HotelPlanner.com, the leading online seller of group hotel bookings and individual hotel stays worldwide, has published the results of its “Coronavirus Travel Impact” survey that was taken on March 11, 2020.
HotelPlanner.com surveyed Americans to learn about their plans to deal with travel in the midst of the global coronavirus outbreak. 84% of all respondents had or currently have plans to travel within the next 3 months. And of that 84%, nearly 79% were planning on traveling domestically while 21% had international bookings.
The main question being asked is whether or not travel plans will continue to hold up or if there will be mass cancellations in reaction to the spread of the coronavirus. 75% of all travelers have stated that they will NOT cancel their travel plans, but that number holds stronger for domestic travelers. Of those who are traveling within the United States, 79% will not be cancelling. That number drops to 60% when assessing international travelers. This indicates that people are more wary of international travel, or originally had plans to countries such as Italy or China, and have decided to cancel out of an abundance of caution.
Government’s Response to the Outbreak:
The President has pitched a coronavirus-related stimulus package to congress in an aim to offer targeted relief to tourism and hospitality industries. HotelPlanner’s CEO, Tim Hentschel, has also called for a $2,000 tax credit for travel within the United States for tax payers to help the industry rebound. When asked whether or not consumers would book a trip if there was a stimulus of $2,000 per traveler after the outbreak was contained, nearly 83% of HotelPlanner survey respondents answered “Yes.”
Younger people are more willing to travel during Coronavirus scare and be around large groups:
People aged 18 to 29 are significantly more likely than all other age groups to take advantage of low flight prices and book more flights. For example, 21% of 18 to 29 year olds have already booked new flights to take advantage of deals. On the other hand, only 10% of people 60 or older have done the same. Similarly, only about 13% of people between the ages of 30 and 60 have booked flights to take advantage of discounts.
Likewise, younger people are significantly more willing to attend a large conference (1,000 or more attendees) over the next four months. 60% of people age 18 to 29 would not cancel their attendance at such a conference, whereas just 40% of people over 60 would be willing to take such a risk. Likewise, only about 52% of people between the ages of 30 and 60 said they would attend a large conference during the Coronavirus scare.
These findings possibly line up with the messaging out there that younger and healthier people are less likely to experience complications from the coronavirus, whereas people older than 60 are at a higher risk.
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