Americans are eager to travel putting COVID-19 behind them

Three out of four US adults plan to travel at least once in the next six months according to new research and its insights which show that Americans’ feelings about travel have changed.  MMGY Travel Intelligence has released the 2021 “Summer Edition” conducted in June 2021.

The last findings in February 2021 have shown a need for travelling for the 62% of the American travellers surveyed. Now this percentage reached 72%. The rise in the intention for travelling was observed across all generations except for Gen Z, who had already shown a high level of intent in the last survey.

Boomers recorded the highest rise as far as the intention for travelling in the next six months is concerned from 54% to 70%. This is because Boomers were among the first Americans to have access to vaccines and they have savings to pay for trips. Among the 44% of all active leisure travellers surveyed who have already received a Covid-19 vaccine, Boomers (74%) and Gen Xers (37%) had the highest vaccination rate. Also, the survey shows that 43% of the travellers intend to take during the next 12 months a vacation that includes more than two generations. For example grandparents and children.

June and July are the most favourite months for travelling according to the correspondents of the survey. Domestic road trips will continue to be at the top of the list of American travellers since 76% of the people surveyed said that they intend to take one in the next 12 months.

The incidence of taking a road trip is highest among Millennials (79%) and Gen Xers (79%) and those with children (82%), with the vast majority (84%) of road trippers indicating they will drive their own vehicle. But for which reason would someone take a road trip? Gen Zs and Millennials are motivated by the lower vacation costs, while Gen Xers like the ability to be spontaneous. Boomers appreciate the flexibility to pack everything needed in their cars.

While domestic travel seems to be booming, interest in international travel remains low. This is mainly due to travel restrictions among the countries. However, it is estimated that once international destinations open up more, the intent to travel internationally will grow.

The travel sector was definitely “on the ice” this past year. Because of this circumstance, consumers have been expecting to find aggressive promotional offers and discounts. However, the surge in leisure travel demand has led to strong weekend demand. While for other types of travelling there is a lack of availability. This has created a situation in certain markets that MMGY Travel Intelligence is calling “reverse-compression,” where weekend leisure demand is forcing travellers to consider weekday travel as an alternative.

Not to forget to mention that, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans who have been fully vaccinated against covid-19 can travel safely and at “low risk”. Also vaccinated individuals do not need to undergo a covid-19 test before or after their trip and do not need to be quarantined after the trip.

In addition, fully vaccinated individuals will not need to be tested for covid-19 prior to their international journey unless required by the foreign destination country and vaccinated individuals returning from international travel will not need to be quarantined after their return to the US, unless required by state or local authorities. This announcement of lifting the restrictions was a breath of fresh air for the international tourism industry.