travel booking

Travel on the rebound? Bookings say yes.

business travel, family travel, Travel tips, , ,

[This is a slightly different version of the story we prepared for NBC News]

As the pace of Covid-19 vaccinations is ramping up, so is consumer confidence — and with it, a surge in travel bookings.

“Many travelers are feeling optimistic that they will be able to vacation abroad this year. Many people are already actively planning their next big trip; even for trips more than four months out,” said Shibani Walia, senior research analyst at Tripadvisor.

2020 was the worst year in history for air travel demand, according to the International Air Transport Association, with global passenger traffic falling more than 65 percent, compared to 2019. The hotel industry also tanked, surpassing 1 billion unsold room nights, according to hotel industry research firm STR. The story was much the same for cruises, attractions, and tours, with the World Tourism Organization calling 2020 the worst year on record.

Pent up demand fuel bookings

With a comprehensive vaccine schedule and pent-up demand for leaving home, vacation planning and bookings are on the rise for late 2021, 2022, and beyond.

Spirit Airlines announced Thursday it would start training new pilots and flight attendants as of next month, in preparation for a spike in leisure travel.

“We just got our first shot. So maybe we could plan a trip this summer or later this year,” says Vicky Stein of New York. “I’d love to visit my son in Vancouver, B.C. But that depends on the regulations in Canada. At this point, I’d be happy to go to Vermont.”

A recent Tripadvisor survey found that 80 percent of U.S. consumers planned to take at least one overnight domestic leisure trip in 2021. Just over one-third of respondents planning at least three domestic trips this year. Popular destinations such as Orlando are already seeing a hopeful booking rebound.

“The region expects 2021 spring break travel to mirror the Christmas and New Year holidays, when occupancy reached 50 percent,” said Daryl Cronk, senior director of market research for Visit Orlando. “This would be a significant improvement over last year’s 12 percent, one of the lowest points of the year.”

Tripadvisor’s survey also found a strong interest in international travel planning. Nearly half (47%) of all respondents said they are planning to travel internationally in 2021.

Already, the majority of hotel clicks for trips taking place from May onwards are to international destinations, Tripadvisor noted. “This is an early signal that travelers are feeling increasingly confident they will be able to travel abroad in 2021, at least in the back half of the year.”

Italy, France, Japan, Australia, and Greece are at the top of most travelers’ lists, said Misty Belles, managing director at Virtuoso travel network, citing customer planning.

Cruises may make a comeback

Travelers are also eyeing cruises, a good sign for the many cruise lines that had to abandon entire sailing seasons.

“We’re seeing growing confidence from cruisers as vaccines begin to be distributed,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief at Cruise Critic. “Both because they see it as a step in the right direction for the return of travel, and because they’ll feel most comfortable sailing knowing that they and their fellow passengers have been vaccinated.”

Many cruisers are making their bookings further out.

“Our 136-day 2021-2022 Viking World Cruise sold out more than a year in advance,” says Richard Marnell, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Viking. “And we have had such strong demand for our new Mississippi River cruises that we opened additional dates for sale in 2023 sooner than expected.” 

Rich and Suzi McClear of Sitka, Alaska, whose 2020 Holland America Line world cruise was cut short due to the pandemic, are anxious to go back to sea. “We’re rebooked for a 2022 world cruise. We’re also booked for the 2023 world cruise, which we view as an insurance policy in case the 2022 cruise does not go,” they said in an email.

Should you book a trip too?

Most travel companies now have flexible and more generous booking and cancellation policies, and prices are historically low. So, it can be a good time to book future trips.

Airfares, for example, are 20 percent lower compared to last year, said Adit Damodaran, economist for travel app Hopper. “Domestic airfare prices are expected to rise in mid-to-late March and gradually return to 2019 levels over the course of the year. And it is not too early to book for 2022, especially if you’re booking with trip protection or flexible booking options.

Election results & vaccine news are good news for travelers

Politics, , ,

[This is a slightly different version of a story we wrote for NBC News]

Are you feeling better about traveling somewhere?

Since March 2020, COVID-19 and government-mandated border closings have triggered $443 billion in cumulative losses for the U.S. travel economy, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

Spikes in COVID-19 cases have many grounded travelers worried that the country may go into lockdown mode. But others are buoyed by the fact that President-elect Joe Biden has named a coronavirus task force. And by the promising news from Pfizer about progress made on a COVID-19 vaccine.

Theresa Kauffman of Fort Worth, Texas is anxious to travel to see her parents and her mother-in-law. “You know how when you’re sick and get diagnosed by a doctor and you feel relieved to have a plan? That’s how this feels for travel,” said Kauffman. With the vaccine news, “It feels like we can start to hope again.”

Hospitality industry groups are encouraged by the president-elect’s support of science-based coronavirus-fighting strategies. And by his plan for a coordinated government COVID-19 response for a path to economic reopening and the return of international travel.

The U.S. Travel Association applauds “President-elect Biden’s objective of helping the industries most heavily impacted by the pandemic. The travel industry accounts for more than a third of overall U.S. unemployment, and policies to promote relief, recovery, and stimulus for travel businesses are integral to a U.S. economic turnaround.”

Gregory Miller, Executive Director of the Center for Responsible Travel, expects that a national mask mandate will be implemented.

“This would reduce COVID virus transmission considerably and likely increase the prospects for us to return sooner to traveling by air and public transportation with more safety and confidence,” Miller said.

And Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) is looking forward to working with the President-elect on an infrastructure investment package.

“The entire travel industry is still suffering from the abrupt, sustained drop in tourism and business travel, and airports need help to get through this prolonged downturn.” said Kevin Burke, ACI-NA’s President and CEO.

A pent-up desire to travel

Due to the global pandemic, there is a great deal of pent up demand for travel.

In a pre-election survey of clients by the Virtuoso luxury travel network, 72 percent said they were ready to travel. 92 percent said that the election made them want to travel.

“We’re already seeing evidence of that confidence coming back with people booking stays for Thanksgiving and the holiday season,” said Virtuoso managing director Misty Belles.

Post-election, it looks like a lot more people are considering traveling.

KAYAK’s Data Dashboard shows that searches hit a 3 month low on election day (Tuesday, November 3), down 62 percent year over year. But in this post-election week, searches are trending upwards. On Monday, November 9, Kayak says searches were up 8 percent week over week and up 21 percent from election day.

And it is not just leisure travelers who are anxious to get back on the road.

The pandemic has forced many college students to forego travel and study experiences abroad, says Linfield University media professor Michael Huntsberger. He says it’s especially hard for seniors, who won’t have another opportunity. “But though COVID-19 has foreclosed these programs for 2020, students are anticipating future opportunities as soon as travel restrictions are lifted, and safety protocols are in place.”