ENTHUSIASM UPTICK

Travelers Are Eager, But Finances and Coronavirus Are Concerns For Some

BY CAROL WARD

Coronavirus-related worries are on the wane among travelers but new concerns about rising inflation are impacting plans as the summer travel season approaches, according to data compiled by Destination Analysts.

More than one-fifth of respondents to surveys conducted in mid-March said they are extremely concerned about inflation impacting their financial well-being, and more than 70 percent expressed some level of concern. Nearly 56 percent of respondents said inflation will likely cause them to rethink budgets for upcoming travel.

Travelers also have some lingering concerns among about contracting Covid-19. Nearly 50 percent of respondents said they are concerned, with more than 10 percent characterizing themselves as “extremely concerned.” About 20 percent were in the middle, while roughly 30 percent were generally unconcerned.

Strong Desire

Financial impact and COVID concerns notwithstanding, travelers remain eager to get out and about again, with more than 61 percent of survey respondents saying travel spending is a priority in the spring/early summer timeframe. That number has been rising steadily since the start of the year. Only 18.5 percent of respondents characterized travel spending as low priority.

Excitement for leisure travel is particularly strong when looking beyond the three-month time period. More than four-fifths of respondents characterize themselves as excited to embark on leisure travel in the next 12 months, with nearly 30 percent stating they are “extremely excited.” Less than 10 percent of respondents had negative attitudes toward leisure travel.

Examining the travel state-of-mind, the survey showed that 28.6 percent of respondents are already traveling, 27.5 percent are ready to travel with no hesitation and 30.1 percent are ready to travel but feel some hesitation. Confidence in safety is on the rise as well, with 56.3 percent of respondents saying they are “confident” or “very confident” they can travel safely in the current environment.