After more than a year of being cooped up at home, Americans are starting to venture out into the world and travel again. People are eager to get out of their homes and enjoy exploring outside of their hometowns. Vaccines have been available in the United States for some time, and with cities opened up, the travel industry is expected to get a significant boost this summer and the rest of the year. The pandemic is still not quite over, so even though travel is back, it might look slightly different this year.
AdColony conducted a survey to understand consumer decision-making in the travel industry and how travelers use their mobile devices before and during trips. The AdColony Travel Survey was distributed nationwide in the U.S. and asked consumers about travel plans, device usage, concerns, and how vaccinated and unvaccinated people plan to travel.
Let’s dive into the survey’s highlights, and be sure to scroll down and download the infographic and full report!
Highlights from the Survey
Many consumers have already traveled for pleasure in 2021. When the survey was distributed in June 2021, 44% of respondents said they had already traveled this year for pleasure. This was barely beat out by those who had not traveled, which was 45% of respondents. While individual consumers are eager to travel, companies are staying cautious. Only 12% said they had traveled for work. Additionally, 58% of respondents who do not plan to get vaccinated have already traveled for pleasure this year despite the CDC’s recommendations* that people wait until they are fully vaccinated to travel domestically.
For many travelers, travel restrictions affect destination decisions. — More than half of consumers (60%) are opting for the convenience of traveling to places that do not require a negative COVID-19 test or vaccination. While that is the majority, that still leaves 40% of travelers planning to go to destinations with those requirements. Over 60% of respondents stated that safety in terms of transportation and COVID-19 is a concern while on a trip.
Mobile is the preferred way to carry vaccination proof. — Over half of vaccinated travelers said they carry proof on their mobile devices via a photo (37%) or a digital vaccination passport (16%). Vaccination passports are not yet available in all areas but could pop up in the next few months. 47% said they prefer to carry the physical card with them.
Road trips and airplanes are the top methods to travel for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. — For their next trip, most respondents (71%) will be traveling by car. However, more than half of respondents (51%) will be traveling by plane. When looking at vaccine status, vaccinated travelers (54%) are the group most likely to travel by plane. Travelers with no plans to get vaccinated (81%) are the group most likely to take a road trip. Still, a significant amount of unvaccinated travelers are still planning to travel by plane. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is still requiring masks to be worn at airports and during flights. This will likely not change for a while until vaccination rates increase and positive COVID-19 cases decrease.
Travelers use their smartphones to plan travel, research fun activities, and play games.— The top ways consumers use their phones before a trip are to find fun things to do, research destination choices, and plan accommodations. Additionally, searching on a mobile device is the top way to research places to visit over desktop and recommendations from friends and family. During trips, more consumers would rather play mobile games (58%) than use social media (51%).
Don’t forget to click the infographic to see it full screen and download!
*CDC recommends delaying travel until you are fully vaccinated because travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Visit Vaccines.gov to find vaccination providers near you.
About the Study
The AdColony Travel Survey was distributed nationwide in the United States and asked consumers about travel plans post-COVID vaccination, device usage, and travel concerns. The survey garnered over 200 responses, with participants ranging from 18 years old to over 60.
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