While the pandemic has made everything feel touch-and-go for the past 13 months, some trends have emerged, and the travel industry is no different. Global short-term rental sites Airbnb and Vrbo rounded up a few in surveys of the American public, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association has noted some as well.
Here's a roundup of some stats from those surveys that put several trends firmly on the map, so to speak, while offering some insight into where we're headed.
56% are likely to travel for leisure or vacation in 2021
65% plan on traveling more than they did pre-COVID
32% want the "vast majority of people" at a destination to also be vaccinated in order to consider traveling there
33% are willing to spend more on travel than they traditionally would
54% are more likely to take their bucket list trip
21% want to visit someplace international
59% are more likely to drive instead of fly on their next trip
61% are more likely to visit an outdoorsy destination than an urban one
31% say the main reason they want to go on their next trip is to spend quality time with family
41% say travel to connect with family has become "much more" important to them, almost twice the percentage who cite travel to accomplish personal goals (22%)
44% who had a trip canceled due to COVID-19 plan on rescheduling the same vacation
50% of U.S. hotel rooms expected to remain empty in 2021
48% say being comfortable staying in a hotel is tied to vaccination in some way
2, place a hotel's enhanced cleaning and hygiene practices hold on guests' priority lists, behind price
19% say they already have rented a vacation home for a stay of longer than 28 days since the pandemic started
52% took a flexcation this year and found the experience refreshing (Flexcations are longer stays that allow for both work and pleasure.)
67% of those who took a flexcation say they would do it again
35% say it will become more common post-pandemic for people to relocate to new places so they can take advantage of the ability to work remotely
128%, increase from July 2020 to September 2020 in Airbnb guest reviews mentioning "relocation," "relocate," "remote work" and "trying a new neighborhood," in comparison to the same time frame last year
36% expect to travel less for work after the pandemic compared to before it began
85%, forecasted decrease in business travel compared to 2019 through April 2021
2023/2024, when business travel is expected to return to 2019 levels
1, place business travel holds in terms of sources of U.S. hotel revenue
Sources: 2021 Vrbo Trend Report; Airbnb 2021 U.S. Travel Report; AHLA's 2021 State of the Hotel Industry report