According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, the rapid spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 is causing some travelers to put off upcoming trips.  Nearly two thirds of travelers now say they are changing their trip plans because of coronavirus, up from 43% two months ago.  One in five travelers have postponed trips until later this year, while one in six have postponed their travel until next year.

“The summer travel boom is at risk of stalling out as we move into fall,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International.  “As hopes of the travel industry for straight-line growth back to pre-pandemic levels recedes, it’s more important than ever for destinations to adjust marketing strategies to the fluctuations in traveler sentiment to support a safe and profitable fall travel season.”

Travelers continue to rate input from federal agencies as the most important source when determining the relative safety of travel in the U.S.  State agency advice, rules and restrictions also are influential considerations when weighing upcoming trips.

The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded August 18, 2021 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over.  Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the U. S. population.

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