January 27, 2021 · Stuart Butler

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 175 – 11 Key Differences Between Pandemic Travelers and Non-Travelers

We released the latest findings of version 11 of the Fuel Consumer Sentiment Leisure Travel Study a few weeks ago. Original findings: https://www.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-covid-19-consumer-sentiment-study-volume-11/
After reviewing the results, we decided that we needed to take a look at the data segmented by those who said they have traveled during the pandemic and those who have not. Here are the biggest takeaways:

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SHOW NOTES:
1 – Do you plan to get a coronavirus vaccination?

  • 55% of those who had already traveled voted yes vs. 75% who have not

 
2 – Do you plan to travel during the upcoming holiday season?

  • 94% of those who have not already traveled voted no vs. 75% who have

 
3 – In 2021, assuming cases are dropping and vaccines are being distributed, when will you likely BEGIN PLANNING your next trip?

  • 32% of people who have traveled said they would start planning in January, and was by far the most popular answer.
  • For those who haven’t traveled, the answers were much more evenly distributed, with April taking the top spot with 14% of votes.
  • When asked about booking their next trip, the answers were very similar, with January being most popular for those who have traveled, and April for those who have not.

 
4 – In 2021, assuming cases are dropping and vaccines are being distributed, when will you likely TRAVEL for your next trip?

  • Those who have traveled leaned significantly heavier to the first 6 months of the year, with June being the peak, accounting for 17% of responses.
  • Non-travelers’ responses look more like a bell curve, with increases beginning in April, peaking in May with 12% of responses, and tapering throughout the rest of the year. 2022 or later is nearly as popular as May and June, with 11% of responses.

Travelers

Non-Travelers

5 – In 2021, do you expect your travel budget/# of trips/vacation days to increase, decrease, or remain the same as it was in 2019?

  • In all 3 questions, those that have traveled had a majority of votes for not changing, and more votes for taking/spending more than less. For those who haven’t traveled, less than half voted for unchanged habits and a higher percentage of spending/taking less than more.

 
6 – The next time you travel, which of the following would you want the property to communicate to you prior to your stay?

  • Those who have not yet traveled voted for updated cleaning protocols and local mask requirements as their top choices, with more than 80% of votes each.
  • For those that have traveled, the open status of local restaurants was #1, with 73% of votes, followed by mask requirements and cleaning protocols, each with under 70% of votes.

 
7 – How likely are you to book a trip in the next x number of days?

  • 65% of people who have not traveled said they would definitely not book a trip in the next 30 days, vs. 28% who have traveled

 
8 – On a scale of 0 – 5, how will the following vaccination scenarios increase your likelihood of booking a vacation within six months? (0 = No Impact, 5 = Dramatically Increase)

  • 44-47% of people who have already traveled said that the vaccine would have no impact on their likelihood of booking a trip vs. 20-27% for those who have not traveled.

 
9 – Pick the top 3 reasons that would prevent you from staying at a hotel right now.

  • More than 35% of people who have already traveled said that nothing is preventing them, and was the #1 choice, closely followed by the “have already traveled” choice. Budget concerns came in at #3, with 25% of votes.
  • For those that didn’t travel, fear of interaction with guests was the resounding top response, with nearly 50% of votes. The next 3 responses were all fear-related (air, room, common areas).

 
10 – How soon will you be willing to make the following trips? (distance from home)

  • Even those who have not traveled voted at 41% within 1 month to travel within 1 hour from home. All other distances were drastically reduced.
  • 66% of those who traveled voted for an hour within 1 month, 53% for 2 hours, and 42% within 3 hours.

 
11 – Which of the following would most likely persuade you to book a future vacation during the coronavirus outbreak?

  • 70% of those who have traveled wanted flexibility to change. Interestingly, those who haven’t traveled still voted for flexibility as their top response, with more than 50%. However, more than 40% also said they could not be persuaded to book a trip now.

 
 
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In The Newsaroos:     

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