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While the coronavirus pandemic still presents itself as a problem for the travel and hospitality industry, a new survey suggests Americans are not giving up on their vacation plans.
In fact, more than 50% of travelers from the U.S. are planning to rebook or have already rebooked the trips they canceled in 2020, according to IHG Hotels and Resorts.
SURVEY REVEALS AMERICANS LOOKING FORWARD TO TRAVELING WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS IN 2021
The survey was conducted in early January by market research company OnePoll, which consulted 2,000 Americans.
Of those who were surveyed, nearly 60% said they canceled one to four planned trips last year due to the pandemic.
IHG Hotels & Resorts also found that American travelers are hopeful they will be able to take a trip at some point in 2021 now that vaccines for the coronavirus are being distributed.
AIRBNB TRAVEL REPORT SAYS PANDEMIC IS BOOSTING POPULARITY OF AFFORDABLE, NEARBY VACATIONS
One in five travelers told IHG they intend to either take more trips this year to make up for what they lost in 2020 or knock off a bucket list destination.
"It's often said that travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer, and our survey results prove that people are hungry for those rich experiences again. But the world has changed, and travel decisions must be made more thoughtfully," said IHG’s Chief Customer Officer Claire Bennett, in a statement. "As we look ahead, we've all had a lot of time to think about what travel means to us, what trips are most important, and how we want to reconnect with loved ones."
MILLENNIALS EMBRACE CAMPING DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
More than 50% of U.S. travelers are planning to rebook their canceled 2020 vacations. (IHG Hotels & Resorts / InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort)
Similar findings were recently published in the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s "State of the Hotel Industry 2021" report.
The industry trade group said 56% of consumers anticipate traveling for leisure this year.
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Additionally, the AHLA estimates this boost in travel could add 200,000 hotel jobs despite being down 500,000 jobs compared to the industry’s pre-pandemic level, which was a workforce of 2.3 million.