Study Reveals Gas Prices Surpassing COVID-19 as Leading Travel Obstacle

The COVID-19 pandemic is becoming less and less of a barrier to travel for many Americans, according to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of U.S. travelers.

Research shows that the latest modest increase in COVID-19 cases across the country is not deterring Americans' travel planning in 2022 as only one in five or 19 percent of travelers have indicated that the virus will "greatly impact" their travel decisions in the next six months.

That figure marks the lowest level since the beginning of the pandemic back in March 2020.

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Instead of COVID-19, it's rising gas prices that are leading to hesitancy among travelers, with two-thirds indicating that fuel prices will impact their travel decisions in the next six months. What's more, more than one-third say these costs will greatly impact their travel plans in the near future. Surging prices at the pump have led travelers to choose destinations closer to home and even reduce the number of trips they are taking, Longwoods International found.

The additional gas costs are also impacting Americans' spending on retail, entertainment and recreation as well as food and beverage and lodging. In some cases, travelers are choosing to drive rather than fly to their destination.

"Barring a major reversal in the course of the pandemic, COVID-19’s impact on the travel and tourism industry appears to be tailing off," Longwoods International President and CEO Amir Eylon said in a statement. "Concerns about gas prices and other inflationary pressure on costs have become a more significant challenge even as pandemic fears recede."

The survey, which was supported by Miles Partnership, was conducted last week using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults age 18 and over. Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the entire U. S. population.