COVID -19 Impacts on Travel Habits: New Study of 1045 U.S Travelers

As of May 26, 2020, the total number of coronavirus cases reached over 5.5 million worldwide, with the U.S. being the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, representing 1.7 million of the total number of COVID-19 cases.

Since it first emerged in Wuhan, China last December 2019, countries implemented total partial or complete lockdown and travel restrictions which made a huge dent in the travel industry. The damage is so huge that it was estimated by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) that there will be over 100 million job losses in the travel and tourism sector.

Moreover, the 2020 tourism industry revenue is restated to 447 million U.S. dollars, down from the original 2020 forecast, which is 711 million U.S. dollars. In 2019, the travel tourism industry revenue earned 685 million U.S. dollars in revenue. 

It’s been over 5 months now, so how are the US travelers holding up? We conducted a survey involving 1,045 US frequent travelers to see the impact COVID-19 has on travel habits.

Demographics

We specifically asked our survey participants to indicate their age so we can see which generation travelers belong to.

Major Takeaways:

1. It was found that 578 (55.3%) of the survey takers were Millennials, those aged between 24-37 years old. This is followed by 276 (26.4%) of Gen X, people aged between 38-56 years old.

1. 116 (11.1%) of the survey takers were Gen Z or those aged younger, between 16-23 years old while there are only 75 (7.2%) of Baby Boomers or those aged between 57-64 years old.

Do you have travel plans that were canceled due to COVID-19 in the first quarter of 2020?

Major Takeaways:

1. According to 905 (86.6%) of the survey participants (more than 50% were Millennials), they did have travel plans set in Q1 of 2020 but were canceled because of the coronavirus.
2. Only 140 (13.4%) of the survey participants had travel plans set in Q1 of 2020 that were not canceledbecause of the COVID-19.

Do you have travel plans in the upcoming months of 2020?

Major Takeaways:

1. US citizens take 93 million international outbound trips each year. After the outbreak, 802 (76.7%) of our survey takers confirmed they have travel plans in the upcoming months of 2020.
2. 243 (23.3%) of survey takers have no other travel plans in the upcoming months of 2020.

Have you booked any tickets for traveling in the upcoming months of 2020?

Major Takeaways:

1. 612 (58.6%) of the survey participants confirmed they did book any tickets for traveling in the upcoming months of 2020.
2. Almost half or 433 (41.4%) of the participants didn’t book any more tickets for traveling in the following months of 2020.

Amid COVID-19, will deals and discounts on traveling such as plane tickets and hotels encourage you to travel in the upcoming months of 2020?

Major Takeaways:

1. Airfare sales have dropped significantly since the outbreak. Due to the drop in demand, airline companies had to make a move fast. This is why you’ll notice that there’s an average of 14% drop in US airfares since the first week of March.
2. Even though people are highly advised to stay at home, 723 (69.2%) of the participants stated that they are encouraged to consider traveling in the upcoming months of 2020 because of these price drops while 322 (30.8%) aren’t encouraged at all.

Amid COVID-19, why are you still thinking of traveling?

Major Takeaways:

1. Even though most of the countries worldwide are on either partial or full lockdown, there are still people who choose to travel despite the serious threat. According to 434 (41.5%) of the participants, they travel so they can visit their loved ones/family.
2. While 228 (21.8%) of the survey participants do so for work/study purposes, 332 (31.8%) travel for their hobby as an adventurer despite the serious threat of catching the virus.
3. Only about 50 (4.8%) travel for other reasons.

Are you willing to follow strict safety protection/protocol while traveling amid COVID-19?

Since the coronavirus outbreak, the thought of traveling seems impossible to happen anytime soon. But earlier in May 2020, Australia announced a three-stage plan to reopen its economy, including tourism, which could be a travel recovery model for other countries.

Are people willing to follow strict protocols/protection while traveling amid the COVID-19 outbreak these days?