Half of Americans plan to travel in next 6 months, survey finds
The new coronavirus has shaken Americans, but nearly half plan to travel in the next six months, according to a new Omnitrak survey.
Omnitrak, a U.S. research and branding firm specializing in travel data, arrived at that finding after asking 2,505 adults, who had traveled at least once in the past year, about upcoming travel plans. The survey, conducted March 10-12, has a margin of error of plus or minus 2%.
“In my 30-plus years of leading Omnitrak, COVID-19 is the most significant global travel disruption the industry has ever experienced,” Patricia M. Loui, Omnitrak chairwoman and chief executive officer, said.
Key survey takeaways:
>> Forty-nine percent of respondents intend to travel between March and the end of August.
>> More than a quarter, or 29%, have canceled leisure travel and more than 12% have canceled business travel since January.
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>> From March to August, only 8% have canceled leisure trips, and 6% have canceled business trips.
>> The top factor in U.S. travel decisions is advice from national health officials and scientists. National political leaders rank significantly lower.
“As the pandemic will clearly affect U.S. travel sentiment for some time to come, it’s important that the travel industry help all Americans to make sound decisions based on current science-based public health information,” Loui said.
