Dear TAs,

Americans are more ready to travel than ever before in this pandemic-era, according to results of recent surveys.  There is also a feeling of increased confidence in travel’s safety, and even business travel is beginning to recover.   Most people surveyed are even supportive of tourism in their own communities and are welcoming to visitors.   

Even though coronavirus cases are rising in nearly half of the U.S., anxiety related to COVID grew only mildly. This could be because two-thirds of American travelers say they have, or plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Half of those surveyed believe that the pandemic situation will improve in the next month. Americans’ confidence in their ability to travel safely has resulted in 72% saying they are in a ready-to-travel mindset.

Being ready to travel means more people are dreaming of, planning, booking—and actually traveling. Three-quarters of American travelers did some travel planning, with 16.4% actually making a reservation or booking. Half made a hotel reservation, nearly a fifth reserved a vacation home/Airbnb and a third bought airline tickets. Over 75% of American travelers will take at least one trip in the next 3 months, and a record 88% have at least tentative travel plans for the future. More than half are open to inspiration for a trip they might not have previously considered.

American travelers are showing a receptiveness to travel messaging in a variety of channels. Different aged travelers need to be reached in different ways.  Social media is most common for younger travelers, who are open to travel messaging on a variety of platforms, while older travelers remain largely committed to Facebook. TikTok has a growing influence on younger travelers, and search engine marketing is reaching more older travelers. Both demographics are reached equally through email and online articles/blogs as well as lifestyle magazines.

Another statistic showing support of travel: a record 50.4% said they would feel happy if they saw an ad promoting where they live as a place for tourists to come visit. But, 39.5% said they aren’t ready for tourists in their community just yet.

Will road trips sustain their current level of popularity?  Two-thirds of American travelers road tripped during the pandemic, taking 2.5 of these trips on average. Over 62% of these road trippers agreed that this travel reminded them of how much fun road trips can be and made the idea of future travel by car more appealing. Interestingly, this sentiment was even stronger among younger travelers.

Business travel has resumed, up 8 percentage points from last month. Fewer business travelers report that the pandemic will change the way their employer does business travel (47% down from 50% in March). Fewer business travelers now believe that their business trips will be replaced by virtual meetings.

All of the above is really good news!

Cheers,

Follow me at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear TAs,

As travel agents, it is very interesting to see what the traveling public is currently thinking and feeling.  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently conducted a survey, and below are some of the results. 

88% believe that when opening borders, the right balance must be struck between managing COVID-19 risks and getting the economy going again

85% believe that governments should set COVID-19 targets (such as testing capacity or vaccine distribution) to re-open borders

84% believe that COVID-19 will not disappear, and we need to manage its risks while living and traveling normally

68% agreed that their quality of life has suffered with travel restrictions

49% believe that air travel restrictions have gone too far

In summary, there is public support for travel restrictions, and it is becoming clear that people are feeling more comfortable with managing the risks of COVID-19. People dislike the loss of freedom to travel – and the health, social and economic consequences that come from these limitations. Many feel stress and have missed important moments as a result of the restrictions. Restrictions have prevented others from doing business normally.

More survey results:

 57% expect to be traveling within two months of the pandemic being contained (improved from 49% in September 2020)

72% want to travel to see family and friends as soon as possible (improved from 63% in September 2020)

81% believe that they will be more likely to travel once they are vaccinated

84% said they will not travel if there is a chance of quarantine at destination (largely unchanged from 83% in September 2020)

56% believe that they will postpone travel until the economy stabilizes (improved from 65% in September 2020)

These results indicate that people are becoming more confident to travel, but do not want to do so if they have to quarantine.  Testing and vaccination improvements should remove that barrier. Most potential travelers believe that there should be a standard vaccine and testing certification process, such as the IATA Travel Pass app, as long as they retain control of their personal data.

The return to travel is coming, because travelers are beginning to feel safer and more confident.

Cheers,

Follow me at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Blogs @ www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear TAs,

There are currently seven countries who have declared that they are free of Coronavirus and have never had any reported cases.  This information is self-reported and may not be accurate when compared to reporting from official sources, such as the World Health Organization and the CDC. 

However, it is interesting to note what precautions were taken to prevent the widespread infection that has affected most of the world.

North Korea

North Korea was the first country to close its borders. The country closed its borders in January 2020 and haven’t re-opened since. It implemented strict measures for those coming into the country (foreigners and nationals) including a one- or two-month quarantine.  While the North Korean authorities report zero cases, one should consider the likelihood of China’s nearest neighbor being completely free of the virus.

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. All the bordering countries have reports of coronavirus infections. Most of the land borders have been closed, and in early February 2020 Turkmenistan cancelled many flights, and all flights to and from China. It has been noted that the official statement of zero cases may not accurately reflect the number of infections and the country was advised by the WHO to act as if there were infections within the country and take necessary precautions.  

Kiribati, Tonga, Palau, Tuvalu, Nauru – Oceania

As of April 5, 2021, these countries have no reported cases of COVID-19.

There have been no cases in Kiribati, but a state of public emergency has been declared. Tonga has been strict with travel rules since February 2020. Since Fiji’s first reported case of coronavirus, Tonga closed its borders to foreigners and only allowed flights for foreigners to travel back to their own countries.  Tonga began repatriation flights in mid-July to get Tongans back from Fiji. The flight was limited to less than 60 people, all of whom were under strict quarantine at the same hotel.

As one of the least visited countries in the world, Tuvalu sees fewer than 200 tourists per year. This has prevented an outbreak in this country.  Nauru is a country so small that you can walk around it in one day.  Along with Tuvalu, it holds the record for being one of the least visited countries in the world.

The above information is proof that travel agents should do research and find accurate information about the number of Covid cases in all destinations, and also, the limitations and restrictions imposed by certain countries for travelers.

Cheers!

Follow me at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com