12/03/2021
Update 12/03/21: Ohio's Travel Industry and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Travel Research
TRAVEL BUSINESSES SCORE WELL ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Key findings from Longwoods International fielded Nov. 24, 2021
(Please note this survey was fielded prior to widespread news of the Omicron variant and the enactment of travel bans.)
- Intent to travel within the next six months remains relatively stable at 88%, down from a high of 91% reported beginning of the month.
- Those delaying trips to three months out or more increased slightly, while those with no plans to travel increased 4% from end of October.
- Concerns over personal finances and transportation costs are slightly higher than pandemic concerns.
- Close to a third of travelers are not altering plans due to the pandemic, while reducing the number of trips, choosing to drive versus flying and traveling domestically remain the top ways plans are being altered.
- Comfort levels of feeling safe dining in local restaurants and shopping, as well as opening up communities to travelers, rose mid-October, but have plateaued since.
- Most travelers experienced service levels as good as or better than prior to the pandemic on their trips this fall, with about half reporting service comparable to pre-pandemic travel and a quarter rating their service experience as better than before pandemic. About a fifth of travelers judged service on their fall trips as below pre-pandemic levels.
WHILE INTENT TO TRAVEL REMAINS HIGH, PESSIMISM ABOUT THE PANDEMIC GROWS; GIVING THE GIFT OF TRAVEL WOULD MAKE LOVED ONES HAPPY
(Please note this survey was fielded prior to widespread news of the Omicron variant and the enactment of travel bans.)
Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Nov. 24-26, 2021
- With 80% of American travelers reporting they have travel plans in place, 33% say they’ll take more leisure trips in the next year and 33% say they’ll spend more money while on these trips.
- Beaches, rural towns and national/state parks destinations will still be where a majority of American travelers head, with more than 70% reporting plans for these types of destinations.
- Interest in urban travel continues to grow, with 66% of these travelers saying they plan to visit cities. In fact, 29% report they will increase their urban travel in 2022.
- American travelers continue to take trips to make up for time missed out on with loved ones during the pandemic: 39% say they will increase family travel next year and 33% will increase travel with friends.
- More than 70% of American travelers did some travel dreaming or planning in the past week alone, particularly discussing potential or upcoming trips with others.
- Optimism about the pandemic dropped nearly 12 percentage points in the last two weeks (27%), while pessimism grew 10 percentage points. One-third expect the situation to get worse soon.
- COVID-19-related topped the list of factors that could influence travel plans. Financial concerns are also weighing more heavily on travelers’ minds. Gas prices, concerns that travel is too expensive right now, and personal financial reasons are all among the top 5 issues deterring Americans from traveling more right now.
- The gift of travel is high on many lists, with 65% of those surveyed saying they’d be happy to receive a travel-related gift for the holidays.
Travel Research Round-Up
This week's latest trends and traveler sentiments in a one-page research summary.
(Please note the research in this Round-Up was fielded prior to widespread news of the Omicron variant and the enactment of travel bans. They do not reflect how travelers are reacting to the latest pandemic challenges. Those studies are underway now.)