American Express released its report regarding the current sentiments of travelers one year after the pandemic started. To make the report short, people want to travel again. The American Express Travel: Global Trends Report compiled sentiments of travelers from seven different countries. Countries included in the report are the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and India.
According to the report, 76% of respondents are creating wish lists of travel destinations. The report also discovered that 87% are using this wish list as their motivation. 65% also want to travel again once they received the COVID19 vaccine. Then, there’s also the 61% who wants to travel more than they normally do.
Popular Destinations
So where do travelers want to go? Cities popular for their food are on top of people’s list. 62% of travelers even consider eating as a major focus of their trip. US travelers cited Miami, San Francisco, and Chicago for cities they want to visit.
Digital Nomad Trend
The digital nomad phenomenon became popular in recent years. While fast internet connection made it possible to work freelance, a lot of people are now enjoying working in exotic locations. Also, the pandemic forced offices to let employees work at home. The report sees this digital nomad trend to continue. Lots of people are now looking to combine work and leisure. 54% of respondents think that combining work and traveling seems more appealing now than before the pandemic.
Positive Impact on Communities
Some travelers also want to make a positive impact on the communities that they will visit. 59% are willing to participate in “philantourism”. This is a concept wherein travelers support companies that promote sustainability and diversity.
But just how many are going to have the opportunity to travel this year? Countries are looking to look into the resumption of international travel thanks to the COVID19 vaccine rollout. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still looking to delay people from traveling even if they are already fully vaccinated.
