After more than two years of doing without in-person events-or abiding by mask mandates, attendance caps, and vaccine and/or testing requirements imposed on large gatherings-Americans are ready to return to incorporating live entertainment events into their travel plans.
Allianz Partners' 14th Annual Vacation Confidence Index has shown that a majority of Americans (60 percent) are planning to attend at least one ticketed event by the end of 2022, while 20 percent actually expect to attend three or more live events.
Findings revealed that the average number of events a respondent has put on his or her calendar decreases with increased age.
Specifically, 76 percent of participants who were between the ages of 18 and 34 plan to attend at least one event, compared to 63 percent of those between the ages of 35 and 54, and only 45 percent of those aged 55 and older.
Similarly, a pattern emerged among the folks who intend on attending multiple events this year, with 28 percent of the youngest adults (18-34-year-olds) planning on going to three or more events, while 23 percent of 35-54-year-olds, and only 12 percent of seniors aged 55 and older said the same.
"Entertainment is a huge part of the American travel landscape, with fans eager to punch their ticket to fun," says Daniel Durazo, director of external communications for Allianz Partners USA. "The lifting of mask-wearing and COVID testing requirements has helped bolster fan demand while event ticket insurance can help protect ticket buyers against losing their investment when they can't make their event due to an unexpected illness or another covered situation."
Survey participants made it clear that they're ready to venture beyond streaming media content to their TVs for entertainment and they're once again purchasing tickets to live engagements to complement their travel plans.
Fans are eager to again feel the shared excitement and electricity of the crowd while attending sporting events, concerts, stage shows, music tours, festivals, movie screenings and more. The result is a five-point increase from last year's efforts to successfully resurrect interest in large-scale and ticketed events.
As the pandemic situation has de-escalated in recent months, producers and artists have attempted to strike the right balance of indoor and outdoor venues to host their performances. It now appears a large portion of fans feel ready to brave enclosed spaces again, with 44 percent of survey participants indicating that they're likely to visit both indoor and outdoor event venues during their travels this year.
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