Update on Coronavirus’ Impact on American Travel—Week of May 4th

Americans report their next leisure trip will be to a destination 686 miles away on average, and they expect airlines and hotels to adopt new cleanliness and safety protocols to protect their health.

 

 

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 15th, Destination Analysts has surveyed 1,200+ American travelers about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The findings presented below represent data collected May 1st-3rd.

Travel Industry Colleagues: We celebrate you this National Travel & Tourism Week and applaud your contribution to our incredible and resilient industry.
 

Key Findings to Know

  • Perceptions of Safety Continue to Gradually Improve: Concerns about personally or friends & family contracting the virus are at the lowest levels they have been since March 15th. One-third feels the situation in the US will get better in the next month. Comfort going out in their own communities to undertake local activities is slowly returning. The percent agreeing they won’t travel until there is a vaccine continues to decline.
  • Looking at Travel Ahead: The coronavirus’ impact on American travel remains at 75.7%, September now has the highest number of American travelers having at least tentative trip plans, with increases reported in November and December, as well. The average distance of American travelers’ next leisure trip is 686 miles overall, with Baby Boomers and travelers in the West and South reporting trip averages over 700 miles, and affluent travelers reporting nearly 800 miles.
  • Air Travel Likely an Uneven Return: Half of American travelers feel it is too risky to travel on an airplane right now with, 42.8% saying their next trip by air will not be until 2021 or later. Millennial, GenZ and business travelers travelers are somewhat less uncomfortable, with more saying their next trip by air will be this year.
  • The New Protocols Expected of Airlines and Hotels: The practices that will make travelers feel most confident an airline is looking out for their health are high-tech cleaning of planes’ interiors between flights and requiring passenger health screenings. What will make travelers most confident that a hotel is looking out for their health and safety are guests being provided with hand sanitizer, face masks, disinfectant wipes, etc., and having the property’s cleaning/sanitizing procedures well-explained.
  • Uncertainty about Reopening: Overall, 35.3% of American travelers say they are comfortable with their home state re-opening its economy right now, although this is uneven across regions. The percent of American travelers agreeing they don’t want travelers in their community right now is still notable but down from prior weeks. Travelers continue to be split on whether they would be happy seeing an ad right now promoting their community as a place to visit when its safe.
  • Travel is Missed: Many travelers expressed an excitement to return to travel when they feel it is safe, which will include the travel industry’s participation in adopting health/safety protocols.

Americans’ perceptions of safety continued to gradually improve this week. Concerns about personally (6.6/10) or friends & family (7.2/10) contracting the virus are at the lowest levels they have been since March 15th. Women, however, continue to feel higher levels of concern than men. Now, 33.9% of American travelers feels the coronavirus situation in the US will get better in the next month. Comfort going out in their own communities to undertake local activities is slowly returning–30.6% now feel comfortable from a low of 19.7% April 5th. The percent agreeing they won’t travel until there is a vaccine continues to decline (29.8% down from 36.5% April 19th).

Concern about the personal financial impact of the coronavirus is at a lower level (6.6/10) relative to previous weeks, but concerns for the national economy remain high (8.0/10).

 

 

In looking forward for travel, the coronavirus’ impact on American travel remains at 75.7%, with 69.4% canceling a trip and 54.8% postponing. September now has the highest number of American travelers having at least tentative trip plans (23.5%), with increases reported in November (15.5%) and December (14.5%), as well. The average distance of American travelers’ next leisure trip is 686 miles overall, with Baby Boomers and travelers in the West and South reporting trip averages over 700 miles, and affluent travelers reporting nearly 800 miles.

 

 

There will likely be an uneven return to air travel by Americans. Half of American travelers feel it is too risky to travel on an airplane right now with 42.8% saying their next trip by air will not be until 2021 or later. Millennial and GenZ travelers are somewhat less uncomfortable, with more saying their next trip by air will be this year compared to older generations. Although most have some concerns about the safety of flying on commercial airlines, business travelers are the relatively most comfortable traveling by air right now.

 

 

Like commercial spaces and restaurants, airlines and hotels are expected to adopt new several new cleaning and spread prevention protocols. The practices that will make travelers feel most confident an airline is looking out for their health are high-tech cleaning of planes’ interiors between flights (44.4%) and requiring passenger health screenings (44.2%). At hotels, guests will feel most confident a property is looking out for their health and safety if guests are provided with hand sanitizer, face masks, disinfectant wipes, etc. (36.8%) and the property’s cleaning/sanitizing procedures are well-explained (32.0%). A generational divide continues to present itself. As with other businesses, younger travelers continue to show less agreement that these new operational practices for airlines and hotels should go into effect. Interestingly, however, what would inspire the most confidence in them about airlines is passenger health screening. Millennial and GenZ travelers are also a little more likely than older travelers to want sneeze guards between seats and social distancing enforced at the boarding area.

 

 

We should expect shaming to occur. 63.8% of American travelers say they would be likely to withhold their business from a company if it was operating in a way that did not make them feel confident that the company was looking out for their health. 68.8% say they would share that experience with others.

Americans appear largely uncertain about the reopening. Overall, 35.3% of American travelers say they are comfortable with their home state re-opening its economy right now. While there appears little difference by generation, as expected, there are significant differences by region of residence—only 26.1% of travelers in the Northeast are comfortable with this, while 39.8% of those in the South are. The percent of American travelers agreeing they don’t want travelers in their community right now is still notable at 60.4%, but down from 67.6% April 19th. Travelers continue to be split on whether they would be happy seeing an ad right now promoting their community as a place to visit when its safe. 36.4% say they would be unhappy, 32.8% are neutral, and 30.8% would be happy.

Travel is still missed. 70.6% say they miss traveling, especially the most frequent travelers. Many travelers expressed an excitement to return to travel when they feel it is safe, which will include the travel industry’s participation in adopting health/safety protocols

 

A presentation file summarizing these key findings is available for you to download.
 
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