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KEY FINDINGS—WEEK OF APRIL 27TH, 2020

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Key Findings for the Week of April 27th

Please cite Destination Analysts when using or distributing this data

6.2 6.9 7.0 6.9 7.0 6.9

6.7

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

March 13-15 March 20-22 March 27-29 April 3-5 April 10-12 April 17-19 April 24-26

Average Level of Concern About Personally Contracting Coronavirus (on an 10-point scale from “Not at all concerned” to “Extremely concerned”)

Personal Health Concerns

Personal concern about

contracting the virus is at a

6-week low (6.7/10.0).

(Base: All respondents, 1,201, 1,200, 1,201, 1,216, 1,263, 1,238 and 1,208 completed surveys. Data collected March 13-15, 20-22, 27-29, April 3-5, 10-12, 17-19and 24-26, 2020)

Question: Thinking about the current coronavirus situation, in general, HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU PERSONALLY about contracting the virus? (Please answer using the scale below)

Perceived Safety of Travel Activities

The perceived safety of large

events like professional sports

games and live performances

remains low but continues to

improve.

Question: At this moment, how safe would you feel doing each type of travel activity?

(Base: Waves 5-7. 1,263, 1,238 and 1,208 completed surveys. Data collected April 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26, 2020)

0%

20%

40%

60%

Perceived Safety of Travel Activities(% saying each is “Safe” or “Very safe”)

April 10-12 April 17-19 April 24-26

Avoiding Travel Until the Crisis Blows Over

There is continued decline in

the number of Americans

saying they will avoid all

travel until the coronavirus

situation is over.

Question: How much do you agree with the following statement? Statement: I’m planning to avoid all travel until the Coronavirus situation blows over.


29.8% 30.5% 32.7% 28.7% 29.7% 33.8% 32.6%

31.3%

47.6% 50.1% 53.3% 52.2% 44.0%

41.3%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


Americans Who Will Avoid All Travel

Until the Coronavirus Situation is Over

Agree Strongly agree

Trip Cancellations and Postponements

55.1%51.0%

63.0%

46.7%

59.7%

53.0%

65.3%

48.5%

66.9%

47.2%

70.3%

45.2%

63.7%

51.9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Canceled a trip(s) Postponed a trip(s)


The percent cancelling a trip

because of the coronavirus is

at a 4-week low (63.7%),

meanwhile postponements

are at a 4-week high (51.9%).

(Base: Respondents whose travel was impacted by the coronavirus, 553, 770, 795, 890, 937, 929 and 903 completed surveys. Data collected March 13-15, 20-22, 27-29, April 3-5 , 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26, 2020)

Question: How has the coronavirus situation affected your travel? (Select all that apply)Due to the coronavirus situation, I have_____________.

5.5

4.0 4.0 3.64.1

4.5 4.7

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0


Average Level of Excitement About Taking a Weekend Getaway Next Month(on an 10-point scale from “Not at all excited” to “Extremely excited”)

Excitement About Taking a Weekend Getaway

Excitement levels to take a

getaway in the next month

are depressed but at a 5-

week high (4.7/10.0).

(Base: All respondents, 1,201, 1,200, 1,201, 1,216, 1,263, 1,238 and 1,208 completed surveys. Data collected March 13-15, 20-22, 27-29, April 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26, 2020)

Question: Imagine that a good friend (or close family member) asks you to take a weekend getaway with them sometime in the next month.How excited would you be to go? (Assume the getaway is to a place you want to visit)

Staycations as a Replacement for Vacations

Agreement about

staycationing is at a 3-week

low (49.3%).

Question: How much do you agree with the following statement? Statement: Because of the coronavirus, I’ll probably take a staycation(s) this summer rather than a vacation(s).


23.9% 26.0% 28.2% 30.3% 30.4% 32.5% 30.0%

17.4% 21.3% 21.1%

22.6% 24.8% 18.8% 19.3%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


Americans Who Will Take a Staycation

Instead of a Vacation


Road Trips and Travel Outside the United States

The percent who will take more road trips this year to avoid air travel (37.6%) and the percent who will avoid travel outside

the United States (77.8%) are both at 6-week lows.

22.9% 19.5% 19.3% 19.7% 19.8% 20.9%

27.0%

52.7% 62.7% 62.8% 62.2% 61.6% 60.1% 50.8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


Americans Who are Unlikely to Travel Outside the U.S. Until

the Coronavirus Situation is Resolved


25.5% 25.6% 26.3% 26.7% 31.3% 26.6% 26.8%

13.3% 11.9% 12.1% 12.8% 14.1%

13.6% 10.8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


Americans Who Will Take More Road Trips

to Avoid Airline Travel


Question: How much do you agree with the following statement? Statement: Because of the Coronavirus, I’ll probably be taking more road trips this year to avoid airline travel.


Question: How much do you agree with the following statement? Statement: I will be unlikely to travel outside the United States until the Coronavirus situation is resolved.


Changing the Types of Destinations Americans Choose to Visit

The percent who say they will

change the types of travel

destinations they choose to visit

is back down to 30.7% from a

high of 39.3% on April 10th.

Question: When the coronavirus situation is resolved, do you expect that you will change the types of travel destinations you choose to visit? (Please think about changes you might make in the SIX (6) MONTH period after the coronavirus situation is resolved)

29.0% 30.5%

39.3%

36.2%

30.7%

0%

20%

40%

60%

March 27-29 April 3-5 April 10-12 April 17-19 April 24-26

Americans Who Expect to Change the Types of Destinations

They Choose to Visit

(Base: Waves 3-7. 1,201, 1,216, 1,263, 1,238 and 1,208 completed surveys. Data collected March 27-29, April 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26, 2020)

Avoiding Crowded Destinations

Over half of American travelers

continue to say they will avoid

crowded destinations when

they travel again.

Question: Do you expect that you will avoid any of the following in the SIX (6) MONTH period immediately after the coronavirus situation is resolved? (Select all that would complete the following sentence for you) I will most likely avoid ___________________.

49.8%

55.7% 56.3% 53.9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

April 3-5 April 10-12 April 17-19 April 24-26

Americans Who Expect to Avoid Crowded Destinations

After the Coronavirus Situation is Resolved

(Base: Waves 4-7. 1,216, 1,263, 1,238 and 1,208 completed surveys. Data collected April 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26, 2020)

Feelings About Traveling Now

While there are more positive

emotions than 5 weeks ago,

Americans largely associate fear and

uncertainty with travel right now.

(Base: All respondents 1,208 completed surveys. Data collected April 24-26, 2020)

Question: What ONE WORD best describes how you feel about travel right now?

This week, 63.5% agree they don’t

want visitors coming to their

community right now, although the

strength of their agreement with

this sentiment has lessened.

Travelers in Community

Question: How much do you agree with the following statement? Statement: I do not want travelers coming to visit my community right now.

(Base: Waves 6-7. All respondents, 1,238 and 1,208 completed surveys. Data collected April 17-19 and 24-26, 2020)

32.5% 34.5%

35.1% 29.0%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

April 17-19 April 24-26

Americans Who Don’t Want Travelers

Coming to their Community Right Now


Lifestyle Priorities

Looking at their lifestyle priorities over

the next six months, Americans are

most in sync on staying safe from

infection (47.8%)--even more so than

on making money (27.2%) or their

emotional well-being (30.4%).

Question: Tell us about your lifestyle priorities in the next six months.However you personally define each, use the scale provided to indicate how you will prioritize these in the next SIX (6) MONTHS.]

(Base: Wave 7. 1,208 completed surveys. Data collected April 24-26, 2020)

24.6%

25.6%

30.3%

34.4%

31.3%

34.5%

29.0%

32.6%

39.0%

38.2%

38.0%

39.7%

30.2%

11.8%

12.0%

14.9%

15.4%

18.7%

20.7%

27.2%

23.8%

20.0%

21.0%

27.0%

30.4%

47.8%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Learning/education

Have new experiences

Connect with nature

Escape from boredom

Connecting with others

Healing and recovery

Making money

Physical fitness

Relaxation

Escape from stress

Finding joy or happiness

Emotional well-being

Staying safe from infection

High priority Essential priority

Operational Practices in Commercial Public Places

When asked about the operational practices they

want to see used at restaurants and commercial

locations like malls and sports venues, Americans are

in most agreement about hand sanitizer, disinfectant

wipes and well-explained cleaning procedures.

Question: Moving forward, which of these would you want to see as common business practices? (Select all that apply)


Common Business Practices

However, in what becomes

common business practices,

Boomers want new policies

like health screenings more

than younger travelers.

Question: Moving forward, which of these would you want to see as common business practices? (Select all that apply)

41.8%

47.1%

52.1%

60.7%

47.7%44.5%

36.8% 37.3%

30.4%

59.7% 60.3% 57.0%

59.8% 62.7%

55.9%

46.6% 43.2%

38.1%

70.2% 69.3% 68.6% 66.7% 65.5% 65.4%

52.9% 51.4% 49.7%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Passenger health

screenings (on

cruises)

Passenger health

screenings (at

airports)

Health

screenings for

employees

dealing w/public

Certified

cleaning

protocols

Published

cleaning

protocols

Limitations to

crowds/visitors

Rules for

customer

physical

interactions

Customer-facing

staff required to

wear PPE

Customers

encouraged to

wear PPE

Millennial or younger Gen X Baby Boomer or older


Coronavirus Travel Sentiment IndexMeasuring the Potential Influence of Travel Marketing

Highlights from the Week of April 27th

What is a Predictive Index?

Indexing is the practice of compiling data into one single metric.

A predictive index is a statistical measure of change in a representative group of data points. The predictive index is then compared to a standard base value in order to make data-driven predictions.

The goals are to identify:

• WHO are the traveler segments that appear receptive to travel marketing and

• WHEN will they be ready to travel

Predictive Index Formula

Concern for Personal Health

Concern for Personal Finances

Openness to Messaging

Excitement to Travel Now

*Normalized to a 100-point scale

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

0 1 - 25 26 - 50 51 - 75 76 - 100

High Travel

Not Ready to Travel Ready to TravelWaiting to

Travel

Neutral

Healthy Travel Outlook

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

0 1 - 25 26 - 50 51 - 75 76 - 100


Waiting to Travel

Neutral

Not Ready to Travel Ready to Travel

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0


Total

Millennials or younger

Gen X

Boomer or older

WEST

MIDWEST

NORTHEAST

SOUTH

Commercial Lodging Travelers

International Travelers

Air Travelers

Cruise Travelers

Leisure Travelers

VFR Travelers

Business Travelers

Convention Travelers

Female

Male

Affluent

City Travelers

Beach Travelers

US National Parks Travelers

Suburban area

Large city (urban area)

Rural area

Luxury hotel

Non-luxury Hotel

Peer-to-peer lodging

Wa

itin

g

to T

rave

lN

ot

Re

ad

y to

Tra

vel

Re

ad

y to

Tra

vel

Generation

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0


Millennials or younger

Gen X

Boomer or older

Points of Interest Impacting Index Scores:• For the first time in weeks, Gen X is NOT the most concerned personally for

contracting the virus. Surprisingly Millennials are highest, Boomers lowest.• Boomers this week showing rise in levels of concern for the national economy

this week.• All generations show similar agreement about traveling in Fall 2020, but

Millennials show slightly more optimism about Summer travel than older generations.

Gender

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0


Female

Male

Points of Interest Impacting Index Scores:• Men and Women reported similar levels of both safety and financial

concerns this week (previously women showing more concern).• Men, however, continue to show more excitement to travel now and more

openness to travel messaging.• Women more likely to say they will avoid crowded destinations (60.3% vs.

46.6% for men) after COVID-19.

US Region

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0


WEST

MIDWEST

NORTHEAST

SOUTH

Points of Interest Impacting Index Scores:• Northeast reported the highest levels of personal concern for contracting

the virus again this week, consistently higher than other regions.• South showed the most excitement to travel now and the most openness to

travel messaging.• Midwest shifted back to being the least optimistic this week, being the least

likely to say the Coronavirus situation will get better or much better in the next month, South is the most optimistic.

Questions? Need More

Information?

We’re here for you. Please email us at [email protected].

Our full hub of insights is available at https://www.destinationanalysts.com/covid-19-insights/

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.destinationanalysts.com/covid-19-insights/

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