The likelihood that Americans will plan a leisure trip in
the next six months has dropped more than 50% due to the Covid-19 pandemic,
according to a survey from MMGY Travel Intelligence.
And, most Americans, not surprisingly, said they remain
hesitant to get on a plane or a cruise ship.
Only 39% of those polled said they were likely to plan a
domestic leisure trip, down from 82% in a February survey.
Less than 25% of leisure travelers surveyed said they were
likely to attend a conference, plan international travel, take a cruise or take
a group tour in the next six months.
Business travelers are less apprehensive about getting back
on the road, with 26% saying they are likely to plan a domestic trip in the
next six months, down from 40% in February.
Generally, the survey shows most Americans are fearful about
travel or even resuming public life.
“This is the first look at how consumers view travel in
the midst of the crisis and represents what we might expect,” said MMGY CEO
Clayton Reid. “But as we continue to measure this in future weeks, we are
looking for changing views that will guide how travel brands should re-engage
and communicate.”
The first round of the survey, which was conducted for the
U.S. Travel Association during the last week of March, polled 1,200 U.S.
residents who have taken an overnight trip for either business or leisure in
the past 12 months. The survey will be updated every two weeks.
Reid, who wrote a blog
about the different phases consumers go through during crises, said he is
optimistic that the aversion to travel will ease as the country moves into a
recovery mode.
“My base case is that travel bounces back very quickly and
is a leading economic recovery tool,” he said. “Part of that narrative is that
although some people in the ‘fear’ phase of the crisis say they won't travel,
they change that view as we emerge into the ‘understanding’ and ‘rational
behavior’ phases. As with past crises, they actually view travel as a needed
part of their personal recovery.”
Indeed, 63% of leisure travelers surveyed said a slowdown in
in Covid-19 will have the biggest impact on their travel decisions in the next
six months.