As of writing, 11% of Americans report that though they usually travel for the holidays, they will not do so this year. CivicScience data show that many logical considerations, like finances, aren’t the full story, and the decision not to travel isn’t necessarily dictated by pandemic concerns, either.
So what is causing a lack of travel among this group of typical holiday travelers even though much of the world is going back to normal?
While the data can’t be boiled down to one answer, here are few observations about this segment from our recent webinar:
Customer support may factor in.
Typical travelers who won’t be traveling this year are 57% more likely to have recently experienced poor service at a restaurant and it prevented them from dining.
These are young people. So let’s rule out the worry.
According to CivicScience data, young people are much less concerned about the pandemic, especially if they’re vaccinated (which the hesitant non-travelers by and large are).
That’s important, because people who usually travel but aren’t are predominantly young people. There has to be something else informing their staying in place.
Finances could be a factor.
Consumers who are not planning on traveling as usual are more likely to be worse off financially than those who are traveling.
Mental health is a proxy.
With an elevated likelihood to be dealing with or helping someone else deal with mental health concerns, it appears that some of this is explained by the elevated concern for stress and mental trauma during the extended period of isolation.
These observations are merely a snippet of the recent webinar. Want more?
