemic protocol, including mask requirements (38.4%), social distancing enforcement (35.7%) and capacity limits (33.6%), and will be researching this information in advance. Interestingly, desire for pandemic prevention protocols is not a function of the types of destinations they are headed to, but rather age and geography. While over 80% of Millennial and Gen Z travelers want some COVID mitigation protocols in place, Boomers are more split—60% want them and 40% say that none of these are necessary anymore. And those in the Southern U.S. are twice as likely than those residing in other regions to feel pandemic protocols are no longer necessary (38.9%).
  • Many are ready for large events, especially if they are outdoors: While Americans’ readiness when it comes to travel in general is at a record 77.9%, many, but still somewhat fewer, are ready to attend large events like concerts and festivals. Outdoor versus indoors is certainly a key factor. This week, 70.6% of American travelers describe their mindset around large outdoor events as ready. When it comes to large indoor events however, readiness is at 57.9%. And despite the relatively high degree of readiness for large events overall, it is important to note that 80% desire pandemic protocols in place at these functions, including attendance limitations and social distancing.
  • The relationship between desired experiences and destination choice: When it comes to what they most want to get out of travel, those headed to cities are relatively less interested in relaxation but most seeking great food experiences. Those looking to party and cut loose during their travel are likelier to be found in beaches, mountains and theme parks. Those heading to rural areas and small towns are more likely to be driven by the desire to experience new places and things. And, of course, those seeking adventure and exploration are likelier to be found in parks and mountains. Beauty is more of a driver for National Parks travelers than relaxation.
  • More are welcoming tourism locally: For the first time in the last 18 months, the proportion reporting that they want travelers in their community (33.0%) finally outweighs the proportion who do not (31.6%). Those that report they would be happy to see an advertisement promoting their own community for tourism reached a record high 57.1%. In addition, 41.8% said they would be happy if conventions and conferences were planned in their community this summer. Finally, Americans comfortable enjoying leisure activities in their home community is at a pandemic-high (66.9%).

    • We hope you had a safe and happy Memorial Day!

    Follow us on social for infographics of these and other key findings. You can also download recent infographics here. Need assets for a presentation or something else? Find all the presentation decks from our ongoing traveler research here—new decks posted each Tuesday afternoon. And please join us every Tuesday at 11:00am EST for a live presentation of the latest insights into traveler perceptions and behaviors.

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    Embracing the LatinX Travel Community

     

    As part of Destination Analysts’ ongoing traveling consumer panel series, our industry update webinar on May 11th was followed by an important discussion with LatinX travelers from around the U.S. Moderated by Melissa Elkins, Destination Analysts’ Director of Research, this conversation explored these travelers’ unique perspectives and how their personal experiences impact their travel decisions.

    Watch what this panel of LatinX travelers had to say or read on for main takeaways from the discussion.

     

     

    Key Takeaways:

     

    LatinX travelers appreciate being represented in advertising, however, their representation should occur respectfully and avoid tokenism. LatinX travelers would like to be acknowledged as part of our cultural diversity without being singled out. As Enrique expressed, “I want to feel like I’m not being targeted specifically. I want to feel like I’m just another member of the regular audience. I would prefer that they try intentionally not to target me or cater to specifically me as a minority.” Furthermore, the portrayal should occur naturally and with authenticity, reflecting the mix of different backgrounds. Stereotyping would be a disservice as it overlooks the diversity that is included under the term LatinX. From their perspective, advertising campaigns, “should feel organic. It shouldn’t feel forced.”

    Providing content in both English and Spanish is an effective way to connect with the LatinX community while signaling inclusivity. In the words of Celine, “At this point right now it is almost a need to have things in Spanish. It is such a large population of this country who speak Spanish, either as a primary or secondary language.” Advertising, social media and marketing campaigns also available in Spanish are perceived as embracing. It conveys the message that “You are welcome” and can ultimately help destinations further build their brand by reaching more of the LatinX community.

    As is the case with many travelers, distinct and unique destination attributes are highly influential in the travel decision-making process. That does not necessarily mean that LatinX travelers seek out activities or attractions connecting them to their culture, but rather elements that are new and unique to them. Attractions, cuisine or an event of historical significance can provide a culturally enriching experience. Simply put, they are interested in “Seeing things that are special and aspects that are unique.” There is a significant opportunity for marketers to identify and promote their most distinguished assets and open their world up to the enormous, travel-ready community of LatinX.

    We at Destinations Analysts would like to thank Andrew, Celine, Enrique, Jenny and Samuel for sharing their honest thoughts and valuable perspectives with us and the travel industry.

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