How Americans Are Traveling This Fall During the Pandemic
Travel is much different this year. People are traveling less due to COVID-19 fears and restrictions. Travel demand is way down compared to the previous year, although we have seen a rebound in recent months and a new high in the number of air travelers during the Labor Day weekend.
But another thing that has changed this year is where Americans are traveling to. Tripadvisor released its findings from the Seasonal Travel Index for Fall, which provides insight into where Americans are traveling during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and how their behavior has changed.
Travel Recovering
Recent Tripadvisor site data shows that globally, domestic travel for the fall season (September 1 – November 30, 2020) continues to gradually recover, with nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of all travelers planning domestic fall getaways.
Outdoor adventures have gained popularity since the beginning of the pandemic and are continuing to be a big attraction for travelers this fall. In fact, 61 percent of U.S. travelers are more likely to consider outdoor or nature trips and 54 percent are more likely to consider road trips now, compared to before the pandemic.
Changing Patterns
Domestic travelers are more interested in visiting beach destinations, and are less interested in central city getaways. While Florida and Arizona have always been popular destinations, there is significant year-over-year increase in travelers planning to visit this fall.
Travelers are looking for shorter getaways now, with 55 percent of fall travelers booking two to five night stays, and 36 percent booking short one-night stays.
There’s also been a rise in last minute travel. Fall travelers are booking more near-term trips, often less than a week in advance. This new trend is an effect of the pandemic that makes booking travel far ahead a gamble.
Across the globe, safety remains critical. Sixty-eight percent of global travelers say safety and cleanliness of establishments are important when traveling locally.
Top U.S. Destinations for Fall 2020
These are the top destinations in the United States based on year-over-year growth for domestic hotel bookings.
- Key Largo, Fla.
- Key West, Fla.
- Atlantic City, N.J.
- St. Pete Beach, Fla.
- Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Sedona, Ariz.
- Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Clearwater, Fla.
- San Diego, Calif.
- Savannah, Ga.
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