Looking at people’s general intent to travel over the next 12 months reveals 37% of consumers in the US are planning to take a domestic vacation, while 10% are planning to go overseas.
A new YouGov analysis explores the appetite for fall travel among US adults and what makes them travel overseas
Even after a summer of rising concerns regarding the outbreak of new variants of the COVID-19 virus, large shares of US adults still express a strong desire to travel.
Looking at people’s general intent to travel over the next 12 months reveals 37% of consumers in the US are planning to take a domestic vacation, while 10% are planning to go overseas.
But when it comes to travelling in fall, are Americans ready to book a vacation? Our data reveals that if international travel were to resume tomorrow, free of restrictions and testing, 12% of US adults would book a vacation immediately or within a month. About one in ten also tell us that they would book their holiday in the next three months (9%), indicating the presence of an underlying appetite to travel and holiday sooner as well as later.
So, for fall travelers, what’s the motivation?
Relaxation emerges as the top reason among fall travelers to travel internationally (60%). Half of this group want to travel abroad for a change of scenery (50%) or to revisit a place that they like (49%). Closely following are consumers who cite uniting with friends and family (46%) and visiting an unexplored destination (46%) as a driving factor. An international holiday for health or wellness attracts one in five of this group (22%).
Further, the study also asked US adults about the last time they travelled outside the country. Half of them say it was before 2020 (50%) while just a minor proportion tell us they travelled abroad this year (4%).
It’s fair to say that appetite for international travel is strong among Americans this fall. As restrictions ease and life gradually returns to normalcy, we’d only expect this appetite to rise.
Another study conducted by YouGov indicates that two-thirds of consumers in the US who are planning to travel internationally in the next 12 months are willing to provide a proof of vaccination to enter a country (66%). Nearly half of this audience of potential travelers would also be willing to provide a negative COVID-19 test result (47%). However, about one in six potential travelers are reluctant to provide any Covid-19 documentation (15%).
Delving deeper into the data suggests that older travelers are more willing to provide documents required for travelling overseas. Those over the age of 55, for instance, significantly outnumber their younger age cohorts when it comes to their willingness to show a negative COVID-19 test result (18-34-year-olds: 42%; 35-54-year-olds: 47%; 55+: 54%) or a proof of vaccination (18-34-year-olds: 45%; 35-54-year-olds: 71%; 55+: 84%).
It’s unsurprising that older audiences tend to be more willing to provide Covid-19 documentation given concerns about their health and travel protocols – and also their likelihood to have had the vaccination.
On the flipside, it’s 18-34-year-olds who are more unwilling to provide any Covid-19 documentation (26%) than any other age group.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
