NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2020 / PRNewswire / – COVID vaccine news is promising, but most consumers surveyed don’t wait for a vaccine to travel and a growing number of travelers say it’s OK to travel now, according to a new report from Oliver Wyman. “Vaccines are important, but personal judgment remains the primary factor in deciding to travel, given government restrictions and advice from the World Health Organization,” said Bruce Spear, a partner of Oliver Wyman. “This means that the travel industry must focus on measures that increase the safety of individual customers such as mandatory masks, cleaning and rapid tests and not wait for governments to issue guidelines.” The report, Anticipating the Travel Recovery, revealed several other changes in traveler behavior since the first survey was carried out in late April / early May. For example: Leisure Travel – Interest in leisure travel remains strong and has increased since May, with 63% of respondents planning to travel as much or more after the pandemic. While most travelers to the United States, Spain, Italy, China and Australia plan domestic trips, travelers to Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany plan international destinations primarily in their region. home for their next pleasure trip after COVID. The primary driver of these world leisure trips is visiting friends and family. More than 55% of U.S. respondents are more likely to visit friends and family than before COVID, showing pent-up demand for Thanksgiving and vacation travel. Business Travel – Forty-three percent of all business travelers plan to travel less in the future, an increase of 16 points from May. Business travelers have become more comfortable with teleconferencing, but only 53 percent agree they can develop new relationships through teleconferencing. This percentage drops to 47 percent for business travelers under the age of 30. While half of business travelers don’t expect any change in trip length, 30 percent plan to shorten their trips when possible, which will impact hotel stays. different transportation options than they were in May. Half are now comfortable taking a flight and almost 60% are comfortable in a hotel. However, less than a third are comfortable using public transport or carpooling. In the United States, more than 40% of those polled are still not comfortable using public transportation or carpooling. Cruises – In May, the cruise industry was still reeling from passenger news quarantined at sea. Since then the gap between cruises and other experiences involving meaningful interaction with others has closed. Respondents now feel as comfortable going on a cruise as going to a convention or going to a concert or sporting event. Old cruisers are more comfortable than novices. Pandemic Travel The survey also asked people about the trips they actually took during the pandemic. Overall, 31% have traveled by plane and 24% by train (more than 2 hours) since March. Sixty percent of these trips were primarily for leisure. Half of travelers (51%) were enthusiastic about traveling; while only a quarter said they were reluctant. Almost 80% of those who traveled were satisfied with most elements of their experience, including check-in, security, the boarding process, passenger and crew PPE. Travelers from the United States and China achieved an average satisfaction rate of over 80% on all their trips. Travelers have been less impressed with food and drink and retail at airports and stations, as many of these amenities have been all but phased out. Price remains the primary factor in consumer choice, followed by cleaning policies and traveler treatment. The exception is in China, where aircraft cleaning policies and airline treatment outweigh the price. Travelers consider cleaning and mask warrants the most important health and safety measures, but 40% would still like to see an empty seat next to them on planes and trains. “As we continue to adapt to our new COVID reality, travel providers will see a shift in their customer base due to reduced business demand,” said Jessica Stansbury, partner of Oliver Wyman. Leisure travel will continue to drive the recovery and meeting new customer expectations will be critical. Travel agencies do not have the flexibility to define, communicate and enforce cleanliness and safety policies. ” Methodology Oliver Wyman conducted his second Global Traveler Survey in September and October to capture how views on travel are changing as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. The survey involved more than 4,600 people in nine countries (Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States), who had all flown at least once in 2019. A third have also traveled by air and / or rail in the past six months. The full edition 2 investigation report will be available in November, with additional details on the cruise industry and an in-depth look at the pace at which travelers’ feelings are changing and the potential structural impacts that may result from the pandemic. Our previous survey was conducted in April / May and these results can be found here. About Oliver WymanOliver Wyman is a global leader in management consulting. With offices in 60 cities across 29 countries ys, Oliver Wyman combines in-depth industry knowledge with specialist expertise in strategy, operations, risk management and organizational transformation. The firm has more than 5,000 professionals around the world who work with its clients to optimize their activities, improve their operations and their risk profile, and accelerate their organizational performance to seize the most attractive opportunities. Oliver Wyman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies [NYSE: MMC]. For more information, visit www.oliverwyman.com. Follow Oliver Wyman on Twitter @OliverWyman. .



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