Over the course of 2020, Expedia Group surveyed 34,000 travelers across 13 countries about travel decisions and how COVID-19 restrictions have changed their plans to travel. People have been dreaming about travel for quite some time and are now awakening to a new reality where they might actually plan a future trip. But when? How? Where?
We’ve got some stats to share, as well as some recommendations for marketers on what to do next.
It’s interesting to note the research indicates that a majority of travelers (66%) report a change in their travel preferences post-pandemic. Globally, 31% will be taking more domestic trips, 22% traveling more by car and 20% enjoying more beach vacations than before.
In the US, folks will be planning road trips way more than any other country surveyed (32%) and 13% of travelers said they would increase visits to smaller cities over larger ones.
Regardless of nationality, it will be Millennials and Generation Z that will be first to travel, representing 2/3 of all travelers in the first six months. They also skew more to the adventurous side, with 15% more likely to travel internationally (versus 9% overall). This group is twice as likely to visit a major city and less likely to travel by car.
Families will also be among the first to travel, representing 68% of all initial travelers. Conversely, solo travelers will be slower to go with the majority waiting longer than 6 months to book a trip.
How to Reach Them:
Although many sources indicate leisure travel will return before business travel after the pandemic, business travelers do expect to hit the road fast. In the US, 67% of business travelers expect to be back on the road within the first three months. In fact, 40% of those indicate they expect to travel for business more after the pandemic.
Even more interesting, nearly one in five business travelers indicated they would be back to travel within one month.
How to Reach Them:
Travelers are reporting they look at an average of 10 photos when considering where to visit. The majority stated that poor quality photos will cause them to rule out a property immediately. For accommodations, 81% of travelers desire good photos of the rooms, 61% think bathroom photos are important and 56% want property exterior images.
In addition to visuals, descriptions of amenities are very important to travelers. Nearly 50% will rule out a destination if it has poor quality descriptions.
How to Reach Them:
These stats from valuable resources like Expedia Group are great as long as you put them to use in your marketing and sales effort. As always, we are here to help you as needed!
* Statistics shared from 2020 Expedia Group research study conducted by Wakefield Research.