Travel safety is still a concern, as restless Americans prepare to hit the road this spring, amid worldwide conflicts over masking and vaxing policies, some facts about life in the time of Covid continue to surface whether travelers are ready to hear them or not.
A survey at the beginning of February by InsureMyTrip.com noted some Level 4 concerns about popular destinations that are at top of mind for travelers. They noted the top destinations for Covid concerns to be as follows:
- Mexico
- Bahamas
- Costa Rica
- United Kingdom
- Italy
- Spain
- Dominican Republic
- Canada
- British Virgin Islands
- Ecuador
Meanwhile, a recent TripAdvisor survey found that traveler intent for 2022 shows high demand for booking experiences and a willingness to spend more than ever on travel. While outside factors like COVID-19 variants, international travel rules, and ongoing staffing shortages also represent existential threats to traveler behaviors, year-end sentiment and search data shows ongoing demand for travel remains high.
“Despite new variants of COVID-19, consumers across the globe still want to travel and explore. This is evident in our month-over-month search data which shows a consistent, healthy increase in page views post-holidays,” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer, Tripadvisor, Inc. “Travelers are quickly adapting to local public health conditions, with cleanliness and safety remaining important factors in their planning.”
Key findings from the TripAdvisor study include:
Planned travel in 2022 surpasses actual travel in 2019
o Across the five key markets around the world that were surveyed, those likely to travel for leisure purposes in 2022 outpaces pre-pandemic reported travel levels.
o In the UK, 78% of respondents said that they are likely to travel for leisure in 2022, compared to 72% of those who said that they traveled for leisure in 2019.
o In the United States, 2022 leisure travel intent is up 8 percentage points (pp) compared to 2019, with 71% saying they are likely to travel for leisure in 2022.
o Singapore leads the way in travel optimism, with 82% reporting they are likely to vacation in 2022, up 2pp compared to 2019. Australia (72%) and Japan (51%) are trending similarly, with those who are planning a leisure trip in 2022 up 7pp and 5pp from those who reported traveling in 2019, respectively.
Average spend per trip for 2022 is beyond that of 2019, as travelers look to level up their travel experience
o According to Tripadvisor site behavioral data, American travelers are expected to spend 29% more on their average trip in 2022 than they did in 2019.
o In Australia, average booking rates are expected to be up by 16% in 2022 against 2019.
o Singaporean travelers booking values are also expected to increase by an average of 7%.
o On the other end of the spectrum, the average Japanese traveler is expecting to spend 30% less in 2022 compared with 2019. In Italy, average booking spend is expected to be down 19%. While in the UK, Brits are planning to spend slightly less on 2022 travel than they did in 2019 (-1%).
o Shifting from behavior to sentiment, over a quarter of travelers in each of the five markets surveyed said it is more important now than before the pandemic to splurge on a big trip. In the United States, roughly 3 in 10 Americans (29%) who traveled for leisure in 2019 said it’s more important now than before the pandemic to splurge on a big trip. Twenty-eight percent of Singaporean and Australian travelers, 27% of Japanese travelers and 25% of UK travelers said the same.
Domestic travel continues to lead the way
o While a sizable proportion of consumers across most of the markets surveyed plan to travel abroad for leisure in 2022, traveling within their home country is still the most favored option.
o Seventy-four percent of Singaporean respondents plan to travel domestically for leisure, compared with 53% who plan to travel abroad for leisure. Seventy-three percent of Brits say they plan to travel within the UK for leisure compared with 48% planning to travel abroad.
o In the US and in Australia, 68% of respondents in each market said they are likely to travel domestically in 2022, while 29% of Americans said they are likely to travel overseas in 2022 compared to 38% of Australians.
o In Japan, 50% of Japanese respondents reported that they are likely to travel within their home country in 2022, compared to 10% of those likely to travel internationally.
Travelers are seeking new travel experiences in 2022 and beyond
o More than a third to nearly half of all travelers surveyed in the United States (41%), UK (38%), Australia (46%), Japan (34%) and Singapore (49%) said that traveling to a destination they’ve never been to before would be more important to them now, compared to trips they took in 2019, when choosing where to travel.
o Three-quarters (75%) of Americans said that it’s important they “see new places” when thinking about their future travel plans, 74% of Australians, 73% of Singaporeans, 70% of Britons and over half (59%) in Japan said the same.
o The top three most important considerations, across the markets surveyed, in future travel plans to visit a destination was to get immersive by seeing new places, having new experiences and learning about history and culture.
o Forty-four percent of Singaporean travelers, 38% of Australians and a third (34%) of Americans and UK travelers respectively said that it’s more important now than before the pandemic that they choose a destination where they can immerse themselves in “authentic local experiences”. A quarter (25%) of Japanese travelers said the same.
o In both the US and Australia, 30% of travelers said it’s more important now that they “pack as many activities” into their holiday travel as possible. While in the UK, 28% said it’s more important for them to plan an action-packed travel experience in 2022 or beyond.
o About 2 in 10 travelers in each of the five markets surveyed said they will do more guided cultural activities – those activities and tours where subject matter experts and professional guides allow for travelers to sit back, learn, relax, and see all that an area has to offer – when planning trips in 2022 or beyond than before the pandemic (except in Japan where this proportion was 14%).
COVID-19 case counts, safety protocols, quarantine restrictions, and cleanliness are all key factors in travel decision making in 2022
o Eighty-five percent of Singaporean travelers, nearly three-quarters of Japanese (73%) and Australian (74%) travelers, 72% of British and 70% of Americans say that cleanliness measures of a hospitality business will be an important factor in their travel decision making next year, even after COVID-19 cases have dropped worldwide.
o Approximately 7 in 10 respondents in each of the markets said that destinations that have a low number of COVID-19 cases are important when making a decision on where to travel next.
o One-third of the Brits (32%) and Americans (33%) who aren’t traveling next year said they’ve decided against it because of uncertainty surrounding possible travel restrictions. Over half (55%) of Singaporeans, 47% of Australians and a quarter (25%) of Japanese respondents cited the same reason.
Travel Insurance is often seen as a cost-effective and calming way for travelers to have the best of all worlds.
For those planning a trip to a country with a very high level of COVID-19, the experts at InsureMyTrip recommend purchasing travel insurance. In addition, many top international destinations require it, including Costa Rica, The Bahamas, and the British Virgin Islands.
Travel Insurance: Ace in the Hole?
InsureMyTrip Product Manager Meghan Walch offered responses to top questions from travelers regarding how benefits may apply:
Q: What if you want to back out of a trip because of a Level 4 Travel Health Notice?
Walch:Most travel insurance policies will not provide coverage just because a country is listed as a Level 4 for COVID-19 risk.
However, adding the optional Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) travel insurance benefit will offer travelers the most flexibility to cancel a trip because of COVID-19 fears.
CFAR is a time-sensitive benefit and must be purchased within 10-21 days of putting money down on a trip. If all eligibility requirements are met, reimbursement is typically 50% – 75% of the insured prepaid non-refundable trip cost.
Q: What benefits may be triggered if you contract COVID-19 while in a Level 4 country?
Walch: If you contract COVID-19 while traveling and have a physician’s diagnosis, you may find coverage in a comprehensive travel insurance policy. These benefits may include:
Trip Interruption — This coverage may apply if you had to cut your trip short and return home after recovering. Travel insurance may cover the unused portion of your trip.
Emergency Medical — This coverage would kick in if you become ill while on a trip and need emergency medical attention. It is important to note that most domestic health plans do not cover you when you are traveling abroad.
Travel Delay — If a quarantine is ordered during a trip, benefits may be available under Travel Delay to help cover costs if additional accommodations are necessary. This is a bit tricky, though. For a quarantine to be covered, it must be physician-ordered, and you must be in strict isolation for a specific time period.
Plans will not cover self-quarantine. So, it is important to read the details of a policy to understand how “quarantine” is defined and what exactly is covered.
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