Travel Will Continue To Improve And Grow This Year
MMGY's most recent Portrait of the American Traveler paints a rosy future for the industry.
After two years of uncertainty, MMGY's research indicates that both leisure and business travel will continue to improve and grow.
As the pandemic winds down, perceptions of travelsafety have improved dramatically.
Americans now perceive domestic travel as being far safer than they did two years ago. Domestic travel peaked in April 2020, while the globe was still in the process of shutting down, with only 30% of Americans believing it was safe. By February 2022, that figure will have increased to 70%.
International travel has gradually recovered and is significantly better than it was in 2020, when only 20% of Americans believed it was safe to travel overseas. By 2022, that figure will have more than doubled, with 49% of Americans believing international travel is safe.
To be sure, this data, gathered prior to the outbreak of Russia's conflict in Ukraine, may be slightly more hopeful than the current scenario.
MMGY conducted a new study to ascertain Americans' travel views toward Europe following the commencement of the war, and the results indicate that Americans are on the fence about traveling to the continent.
47 percent will wait to see how the situation in Ukraine develops before making travel arrangements. Twenty percent said the war would have little effect on their European vacation plans, while an equal number said they would likely postpone or reschedule their trip. Thirteen percent believe that the war will compel Americans to postpone or cancel their plans.
In 2022, the Ukraine war is considerably more likely to affect travel plans than COVID-19, with 62% of Americans responding that their plans are impacted by the possibility of the Russia-Ukraine conflict spreading to other surrounding nations.
Continuous Impact To Travel Plans Of Covid-19
MMGY discovered that the proportion of passengers who receive vaccinations continues to increase, while the proportion of tourists who do not wish to receive the vaccine remains steady.
Despite the fact that COVID-19 continues to claim lives, sites around the world are reopening. More people are boarding planes. Airlines are resuming service. Despite the remaining concerns, countries and nations have begun to welcome visitors.
For the time being, travel may appear to be rather different in a variety of ways. Individuals might anticipate being immersed in a world of face masks, physical separation, closed companies, and two-week quarantines.
Top Domestic Travel Destinations
Domestically, travelers are looking to a wide range of experiences.
Warm-weather, outdoorsy, beach destinations take the top spots on both the top states and top cities Americans are looking to visit with Hawaii leading the way. Big cities are still in the mix, however, with Las Vegas, New York City and New Orleans all making the top 10 destinations American travelers want to visit.
Top 10 U.S. States
- Hawaii-61%
- Florida-60%
- California-56%
- Colorado-49%
- New York-49%
- Alaska-48%
- Arizona-46%
- Nevada-45%
- Texas-43%
- Georgia-40%
Top 10 U.S. Destinations
- Las Vegas, NV-54%
- Honolulu, HI-54%
- Island of Hawai'i-53%
- Maui, HI-52%
- Florida Keys/Key West, FL-51%
- Kaua'i, HI-50%
- Orlando, FL-49%
- New York City, NY-48%
- Miami, FL-45%
- New Orleans, LA-45%
The Bottom Line
However, travelers who are vaccinated and those who are not have similar travel objectives. 53% of those who have been vaccinated intend to travel within the next three months. 49% of unvaccinated tourists expect to travel within the same time period.
COVID-19 continues to quarantine some individuals. COVID is the top cause for the 22% of travelers who do not intend to travel in the next six months. Additionally, this group is typically older and less prosperous.
