Consumer's Confidence in Travel Continues to Grow

Image: HOTO: Family on a road trip in masks (Photo courtesy Halfpoint/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

by Janeen Christoff
Last updated: 5:01 PM ET, Wed October 7, 2020

Americans' confidence in travel continues to grow, according to new research.

MMGY is tracking consumer sentiments regarding travel with its Travel Intentions Pulse Survey (TIPS) and MMGY Global's Travel Safety Barometer.

Both track the impact of Covid-19, and both currently showing positive signs with regards to Americans' confidence in travel.

Significantly, the Domestic Travel Safety Barometer score rose above 50 percent for the first time since the pandemic began. The Barometer measures perceptions of safety on a scale of 0 (extremely unsafe) to 100 (extremely safe) and it currently sits at 52. That is 22 points higher than where it was in April.

Wave IX of the TIPS survey, conducted in late September, also found an improvement. Forty-six percent of respondents said they are likely to take a domestic leisure trip in the next six months.

Both surveys found an uptick in interest in international travel, as well. The International Travel Safety Barometer increased six points to 38 this month, and 25 percent of TIPS respondents indicated that they are likely to take an international trip within the next six months. That is up seven points from the last wave of the survey.

At long last, the Business Travel Safety Barometer has begun to rise. It now sits at 41, a gain of 12 points since May. Conference and convention planners will also be happy to note that the confidence score for those events rose from 30 to 35.

There is also good news for the cruise industry. Confidence in cruising is finally increasing. The Cruise Travel Safety Barometer rose seven points from September to October moving from 24 to 31, signaling progress for consumer perception of cruising.

The TIPS survey found that travelers continue to perceive outdoor activities as safer than indoor ones. Visiting state/national parks and trips to the beach are still preferred.

MMGY research also found that a full return to travel may remain difficult even with a vaccine. Americans hold complex views on vaccination. While the TIPS survey found that the availability of a vaccine would have the greatest impact on respondents' decisions about future travel, many aren't rushing out to get a shot. Half of the respondents (49 percent) indicated that they would wait at least a few months before getting a vaccine, while 11 percent said that they would not consent to being vaccinated at all.

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