An ASTA study conducted in conjunction with Sandals Resorts found that demand for travel is returning among consumers, and that they are increasingly turning to travel advisors for assistance.
A third-party panel provider, Lucid, collected data from 410 consumers from April 1 to 8. Respondents had to have traveled for leisure at least once in the past three years.
The study found that 27% of travelers always or often used a travel advisor before the pandemic, and at 44%, nearly half of respondents overall said they are more likely to use a travel advisor once the pandemic has passed.
Those who always or often used a travel advisor in the past are more willing to travel sooner, ASTA found: Of those, 72% said they were ready to travel in the next three months, compared to only 47% of nonadvisor users.
Overall, more than half of respondents said they were ready to travel now or within the next three months, ASTA said. By the end of 2021, the large majority of respondents, 81%, will be ready to travel again.
"Travelers are eager to make up for missed moments and get back to the fun of dreaming about, and finally taking, their vacations," Gary Sadler, the executive vice president of global sales and industry relations at Sandals Resorts, said in a statement.