More than three-quarters of Americans (76 percent) say they expect to travel more in 2020 after not being able to travel now. Even better, however, is that four in five (80 percent) say they are willing to pay more for privacy and distancing, with cleanliness protocols being a big deciding factor. This is according to a recent study by Ketchum Travel, a global communications consultancy.
But there certainly seems to be mixed results about Americans' opinion of traveling now. The “Transforming Travelers Study” also found that 87 percent of Americans says that fellow travelers—not travel companies—have a greater effect on whether they feel comfortable traveling. As for airlines and hotels, just over one-third (35 percent) and one-quarter (25 percent) of respondents, respectively, do not trust them to provide a safe experience. “In other words, we do not trust each other to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines,” the report said.
On the same footing, it seems many respondents feel that traveling itself could be violating COVID-19 safety guidelines, as 67 percent said they would judge others for traveling before they, themselves, think it is safe. About half expect to censor their social media posts to avoid being “travel shamed” by those who are more cautious.
As for who may be traveling? Families seem to be a common answer. Two-thirds (64 percent) of parents say COVID-19 has made traveling with their children more likely and nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of parents of adult children (aged 18-plus) say COVID-19 has made traveling together more likely. Similarly, more than half (57 percent) said that COVID-19 has made traveling with close friends more likely.
Ketchum Travel surveyed close to 4,000 Americans in late July for the “Transforming Travelers Study.”
Source: Ketchum Travel
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