Patchwork of Pandemic Responses Confusing Travelers

According to the most recent Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, the inconsistent and ever-changing travel restrictions and health protocols across cities and states is causing American travelers to be hesitant about traveling in the U.S.  About half of U.S. travelers are aware of there are different restrictions regarding travel in various destinations they might visit, but they are unclear exactly what those restrictions are.  And about four in ten American travelers are aware that different destinations have instituted individual health protocols (mask and social distancing requirements), but they are confused about the precise protocols for destinations they are considering.

“The price for not having a standard response to COVID-19 across the country or even within a given state is that travelers are confused about how each destination is reacting to the pandemic,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International.  “And that confusion leads to overall safety concerns and is a barrier to consumer travel, further damaging the tourism industry coast to coast.”

According to the survey, forty percent of American travelers do not feel safe traveling outside their home communities.   And only forty five percent feel safe dining in local restaurants and shopping in local stores. This last factor is critical to monitor as leisure travel is unlikely to accelerate its growth until more travelers become more comfortable moving around within their own communities. 

The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded August 12, 2020 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over.  Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the U. S. population.
 

Sponsored by: