US Travel, Visitor Optimism Stalls

Longwoods International’s most recent tracking study of American travellers, reports that 69% of those travellers indicate that they’re changing their travel plans because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Until its most recent tracking study, the impact of the pandemic on travel had been declining from a peak of 85% on April 8, but it is unchanged from two weeks ago at 69%.

Additionally, the percentage of American travellers who say the pandemic will greatly impact their travel plans in the next six months remains unchanged at 46%, while still below the peak of 67% on April 1.

Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International, explained that: “News of increasing coronavirus cases in multiple states in the South and West may be responsible for a more cautious outlook by American travellers. The impact of the pandemic on the tourism industry likely will rise and fall with perceived progress against the disease.”

As well, the tracking study found that travellers are more likely to support tourism businesses which demonstrate a clear, thorough cleaning and hygiene plan (43%), which test staff and the use of PPE by staff (34%), and those that have controls on social distancing at the business (34%).

Longwoods International’s most recent survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded June 17, 2020 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over. Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the U. S. population.