When will Americans start traveling after coronavirus?
55.3 million Americans say they will resume travel within a year after COVID-19.
It’s no secret that COVID-19 has affected many industries and dramatically changed our everyday lives. However, in the wake of the State Department’s Level 4 travel advisory urging all Americans to stay home, the travel industry in particular has suffered. According to the U.S. Travel Association, the slump in travel is estimated to cause a $910 billion hit to the US economy.
Of those Americans who are planning a vacation or weekend getaway this year, 79% say they’ll research how their destination is managing the spread of COVID-19, according to a survey by market research company Destination Analysts.
As summer kicks off, just how much hodophobia — or a fear of travel — do Americans have? Finder.com surveyed more than 2,000 Americans to find out, asking how soon after travel bans and lockdowns are they willing to travel on vacation.
How soon after lockdowns are Americans willing to vacation?
Looking at the top results, Americans appear ready to get back on the road. Some 21.68% of those surveyed say they’d resume travel within one year, representing about 55.3 million Americans. That’s not too far off from the 19.42% of eager Americans who say they’ll travel within one month.
A more cautious 14.24% of those surveyed — or 36.3 million Americans — say they’ll wait to travel after two years.
| % of Americans | |
|---|---|
| Within 1 month | 19.42% |
| Within 3 months | 13.46% |
| Within 6 months | 15.08% |
| Within 1 year | 21.68% |
| Within 2 years | 10.94% |
| After 2 years | 14.24% |
Traveling by gender post-pandemic
Women overall appear to be more hesitant than men to travel post-coronavirus. Looking long term, 26.94% of women are planning to travel after one year, compared to 23.16% of men. On the flip side, men are more eager to travel soon, with 24.13% of men saying they plan to travel within a month, compared to just 15.29% of women. That translates to 10.5 million more men than women planning trips within a month. The three month range is fairly close for both genders at 13.45% for men and 13.47% for women.
| Males | Females | |
|---|---|---|
| Within 1 month | 24.13% | 15.29% |
| Within 3 months | 13.45% | 13.47% |
| Within 6 months | 16.23% | 14.08% |
| Within 1 year | 19.00% | 24.03% |
| Within 2 years | 9.15% | 12.50% |
| After 2 years | 14.01% | 14.44% |
Traveling by age post-pandemic
Our data showed no strong correlation between age and the time Americans are willing to wait before traveling after lockdowns and travel bans are lifted. People aged 25-34 were the most hesitant with travel immediately, with just 16.60% saying they planned to travel within a month. However, the age group right below —people aged 18-24— were the most eager to travel soon, with 22.22% saying they would travel within a month.
| 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Within 1 month | 22.22% | 16.60% | 21.63% | 22.07% | 18.21% | 17.26% |
| Within 3 months | 14.81% | 16.19% | 15.25% | 10.70% | 13.58% | 11.73% |
| Within 6 months | 10.19% | 17.41% | 11.35% | 13.38% | 17.88% | 17.26% |
| Within 1 year | 17.59% | 23.08% | 23.76% | 22.41% | 18.87% | 22.15% |
| Within 2 years | 13.89% | 9.31% | 8.51% | 10.70% | 12.58% | 12.05% |
| After 2 years | 13.89% | 12.55% | 16.31% | 14.72% | 13.58% | 14.01% |
Traveling by region post-travel ban
According to survey results those in the Northeast are the most hesitant to travel immediately after COVID, with just 16.23% saying they planned on traveling within a month. This is compared to 17.36% of those in the Midwest, and 20.50% of those in the South who do plan on traveling for vacation. The West has the greatest percentage of people planning on traveling within a month at 22.76%.
| Northeast | Midwest | South | West | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Within 1 month | 16.23% | 17.36% | 20.50% | 22.76% |
| Within 3 months | 10.09% | 15.05% | 13.45% | 13.79% |
| Within 6 months | 15.79% | 11.57% | 17.65% | 14.48% |
| Within 1 year | 23.68% | 25.23% | 18.99% | 20.34% |
| Within 2 years | 12.72% | 12.50% | 9.58% | 10.00% |
| After 2 years | 16.23% | 14.58% | 13.61% | 13.45% |
Traveling post-coronavirus by state
Americans hailing from Tennessee seem the most eager to travel, with a whopping 30.56% planning on traveling within a month. Tennessee is followed by Indiana at 27.27%. There is a tie for third place between California and Colorado at 26.32%. Iowans were the least eager to get out of the house, with only 6.67% saying they planned on traveling within the month.
| Rank | State | Within 1 month |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Alabama | 24.24% |
| 14 | Arizona | 18.75% |
| 3 | California | 26.32% |
| 3 | Colorado | 26.32% |
| 13 | Florida | 19.05% |
| 8 | Georgia | 22.03% |
| 16 | Illinois | 16.67% |
| 2 | Indiana | 27.27% |
| 25 | Iowa | 6.67%% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 23.33% |
| 10 | Michigan | 21.05% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 16.67% |
| 24 | Missouri | 11.11% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 14.89% |
| 12 | New York | 19.23% |
| 9 | North Carolina | 21.21% |
| 14 | Ohio | 18.75% |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 23.68% |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | 11.67% |
| 16 | South Carolina | 16.67% |
| 1 | Tennessee | 30.56%% |
| 20 | Texas | 14.29% |
| 11 | Virginia | 20.00% |
| 21 | Washington | 13.33% |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 13.04% |
What to do if your trip was canceled due to COVID-19
If you paid for your trip with a credit card, look into whether your card provides the perk of travel insurance. Card from Bank of America, Barclaycard, and others offer protection against travel interruption and cancelation as part of the cardholder benefits.
For coverage, you’ll likely need to prove you were sick or that a physician recommended you avoid travel. If your airline, hotel, or rental canceled on your behalf but didn’t fully reimburse you, your card might be willing to fight for a refund on your behalf.
For all media inquiries, please contact:
Chelsea Wells-Barrett, PR, Media Relations and Communications
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