As cases of COVID-19 once again recede around the United States, travelers are once again starting to plan vacations en masse. The shift from pandemic to endemic seems to have arrived, and growing evidence shows that travelers have become accustomed to COVID's presence and are no longer inclined to change their travel plans because of it.
According to a Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, the percentage of travelers who say that coronavirus will greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months dropped from 32 percent in early January to 24 percent in early February. Additionally, the number of travelers who reported they are changing their travel plans because of COVID-19 fell from 58 percent to 49 percent in the same time period.
"Barring some new setback, the much-awaited shift in mindset among American travelers from "pandemic" to "endemic" travel finally may be underway," said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. "Hopefully the interest in resuming international trips by American travelers also means that the U.S. will be hosting growing numbers of international visitors from around the world."
There are other encouraging metrics as well. Half of American travelers have plans to travel internationally during the next two years. One-third of those are planning trips to Europe. Another third are traveling to the Caribbean. A quarter are planning travel to Mexico and a similar number to Canada.
The survey, with the support of Miles Partnership, was fielded on February 2, 2022, and included responses from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults over age 18.
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