The State of the American Traveler: Week of August 10, 2020

IMPORTANT: These findings are brought to you from our independent research, which is not sponsored, conducted or influenced by any advertising or marketing agency. Every week since March 15th, Destination Analysts has surveyed 1,200+ American travelers about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and explored a variety of topics. The findings presented below represent data collected August 7th-9th.

Key Findings to Know:

• Americans of all ages continue to say staying safe from infection is their top lifestyle priority over the next half-year. Compared to two months ago, younger travelers are now further prioritizing many psycho-emotional needs like escaping stress and relaxation, while Baby Boomers are placing less emphasis on these.
• Nearly 6-in-10 agree that planning a vacation for sometime in the next 6 months would bring them happiness.
• Driven by younger travelers, excitement for near-term travel and openness to travel inspiration returned to levels last seen in early June, and there was a small increase in travel readiness.
• Compared to how they felt in April, Americans are now less likely to agree that the types of travel destinations they choose will change after the pandemic, and less likely to say they will avoid many types of experiences.
• Colorado, Alaska and Montana have joined Florida, Las Vegas, California and New York as some of the top destinations Americans are saying they most want to visit in the next year.
• Americans find airline, hotel and restaurant discounts most appealing.
• Convention travelers’ trust in their fellow attendees to behave in a way that minimizes the spread of COVID-19 has lessened slightly.

This week, over half of Americans say they continue to feel that the pandemic will worsen in the US in the next month and concerns about health and financial safety remain elevated. Thus, Americans of all ages continue to say staying safe from infection is their top lifestyle priority over the next half-year. However, compared to two months ago, younger travelers are now further prioritizing many psycho-emotional needs like escaping stress and relaxation, while Baby Boomers are placing less emphasis on these.

As we have said previously, fortunately, travel is well positioned as a wellness activity in the American psyche. Nearly 6-in-10 (57.3%) agree that planning a vacation for sometime in the next 6 months would bring them happiness.

Driven by younger travelers, excitement for near-term travel and openness to travel inspiration returned to levels last seen in early June, and there was a small increase in travel readiness this week. The overall perception of the safety of travel activities improved slightly, as well.

Compared to how they felt in April, Americans are now less likely to agree that the types of travel destinations they choose will change after the pandemic, and less likely to say they will avoid many types of experiences, like air travel, specific foreign destinations and the areas hardest hit by the coronavirus.

Nevertheless, outdoor experience-driven places like Colorado, Alaska and Montana have joined the usual suspects like Florida, Las Vegas, California and New York as some of the most popular destinations Americans are saying they most want to visit in the next year. These destinations have edged several urban destinations out of the top spots on the destination Hot List.

While Americans have a complicated relationship with travel discounts right now due to the pandemic’s impact on safety perceptions, when asked about several types of discounts Americans say they find airline, hotel and restaurant discounts most appealing.

This week, 14.1% of American travelers report having at least tentative plans to travel to a convention, conference or other group meeting between now and 2021. About 60% of these travelers report that this travel will take place this year, while the remaining 40% say it will be in 2021. Compared to how they felt in May, convention travelers’ trust in their fellow attendees to behave in a way that minimizes the spread of COVID-19 has lessened slightly. In total, 57.9% of convention travelers say they at least “somewhat” trust their fellow attendees, down from 60.7% in May.

Follow us on social for infographics of these and other key findings. Need assets for a presentation or something else? Find all the presentation decks from our ongoing traveler research here. And please join us monthly for a live presentation of the latest insights into traveler perceptions and behaviors.

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