March 23 - According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, 87% now have travel plans in the next six months, the highest level since early March 2020. Half of travelers currently feel comfortable traveling outside their communities and a little more than half support opening their communities to visitors, both the highest levels since last May. Only a third of travelers now say that COVID-19 will greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months, the lowest level in a year.

 

“Spring is bringing warmer weather and a brighter outlook for the travel industry,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “The faster the progress is on vaccines and controlling the virus, the faster the battered travel sector will recover.”

 

When choosing a destination to visit, half of Americans say that it’s important for those destinations to have clear health and safety protocols in place on social distancing, mask wearing, etc. Mandatory mask mandates are important to about four in ten travelers, yet almost as many don’t want to visit locations with travel quarantines or other restrictions in place.

 

“While key travel sentiment indicators show that the pent up demand in leisure travel is beginning to release, the research also clearly demonstrates that destinations should not roll back the communication and promotion of their health and safety protocols to help keep their guests and communities as safe as possible,” noted Eylon.

 

The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded March 17, 2021 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over. Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the U. S. population.

 

To download Wave 33 Highlights and Summary, please visit longwoods-intl.com.

 

 

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