Survey: Millennials most likely to travel in 2021
According to a new survey by HealthCareInsider.com, which focused on Americans’ perceptions of the pandemic’s end, millennials are 50% more likely than Gen Xers and 15% more likely than baby boomers to feel comfortable traveling by at least fall 2021.
When participants of varying ages were asked to choose out of 10 specific activities they most look forward to resuming, “not having to wear a mask” topped the list with 26% of the overall vote, followed by family gatherings at 18% and travel at 17%.
Millennials (ages 18-34) were the most likely generation (with 19% of the vote) to cite travel as the activity they’re most eager to resume, just behind being able to ditch face masks (20%).
Generation X respondents (ages 35-54) tied in terms of their eagerness to resume travel (17%) and family gatherings (17%), after not having to wear a mask in public (25%).
Meanwhile, baby boomers (ages 55 and older) said they’re most looking forward to family gatherings (20%) after the ability to stop wearing masks in public (31%). The ability to travel trailed with just 16% of boomers’ vote.
Respondents were also asked to select a season by which they believe they’ll feel comfortable traveling again.
Once again, millennials emerged as the generation that’s most eager to get back to traveling as soon as possible.
Millennials were shown to be 13% more likely than Gen Xers and 80% more likely than baby boomers to feel comfortable traveling by this spring. And millennials were 50% more likely than Gen Xers to feel comfortable traveling by this autumn.
Everywhere you look, you see signs of a reopening of the travel world. Airlines are ramping up schedules and destinations are actively seeking customers. Unfortunately, however, the combined major stakeholders — airlines, destinations and governments — have not put together coherent and unified policies and procedures for reopening. If you want to start thinking about spring or summer travel, you still have to navigate a minefield of confusion and uncertainty.
Travel anywhere: What medical evidence I can see suggests not even thinking about extended travel, anywhere, until after you have received a vaccine. Unfortunately, many of you won’t get vaccinated until summer — maybe even late summer. If you can’t wait that long, a domestic road trip is probably your best bet, but even that might face some limitations.
Quarantines and shutdowns:
The various states in our union are not even on the same chapter, let alone same page, on policies about cross-border travel, either for residents or visitors. Currently, at least half of the 50 states still impose some form of quarantine on travelers entering from at least some other states. Most rules ease limits for travelers with COVID-19 tests, but only three so far specifically account for vaccinated travelers. You still need to check for COVID19 requirements for any out-of-state trip, even a road trip. Fortunately, enforcement is feeble everywhere, and more than half of the states assess no penalties for quarantine violations. AARP’s continuously updated website is a good place to keep up with current rules, at https://www.aarp.org/travel/travel-tips/safety/info-2020/state-quarantine-guide.html. Except for Mexico and North Macedonia, international travel is still difficult right now. As with domestic travel, rules everywhere are inconsistent, but no matter where you go, CDC currently requires a COVID-19 test for returning travelers on any international flight. IATA (the International Air Transport Association) posts an updated interactive world map detailing COVID-19 restrictions at https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php.
Vaccination and test verification:
Just about everyone in the travel business expects that immigration services and airlines will soon start to rely on some form of uniform health “passport” that travelers can carry to verify vaccination and test status. It will most likely be implemented as a digital app, but maybe also a card or paper certificate, as well. IATA has developed a digital “International Travel Pass,” but to date only a few airlines and no governments have signed up for a trial. American Airlines has launched VeriFly. Other proposals floating around call for linking health data electronically to passports. There’s no scarcity of ideas, but “soon” is a pretty nebulous estimate of the time frame for a system that authorities around the world will accept.
Fares and rates: As with COVID19, the rate outlook remains cloudy. Industry mavens predict leisure travel will rebound faster than business travel. On the one hand, you will see lots of enticing offers; on the other, airlines and hotels need to stop hemorrhaging cash. Thus, I see some great airfare deals to Europe — where I can’t really go — but Allegiant’s latest domestic “promotion” features fares higher than they were before COVID-19. More than ever, that means you need to sign up for a few of the dozens of programs that notify you about deals. Some let you name specific routes or destinations; others show you everything and let you sort out what you want. Although names focus on airfares, most also search hotels as well.
Dealing with it: As I’ve been saying all along, plan as much as you want but avoid nonrefundable prepayments.