According to the most recent Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, half of them feel safe to travel this fall season.  And two thirds of those who plan to travel will be visiting friends and relatives, while 58% plan on a road trip somewhere in the U.S.    Outdoor activities are preferred during pandemic travels, such as visiting national and state parks, fall foliage tours, hiking and biking.

“Clearly a sizeable percentage of the travelers have settled into a new ‘normal’ for traveling during the pandemic,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International.  “The heavy emphasis on visiting friends and family, road trips and individual outdoor activities all reflect on the relative perceived safety of those types of getaways.”

According to the survey, the percentage of travelers who have changed their travel plans due to COVID-19 has steadily declined, from a peak of 85% in early April to 67% in early September.  About half of travelers also feel safe dining in local restaurants and shopping in local retail stores.  And around four in ten support opening their communities to visitors.

The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded September 9, 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.

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