When stay-at-home orders and other travel restrictions are lifted, 61 percent of Americans will make their first trip to visit their family and friends. Specifically, according to the survey by ValuePenguin, 47 percent plan to visit their family, while 14 percent will be visiting their friends.
While 16 percent said they “don’t know” what their first trip will be once travel restrictions are lifted, 13 percent said they would travel within the U.S. but not to visit family or friends. Just 4 percent said they planned to visit a theme park and 3 percent said they would take a cruise vacation.
A small number of consumers are already considering their next vacation, mainly seeking out potential destinations (17 percent), flight routes (14 percent) and hotels (10 percent). Very few have begun looking into restaurants or entertainment options, ValuePenguin adds. Florida (13 percent), California (12 percent) and New York (8 percent) will be the first states respondents visit as travel restrictions are lifted. Other popular destinations include Texas (5 percent) and New Jersey (4 percent).
The survey also found that just under half of Americans (42 percent) said they still plan to spend the same as they usually would on a vacation post-COVID-19. An additional 15 percent said they will spend more than normal since they haven’t been able to travel. Twenty-five percent said they would spend less; 16 percent didn’t know.
One in five consumers will spend at least a portion of their stimulus check as a result of the CARES Act on travel. One in four will cash in on their rewards points or miles. “Cashing in on travel rewards can be a savvy way to save on a trip, especially since some travel vendors like airlines and hotels are extending the life of their points and status rankings due to the pandemic,” ValuePenguin said.
Interestingly, however, more than half of Americans (56 percent) said they don’t plan on purchasing travel insurance. Twenty-one percent said “maybe” and 23 percent said they would.
ValuePenguin commissioned Qualtrics to conduct an online survey of 1,249 Americans, with the sample base proportioned to represent the overall population. The survey was fielded April 22-24, 2020.
Source: ValuePenguin
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