Two years into federal mask mandate for transportation and the subsequent requirement for inbound travelers to the U.S. to provide a negative COVID-19 test result has many Americans ready to move on from the regulations. Between April 1 and 4, TripIt asked over 700 U.S.-based users whether they wanted the mandates to expire, be removed or continue—and whether the potential removal of those mandates would impact their plans to travel in the future.
According to TripIt, the responses revealed a readiness to return to travel “normalcy.” To that end, most respondents (54 percent) said they want the federal mask mandate for transportation to expire. In addition, 60 percent of respondents said they want the COVID-19 testing requirement for international travel removed.
That said, 30 percent of respondents want the mask mandate to be extended again, while 16 percent don’t have a preference either way. If the mask mandate were to expire, however, nearly a third of respondents (32 percent) said they’d be more likely to travel; about half (53 percent) said the mandate ending would not make them more or less likely to travel. Just 15 percent said the mandate ending would cause them to travel less.
Even if the mandate should end, four in 10 Americans (39 percent) say the plan to still wear a mask on a plane and other forms of public transportation; 28 percent said they’d wear a mask if they were feeling sick while traveling. One-third of travelers (33 percent) said they would be done with masks if/when the mandate ends.
Further, nearly half of Americans will plan more international travel if testing requirement is removed. While six in 10 want the requirement removed, just 27 percent want the policy to remain, and 13 percent don’t have a preference either way.
How would the potential removal of the international testing requirement impact travel plans? Almost half (44 percent) said they’d be more likely to travel if the requirement was removed, while just 10 percent said they’d be less likely to travel; 46 percent said ending the policy would not impact their travel plans either way.
Source: TripIt
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