Consumer Attitudes to Travel Are All Over the Map

The Fourth of July weekend marked the highest rate of travel since the pandemic began, with just over 10 million people passing through TSA security checkpoints in America’s airports between July 1-5, and just over 40 million hitting the road, according to AAA—despite the national average for a gallon of gas hitting its highest price since 2014.

But like everything else in the “new normal,” it’s not quite back to the way it used to be. According to a recent travel report, only 33% of U.S. travelers say they are ready to go again. Another 18% said they are not sure they will ever be comfortable traveling again, which leaves 49% somewhere in between as of April.

The state of the travel industry

Travel, as we knew it, has changed. For one thing, the wearing of masks on airplanes and in airports isn’t going away any time soon. You may need to opt-in for a fresh stack of fluffy hotel towels, as daily room service won’t necessarily be automatic.

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Concerns about vaccinations (who has them and who doesn’t) will continue to keep travelers wary. Those who do travel will most likely be in their cars, especially if they have young children who are unvaccinated.

The reasons for leaving home have changed as well. Business travel remains depressed and doesn’t appear to be coming back just yet. We’ve learned how to create jobs, onboard new employees, communicate and collaborate from wherever we are around the globe.

The purpose of travel right now is to see people we’ve missed—to reconnect and share stories with those who are meaningful in our lives. More of us are driving, renting houses and staying closer to home. In fact, a whopping 90% of U.S. July 4th holiday car travelers drove less than 250 miles, with more than two-thirds of those traveling less than 50 miles.

Folks are introducing 1-year-olds to their cousins, visiting the grandmother who mercifully survived both Covid-19 and over a year of isolation, and reuniting Zoomed-out groups of friends (no more “you’re on mute!” callouts).

The purpose of travel right now is to see people we’ve missed—to reconnect and share stories with those who are meaningful in our lives.

All of this is good news for businesses in the domestic travel ecosystem—rental cars, hotels, restaurants, taxis, airlines, trains, buses and homeowners renting out their properties. That’s good news for local economies everywhere that have suffered through the slowest year in recent history.

How travel brands can bounce back

However, one thing is for certain: Reengaging the travel customer is going to be competitive for advertisers. To maximize efforts, engagement through personalization and cross-channel communications will be critical.

If a brand didn’t have a solid customer engagement strategy in 2020, now is the time to put one into motion as the industry rebounds and more travelers are looking to get back out there.

Today, travelers expect real-time information on health and safety protocols wherever they’re headed, news about any restrictions that might impact them, and timely updates on what is open and accessible at their destination.

Additionally, loyalty programs can be an effective method for incentivized engagement. In fact, loyalty initiatives may be key to recapturing younger travelers’ share of wallet as almost 60% of Gen Z consumers reported they became less loyal to brands since the pandemic began.

The long-term outlook for travel is still murky, particularly as spikes caused by the delta variant lead to new health and safety guidelines in some areas.

Summer travel in many regions is still a mostly domestic endeavor—less than a third of global travelers feel safe crossing international borders—while others are keen to reward themselves by spending on travel and other experiences after a tough year.

Brands have an opportunity to tap into both mindsets through implementing effective, personalized communication strategies. As consumer attitudes and conditions on the ground continue to evolve, the travel industry will have to continue to adapt, just as it did in 2020.

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