You may have to skip Paris or Berlin this year, as the EU has nixed U.S. travelers at least for the next weeks, due to our high coronavirus stats. But that isn’t stopping many American travelers from making plans.
A survey conducted by Morning Consult commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) found that 44 percent of Americans are planning overnight vacation or leisure travel in 2020, with high interest in road trips, family events, and long weekends over the summer months.
Sixty eight percent of these expectant travelers say they are likely to stay in a hotel in 2020.
Among Americans planning to travel in 2020, 59 percent expect to take their first overnight trip by the end of the summer, with 72 percent planning an overnight vacation via car over the next five months. Of these, 75 percent expect to drive two or more hours.
On their next overnight trip, 43 percent plan to stay with family and friends, and 39 percent plan to stay in a hotel; just nine percent plan to stay at a short-term rental such as Airbnb or VRBO, and five percent in a camper or RV.
Nearly eight in ten (78%) are planning a trip of four days or less suggesting long-weekend trips will be first vacation travel to return.
Key findings among those planning to travel in 2020:
About 70 percent of Americans take a vacation in any given year, according to OmniTrak (TNS) data—suggesting that travel is a long way from pre-COVID-19 levels.
Across the country, travel practically stopped in March. Hotel occupancy dropped to just 24.5 percent among open hotels nationwide in April, the lowest occupancy for any month on record in the U.S., according to STR. Since then, hotel occupancy has continued to tick up slowly, reaching 43.9 percent nationwide on June 20, but still far below the 74.5 percent occupancy at this time last year.
Would-be travelers expressed high interest in and comfort with hotels, and less interest and comfort in cruises and short-term rentals.
“Travel is by no means back yet, but we are encouraged to see people begin to travel as their communities reopen, and we all learn to navigate this new normal,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
AHLA recently launched “Safe Stay,” the industry’s initiative focused on enhanced hotel cleaning practices, social interactions, and workplace protocols to meet the new health and safety challenges and expectations presented by COVID-19.
“As we see leisure travel slowly and safely resume, hotels are focused on establishing greater transparency and confidence throughout the entire guest experience, representing a new level of focus and transparency for an industry already built on cleanliness,” said Rogers.
As we enter 4th of July weekend, hotel bookings are strongest in beach towns and smaller markets, according to Amadeus, a travel technology provider. Among the top 25 travel markets, only Norfolk/Virginia Beach has eclipsed 50 percent occupancy.
Rogers urged Congress to continue to prioritize the industries and employees most affected by the pandemic, including the travel and hospitality sectors. The industry has laid out a “Roadmap to Recovery” calling on Congress to help hotels retain and rehire employees, protect employees and guests, keep hotel doors open and incentivize Americans to travel again when it’s safe.
“The hotel industry was the first impacted by the pandemic and will be one of the last to recover. We are a major economic driver, supporting millions of jobs and generating billions in tax revenue. Getting our economy back on track starts with supporting the hotel industry and helping them regain their footing,” Rogers concluded.
Author of PLACES I REMEMBER: Tales, Truths, Delights from 100 Countries. Visit my website, tweet me @lealane or follow me on Instagram, where I’m Travelea. Besides
Author of PLACES I REMEMBER: Tales, Truths, Delights from 100 Countries. Visit my website, tweet me @lealane or follow me on Instagram, where I’m Travelea. Besides Forbes, I’ve blogged about travel at Huffpost, Salon, and the Daily Beast. I’ve written for The New York Times, The Miami Herald and Gannett Newspapers; was managing editor of Travel Smart (a clue to what I’m good at!); appeared weekly on The Travel Channel; and was a regular speaker at The New York Times Travel Show. An award-winning writer and avid photographer, I’ve contributed to dozens of guidebooks. created over a thousand travel pieces and columns, and authored eight books. I love to share discoveries in travel, food, art, culture and lifestyle through my words and photos.