Travel Poll 2021: How Long Will Social Distancing Last?

From a media release:

Travel Poll 2021:
How Long Will Social Distancing Last?

Invisibly, a data-driven research company, used it’s Realtime Research tool to poll 2,799 people to find out how they feel about returning to activities like travel, cruises and large sporting events in the current pandemic circumstances, and compared this to an identical survey done in July 2020. 

Turns out, certain travel and tourism will continue to take a massive hit this summer in certain areas, including sporting events, cruises and other crowded venues.

  • 71% said they will wait 6+ months before stopping social distancing.

Highlights

  • 22% of respondents said they would consider going on a cruise now compared to 59% who said they would need another 6+ months before considering going on a cruise. 
  • 15% of respondents said they would consider attending a large sporting event now, while 52% will wait another 3-6 months.
  • 17% of respondents won’t currently vacation anywhere with crowds, compared to 49% who will wait another 1-2 months. 

The survey was done in the U.S. but it's probably safe to say the figures would be similar throughout North America, possibly somewhat more hesitant in Canada given the slower COVID vaccination rate.

Air travel is the one brighter spot for the industry, with about 58% of respondents saying they were now willing to travel on an airplane compared to 33% who were willing to fly nine months ago. 

In some cases, such as people who said they were ready to attend a sports event right now, or those who would go on vacation to a spot known for big crowds, the percentages actually dropped slightly over attitudes nine months ago. 

It’s safe to say if you enjoy activities out in nature like hiking, fishing or golf, you’re probably in good company, but if you prefer large scale venues or crowded events, you may have to wait a little bit longer to get back to normal.

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