Back to news February 2021

Travel Positive Sentiments Increase in 2021

After a year of increasing COVID-related deaths, Americans are starting to exhibit more positive thoughts and feelings about travelling as cases drop. The travel retail industry has reasons to be more optimistic in the months ahead as feelings of anxiety decrease and excitement to travel in 2021 increase.

Although financial worries remain relevant, for the first time, optimism about the pandemic towards the upcoming months outweighs the pessimism.

Destination Analysts’ recent study found the following sentiment metrics that broke pandemic records:

Positive Record Highs:

Optimism about the course of the pandemic in the United States in next month (44.2%)
Level of excitement about travel in 2021 (6.2/10)
Readiness state-of-mind around travel (60.2%)
Those who have received or know friends or relatives who have received the vaccine (62.7%)
Making of travel plans specifically in anticipation of vaccine distribution (34.8%)
Proportion who will take at least one leisure trip in the next 3 months (52.9%)
Happiness with ads promoting their own community for tourism (41.9%)

Positive Record Lows:

Perceptions of travel and leisure activities as unsafe (45.7%)
Strong concern about the virus’ impact on personal finances (52.2%)
Avoidance of travel until pandemic is more resolved (45.3%)
Avoidance of conferences and conventions (63.2%)
Agreement that travel should be for essential needs only (48.7%)
Travel guilt (42.7%)
Refusal to travel until vaccines are widely available (46.5%)
Tourists in their own community are unwanted (48.3%)